Certified Nursing Assistant Jobs in Tucson, AZ
About 2,200 nursing assistants work in the Tucson metro, and the job is the quickest way into the city's hospitals: Pima Community College's certificate takes one 8-week semester. TMC and Carondelet hire CNAs as patient care techs, and hospice and senior care fill the rest. Current openings are below.
Current Certified Nursing Assistant Openings in Tucson, AZ
Listings marked External are sponsored openings provided by the Jobs2Careers network.
Certified Nursing Assistant Work in Tucson
In Tucson the hospitals rarely post a job titled CNA. Tucson Medical Center on Grant Road and Carondelet's St. Joseph's and St. Mary's hospitals hire patient care technicians, and a CNA certificate is the most common way to qualify. TMC alone has had PCT openings this fall on its float pool, med-surg, oncology and orthopedic units and in the TMC Rincon emergency department on the east side, and Carondelet has been posting PCT jobs on neuro telemetry at St. Joseph's and step-down at St. Mary's.
The rest of the work is in long-term and in-home care. Skilled nursing homes such as Handmaker on North Rosemont in midtown hire CNAs and LNAs on every shift, and hospice agencies send aides into patients' homes across the metro. The Tucson VA on South Sixth Avenue hires nursing assistants on the federal GS scale. Where you work also sets your pay floor: inside Tucson city limits it is $15.45 an hour in 2026, and outside, in Oro Valley or Sahuarita, it is the state's $15.15.
Top Tucson Employers Hiring Certified Nursing Assistants
These Tucson employers have posted CNA, LNA or patient care tech work on their own careers sites:
- TMC Health - Tucson Medical Center and TMC Rincon, hiring patient care technicians on inpatient units, the float pool and the emergency department.
- Carondelet Health Network - St. Joseph's and St. Mary's hospitals, hiring patient care techs full time and PRN, with a CNA preferred.
- Southern Arizona VA Health Care System - the Tucson VA, hiring nursing assistants at GS-3 to GS-5 through USAJOBS.
- Handmaker Jewish Services for the Aging - a midtown skilled nursing and assisted living community hiring CNAs and LNAs on all shifts.
- Casa de la Luz Hospice - a Tucson hospice, now part of LHC Group, hiring hospice aides for in-home visits.
- Northwest Healthcare - Northwest Medical Center and Oro Valley Hospital, which recruit patient care techs and CNAs through their clinical support teams.
Certified Nursing Assistant Salaries in Tucson
- Entry level: roughly $16 to $18 an hour.
- Experienced: roughly $18 to $21 an hour.
- Hospital patient care tech or specialty unit: roughly $20 to $24 an hour.
These are estimates that vary by employer and experience. Federal data put the median Tucson nursing assistant near $18 an hour, Casa de la Luz has posted its hospice aide job at $16 to $27.69 an hour, and the VA's nursing assistant range runs from about $39,600 to $64,700 a year. Night and weekend shifts, hospital sign-on bonuses and an LNA license push pay toward the top.
How to Become a Certified Nursing Assistant in Tucson
Finish a state-approved training program, pass the Arizona nursing assistant competency exam and get listed with the Arizona State Board of Nursing. Pima Community College's Nursing Assistant Certificate takes one 8-week semester in person at the Center of Excellence in Health Professions on West Campus, and high school students can take CNA through Pima JTED at The Bridges, Master Pieces or Camino Seco. Arizona has two levels: a Certified Nursing Assistant is placed on the registry with no background check, while a Licensed Nursing Assistant holds a license that requires a fingerprint background check. Some employers ask for the LNA, and only an LNA can go on to become a Certified Medication Assistant.
What the Job Involves
CNAs handle the hands-on basics of care: bathing, dressing, feeding, turning and moving patients, taking vital signs and reporting changes to the nurse. On a hospital unit you support several nurses through short stays, in a nursing home you care for the same residents for months, and in hospice you work one on one in a family's home.
Skills Employers Look For
- Active Arizona CNA certification or LNA license
- Current CPR or BLS certification
- Accurate vital signs and clear reporting to the nurse
- Physical stamina for lifting, turning and long shifts
- Patience with patients and families
- A fingerprint clearance card, which some nursing homes require
- A driver's license and reliable car for home health and hospice
Career Path and Advancement
Most Tucson CNAs treat the job as a first step. The usual ladder runs CNA, LNA or hospital patient care tech, then Pima's practical nurse certificate at West Campus and its LPN-to-ADN bridge to an RN license, with BSN completion through partner universities. Others move sideways into phlebotomy, medical assisting or unit clerk work, or become a Certified Medication Assistant in long-term care.
Related Careers in Tucson
These Tucson guides cover the jobs CNAs most often move into:
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a CNA and an LNA in Arizona?
Both take the same approved training and state exam. A Certified Nursing Assistant is listed on the Arizona State Board of Nursing registry with no criminal background check, while a Licensed Nursing Assistant holds a license that requires a fingerprint background check and gets more Board oversight. You can hold one or the other, not both.
How long does CNA training take in Tucson?
Pima Community College's Nursing Assistant Certificate is one 8-week semester taught in person at West Campus. After the course you take the Arizona competency exam before you can be listed and hired.
How much do CNAs make in Tucson?
Expect roughly $16 to $18 an hour to start, $18 to $21 with experience, and $20 to $24 as a hospital patient care tech or on a specialty unit. Hospice and federal jobs can pay more at the top of their ranges.
Which Tucson employers hire the most CNAs?
TMC and Carondelet hire the most hospital patient care techs, the Tucson VA hires nursing assistants through USAJOBS, and skilled nursing and hospice providers such as Handmaker and Casa de la Luz hire CNAs on every shift.
Do you need to renew a CNA certificate in Arizona?
Yes, every two years. A CNA needs at least 8 paid hours of nursing assistant work in that time and an LNA at least 160.
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