Certified Nursing Assistant Jobs in Dallas, TX
Certified nursing assistants in Dallas usually start around $17 to $19 an hour, with the steadiest hiring in skilled nursing and rehab units across North Dallas and at the big hospitals in the Medical District. Here are the current openings, followed by who is hiring and how to get on the Texas registry.
Current certified nursing assistant Openings in Dallas, TX
Listings marked External are sponsored openings provided by the Jobs2Careers network.
Certified Nursing Assistant Work in Dallas
Most Dallas CNA jobs sit in two kinds of buildings. The first is long-term care: skilled nursing floors, assisted living and inpatient rehab, many of them clustered in North Dallas between Northwest Highway and LBJ. Edgemere on Thackery Street and the Encompass Health rehab hospital on Northaven Road both require a Texas CNA certificate for their aide roles. The second is the hospital market. Parkland, UT Southwestern and the Dallas VA Medical Center on South Lancaster Road hire aides under titles like patient care assistant, patient care technician or nursing assistant, and a CNA certificate is one of the accepted ways in.
That split matters for your search. A CNA certificate is a legal requirement in a Texas nursing facility, while hospitals along Harry Hines Boulevard treat it as one qualifying route alongside their own paid training programs. Searching only for "CNA" misses a large share of Dallas openings.
Top Dallas Employers Hiring Certified Nursing Assistants
These Dallas employers have posted CNA or nursing assistant roles on their own careers sites:
- Edgemere - the senior living community off Northwest Highway hires certified nurse aides for its skilled nursing and assisted living floors.
- Encompass Health - the inpatient rehabilitation hospital on Northaven Road hires nursing assistants with a current CNA certificate and CPR, on days and nights.
- Parkland Health - the county hospital on Harry Hines hires patient care assistants and runs a paid apprenticeship for new aides.
- UT Southwestern Medical Center - the academic medical center hires patient care technicians for ICU, med-surg, telemetry and rehab units and accepts a CNA certificate plus experience.
- VA North Texas Health Care System - the Dallas VA Medical Center hires federal nursing assistants at GS-3 to GS-5, with CNA certification preferred.
Certified Nursing Assistant Salaries in Dallas
- Entry level: about $17 to $18.50 per hour for newly certified aides in long-term care.
- Experienced: roughly $18.50 to $22 per hour, typical of hospital aide roles and night shifts.
- Senior: about $22 to $24 per hour for experienced aides on specialty units, with federal VA nursing assistant pay ranging higher at the top grade.
These are estimates built from federal wage data for the Dallas-Fort Worth area and pay shown in local postings, such as $17 an hour for a skilled nursing CNA at Edgemere and $20 an hour for Parkland's apprenticeship. Shift differentials for nights and weekends, hospital versus nursing home settings, and federal GS pay at the VA move the numbers most.
How to Become a Certified Nursing Assistant in Dallas
Texas certifies nurse aides through the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. You complete an approved Nurse Aide Training and Competency Evaluation Program of at least 100 hours, 60 in the classroom and 40 hands-on in a nursing facility, then pass the state competency exam given by Prometric: a 60-question written or oral test and a hands-on skills test. Passing puts you on the Texas Nurse Aide Registry. Dallas College offers a certified nurse aide program that takes about two months full time at roughly $1,500 for Dallas County residents. If you would rather be paid while you train, Parkland's LEAP apprenticeship for patient care assistants pays $20 an hour, and UT Southwestern runs a paid patient care technician residency.
What the Job Involves
Certified nursing assistants handle the hands-on daily care that keeps patients and residents safe and comfortable. A typical shift includes helping with bathing, dressing, toileting and meals, turning and repositioning patients, taking and recording vital signs, helping people walk or transfer from bed to chair, answering call lights, and reporting changes in condition to the nurse. In long-term care you get to know the same residents over months; in a hospital the patients change daily and the pace is faster.
Skills Employers Look For
- Active Texas CNA certification on the Nurse Aide Registry
- BLS or CPR certification
- Safe patient handling, lifts and transfers
- Accurate vital signs and charting
- Patience and calm with older or confused patients
- Spanish, which many Dallas employers list as a plus
- Reliability on nights, weekends and holidays
Career Path and Advancement
Many Dallas aides use the job as a first step into nursing. A common path runs from CNA in a nursing home to patient care technician at a Medical District hospital, then into the Dallas College vocational nursing program at the Downtown Health Sciences Center to become an LVN, and later an associate or bachelor's degree for the RN license. Parkland and the other large systems offer tuition help that makes that climb cheaper.
Related Careers in Dallas
If CNA work interests you, these related Dallas roles are close matches:
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get CNA certified in Dallas?
Complete a state-approved nurse aide training program of at least 100 hours, then pass the Texas competency exam, which has a written or oral test and a skills test. Once you pass, Texas Health and Human Services lists you on the Nurse Aide Registry and you can work as a CNA.
How much do CNAs make in Dallas?
Most Dallas CNAs earn about $17 to $22 an hour, and experienced aides on specialty units can reach $24 or more. Nights, weekends and hospital roles usually pay more than day shifts in long-term care.
How long does CNA training take in Dallas?
Dallas College's certified nurse aide program takes about two months full time. After training you take both parts of the state exam, and you get three attempts at each part before retraining is required.
Do Dallas hospitals hire CNAs?
Yes, though usually under titles such as patient care assistant, patient care technician or nursing assistant. UT Southwestern accepts a CNA certificate with experience as one route into its technician jobs, and the Dallas VA prefers CNA certification for its nursing assistants.
How do I keep my Texas CNA certification active?
Texas requires 24 hours of in-service education every two years to renew, and renewal is filed through the state's online system. Working in a facility that provides in-service training makes this much easier.
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