A CNA helps patients with mobility problems.
Depending on the patient's needs, a certified nursing assistant helps with bathing and grooming, with moving from the bed to a wheelchair or walker, and with incontinence care. She monitors the patient's condition, and she often is a source of companionship. In a home care setting, a CNA may also do light housekeeping and drive the client to appointments. CNAs in Maryland generally earn at least $23,000 per year.
Geography
Median salaries for Maryland CNAs vary with geography, as detailed by data at Salary.com. CNAs in Cumberland have a median annual salary of $25,656 as of March 2011, in Hagerstown $26,445 and in Frederick $26,902. These median salaries in the western part of Maryland were significantly lower than median salaries in cities on the east side. The median salary in Cambridge is $29,238 as of March 2011, in Salisbury $29,689, in Baltimore $29,801 and in Bethesda $30,732. In comparison, the nationwide median salary for this occupation is $28,194 per year.
Salary Range
The middle 50 percent of CNAs in this group of Maryland cities have salaries in the range of $23,435 to $33,744 per year, translating to about $11.30 to $16.20 per hour. The lowest salaries were in Cumberland, where the bottom 10 percent of CNAs were earning $21,413 annually and less. The highest CNA salaries were in Bethesda, where the top 10 percent were earning more than $36,435 per year. In comparison, the bottom 10 percent of CNAs nationwide had salaries of $23,531 and below, the middle 50 percent $25,754 to $30,957, and the top 10 percent $33,473 and higher.
Types of Employment
Salaries for CNAs vary with employment settings. In Hagerstown, for example, a CNA working in a nursing home earns a median salary of $22,484 per year, in long-term care $23,781 and in occupational health $26,119 per year. In Salisbury, a CNA working in a nursing home has a median salary of $25,242 per year, in long-term care $26,697 and in occupational health $29,322 per year.
Job Openings
CNAs are needed in Maryland to work in many different employment settings, as illustrated by job listings in 2011 at Indeed.com. Positions are available in acute care, assisted living facilities, general hospitals, geriatric departments, home health care, hospices, medical centers, nursing homes, senior living centers and trauma departments. Some Maryland employers look for CNAs to work as patient care technicians or medical assistants. Most organizations do not disclose salary information; those that do post pay rates from $10 to $11 per hour.
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