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What to Pay a Certified Nursing Assistant in Houston, TX (2026)

Last updated: May 15, 2026 Built for: Total Rewards, Comp, HR Sample: BLS OEWS + disclosed-range postings
Market Median
$36,000
base, annual
Competitive Range
$32K–$41K
25th–75th percentile
YoY Movement
+4.4%
trailing 12 months
Days to Fill
~17
Houston metro average
To hire a Certified Nursing Assistant in Houston at market, plan on a base salary range of $32,000 to $41,000, with $36,000 as the midpoint. To attract candidates in a market where average time-to-fill runs 17 days, expect to lead at $41K–$47K plus a sign-on bonus, common in skilled nursing settings. Texas does not currently require pay range disclosure in job postings.

How to set your CNA pay range in Houston

Three pay positions, modeled against current Houston market data. Pick the one that matches your comp philosophy and the role's strategic value.

Lag Market
Pay Below Median
$28K–$32K
Workable in non-acute settings with strong non-cash differentiation. Expect longer fill times and turnover ~1.4× the Houston average.
Match Market — recommended
Pay at Median
$34.4K–$38K
Default for most Houston employers. Competitive enough to fill in ~17 days. A range width of ~30% (min $32,000 to max $41,000) keeps compa-ratio movement smooth across a CNA's typical 8–12 year tenure.
Lead Market
Pay Above Median
$39K–$47K
Use for hard-to-fill specialties (wound care, IV therapy, bilingual), 24/7 SNF roles, or when speed-to-hire trumps budget. Reduces fill time by 35–45% on average.

CNA salary percentile distribution in Houston, TX

Where the Houston market actually sits for CNA base pay.

10th $28K
25th $32K
Median $36K
75th $41K
90th $47K

Most Houston employers building a range for this role anchor the midpoint to the market median ($36,000) and set range width at 30–35% — a min of $32,000 and a max of $41,000. This keeps the band wide enough for experience-based progression without concentrating range penetration at the cap.

Texas pay transparency compliance for CNA job postings

What you must post when hiring a CNA in Texas.

Not required statewide. Texas has no statewide pay transparency law. Posting a range is optional — but roughly half of healthcare employers in the market now disclose ranges voluntarily, and candidates increasingly skip postings without one.

For a CNA role in Houston, a compliant good-faith range looks like $32,000 to $41,000. No statutory requirement applies, but if you disclose voluntarily, post a good-faith range of $32,000–$41,000 rather than a single number — it screens out misaligned candidates and reduces offer-stage fallout.

Top CNA employers in Houston — who you're competing against

Top healthcare employers hiring CNAs in the Houston metro and what they're posting.

Employer Type Disclosed Range Sign-on Bonus
Houston Methodist Academic medical center $36K–$46K Common ($2K–$4K)
Memorial Hermann Health system $34K–$44K Common ($2K–$4K)
Brookdale Senior Living SNF / assisted living $30K–$40K Very common ($2K–$4K)
HCA Houston Healthcare Health system $34K–$44K Very common ($2K–$5K)
Harris Health System Public health system $32K–$42K Government benefits

CNA talent supply and hiring difficulty in Houston

How hard is it to fill a CNA role in Houston.

~17
Avg Days to Fill
~5,800
Active Postings
~62,000
Houston CNA Workforce
Moderate
Supply : Demand

Skill premiums CNA candidates command in Houston, TX

Skill / Credential Pay Premium Demand Signal
Bilingual Spanish +4–7% Very high — ~64% of postings
Dementia / memory care +4–6% High
Hospice / palliative +4–6% Moderate
Lift / transfer cert +3–5% High

CNA total compensation in Houston — what candidates expect beyond base

Total rewards mix for CNAs in Houston. "Prevalence" reflects share of Houston disclosed-range postings including each element.

Component Typical Value Prevalence in Houston Postings
Base salary $36,000 (median) 100%
Shift differential +10–16% premium ~80%
Sign-on bonus $2,000–$4,500 ~52%
Overtime opportunity $4K–$9K annualized ~92%
Tuition reimbursement $2,000–$4,000/yr ~32%
Estimated total comp benchmark ~$44,000–$54,000 —

Shift differentials and sign-on bonuses are typically table stakes rather than differentiators. Tuition reimbursement for LPN-to-RN bridge programs is increasingly the lever that wins competitive offers, particularly for early-career candidates.

CNA pay by setting in Houston — SNF, hospital, clinic, home health

Where the CNA range splits by employer type in the Houston metro.

Setting Median Competitive Range Hiring Difficulty
Skilled nursing facility (SNF) $34,000 $30K–$40K High
Hospital $40,000 $36K–$46K Moderate
Home health $36,000 $32K–$42K High
Assisted living $32,000 $28K–$38K Moderate
Hospice $38,000 $34K–$44K Moderate

CNA salary in Houston vs. other Texas and nearby metros

What you'd pay if you hired in a nearby metro instead.

Location Median Base vs. Houston Hiring Difficulty
Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land, TX $36,000 — Moderate
Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington, TX $36,000 0.0% Moderate
Austin–Round Rock, TX $38,000 +5.6% Moderate
San Antonio, TX $34,000 −5.6% Moderate
Texas statewide $34,000 −5.6% —
U.S. national $38,200 — —

FAQ: hiring a Certified Nursing Assistant in Houston, TX

Market median is $36,000 for base pay. To match market, set a range with the midpoint at $36,000 — typically $32,000 to $41,000. To lead the market, plan on $41K–$47K base plus a sign-on bonus.
No statewide law requires a posted range in Texas. Disclosing one voluntarily — a good-faith range such as $32,000–$41,000 — is increasingly the market norm and improves application rates.
$32,000 falls below the Houston market median of $36,000 — roughly at the 25th–50th percentile locally. Acceptable in SNF or physician office settings where the candidate pool is deeper; below-market for hospital or specialty roles.
Roughly 52% of Houston CNA postings include a sign-on bonus. HCA, Houston Methodist, and Memorial Hermann lead with $2,000–$5,000 offers across hospital and SNF segments.
Average fill time is approximately 17 days in the Houston metro. Roles paid above the 75th percentile ($41K+) fill in roughly 18–22 days. Roles below the 25th percentile ($32K) commonly take 45+ days and have elevated turnover within the first 90 days.
By Houston-metro posting volume: Houston Methodist, Memorial Hermann, Brookdale Senior Living, HCA Houston Healthcare, Harris Health System lead the pack.
A 30–35% range width (min to max) is standard for CNA in Houston — for example, $32,000 to $41,000. Narrower than 25% compresses progression and creates compa-ratio pressure within 18 months.
No. Texas has no pay transparency law covering internal or external postings. Note that remote roles open to candidates in states like Colorado or California may still trigger those states' disclosure requirements.

Related CNA pay benchmarks — Texas metros and nearby nursing roles

Same role, nearby metros
CNA pay benchmark — Los Angeles, CA → CNA pay benchmark — Chicago, IL → CNA pay benchmark — Phoenix, AZ → All CNA pay benchmarks →
Related roles in Houston
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist pay benchmark — Houston → Licensed Practical Nurse pay benchmark — Houston → Nurse Practitioner pay benchmark — Houston → Registered Nurse pay benchmark — Houston → Travel Nurse pay benchmark — Houston → Emergency Room Registered Nurse pay benchmark — Houston → ICU Registered Nurse pay benchmark — Houston → Operating Room Registered Nurse pay benchmark — Houston → All roles' pay benchmarks →

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Data refreshed May 15, 2026. Next scheduled update: August 15, 2026.
© 2026 BetterComp. Market data informational only — not legal advice.