Certified Nursing Assistant Jobs in Tucson, AZ
There are roughly 2,200 CNA jobs across the Tucson region, and the role is the cheapest, fastest on-ramp into the city's biggest hospital systems: Pima Community College's Nursing Assistant certificate runs about five to six weeks and costs only a few hundred dollars. Banner, TMC, and Carondelet actively hire CNAs as patient care techs and use them as a feeder into their LPN and RN pipelines, so this is less a dead-end job than a foot in the door at the systems that dominate Southern Arizona healthcare.
Current Certified Nursing Assistant Openings in Tucson, AZ
Top Tucson Employers Hiring Certified Nursing Assistants
CNA roles in Tucson split across hospitals, skilled-nursing and rehab facilities, assisted living, and home care. Each link lands on that employer's current openings:
- Banner University Medical Center Tucson - the academic medical center hires CNAs and patient care techs across med-surg, ICU step-down, and Diamond Children's.
- TMC Health (Tucson Medical Center) - the large east-side nonprofit hospital, with CNA and nurse-tech roles and internal paths toward LPN/RN.
- Carondelet Health Network - St. Joseph's and St. Mary's Hospitals, hiring CNAs for inpatient floors on full-time and PRN schedules.
- Handmaker Jewish Services for the Aging - a midtown skilled-nursing and senior-living community with steady long-term-care CNA openings.
- Devon Gables Rehabilitation Center - a Tucson rehab and skilled-nursing facility hiring CNAs for short-term rehab and long-term care.
- Home health and hospice agencies - Casa de la Luz Hospice and similar Tucson providers hire CNAs for in-home caregiving and end-of-life care.
Certified Nursing Assistant Salaries in Tucson
- Entry-level: about $33,000 - $37,000 per year ($16 - $18 per hour)
- Experienced: about $38,000 - $42,000 per year ($18 - $20 per hour)
- Hospital / specialty nurse tech: about $42,000 - $46,000+ per year ($20 - $22 per hour)
These are estimates that vary by employer, setting, and shift. Hospitals tend to pay more than nursing homes and add night and weekend differentials, and larger systems often include health insurance, paid time off, retirement matching, and tuition assistance toward LPN or RN school.
How to Become a Certified Nursing Assistant in Tucson
The standard local route is Pima Community College's Nursing Assistant certificate, taught at the West Campus Health Professions Center of Excellence. It runs about five to six weeks (roughly 120 hours of classroom, lab, and clinical instruction), is approved by the Arizona State Board of Nursing, and costs only a few hundred dollars. After finishing an approved program you take the Arizona Nursing Assistant Competency Exam (a written test plus a hands-on skills test) and get listed on the state CNA registry. Other local options include the Academy for Caregiving and Brookline College, and the Tucson VA offers free CNA training to eligible veterans and their spouses. Because Pima's nursing credentials are stackable, the hours you earn as a CNA can carry forward toward the LPN certificate or the RN degree.
What the Job Involves
A Tucson CNA handles the hands-on basics of patient care: bathing, dressing, feeding, helping patients move and reposition, taking vital signs, and reporting changes to the nurse. The day looks different by setting - on a Banner or TMC hospital floor you support a busy nursing team across many short stays, in a skilled-nursing facility like Handmaker or Devon Gables you build longer relationships with the same residents, and in home health you work one-on-one in a patient's house. It is physical work, and in Tucson's many bilingual households the ability to speak Spanish makes patient communication far easier.
Skills Employers Look For
- Active Arizona CNA certification and listing on the state registry
- Compassion and patience with patients and families
- Physical stamina for lifting, repositioning, and being on your feet
- Accurate vital signs and careful reporting to the nurse
- Infection-control discipline and reliability
- Bilingual English/Spanish, which is a real advantage across Tucson facilities
Career Path & Advancement
In Tucson the CNA role is usually a starting point, not a ceiling. Many people use Pima's stackable nursing model to move from CNA to LPN to RN while working, and Banner, TMC, and Carondelet often help pay for that schooling. Others branch sideways into phlebotomy, patient care tech, or medical front-office work, or step up to lead CNA and unit support roles. Because every hospital, nursing home, and home-care agency in the metro needs CNAs, the experience travels anywhere in Southern Arizona healthcare.
Related Careers in Tucson
If you are starting in healthcare, these related guides on TucsonHIRED cover the roles CNAs most often move into:
- Registered Nurse Jobs in Tucson, AZ
- Healthcare Jobs in Tucson, AZ
- Medical Receptionist Jobs in Tucson, AZ
- Medical Laboratory Jobs in Tucson, AZ
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need to be certified to work as a CNA in Tucson?
Yes. To work as a CNA in Arizona you must complete a state-approved training program, pass the Arizona Nursing Assistant Competency Exam (a written test and a skills test), and be listed on the Arizona State Board of Nursing CNA registry. You do not need a college degree, just the approved certificate course and the exam.
How long does CNA training take in Tucson?
Pima Community College's Nursing Assistant certificate takes about five to six weeks of full-time study, covering roughly 120 hours of classroom, lab, and clinical work. Accelerated programs at other Tucson providers can run as short as three to four weeks, after which you sit for the state competency exam.
How much do CNAs make in Tucson?
Entry-level CNAs in Tucson generally earn about $16 to $18 per hour, experienced CNAs roughly $18 to $20 per hour, and hospital nurse techs or specialty roles around $20 to $22 per hour or more. Hospitals usually pay more than nursing homes and add night and weekend shift differentials.
Can you become an RN after starting as a CNA in Tucson?
Yes, and it is a common local path. Pima Community College uses a stackable nursing model, so the hours you earn as a CNA can apply toward the LPN certificate and then the RN degree, and Banner, TMC, and Carondelet frequently offer tuition assistance to CNAs who want to keep advancing.
Where can you get affordable CNA training in Tucson?
Pima Community College is the lowest-cost approved option, at a few hundred dollars for the full certificate. The Tucson VA offers free CNA training to eligible veterans and their spouses, and some local employers sponsor or reimburse training in exchange for a work commitment, so it is worth asking facilities directly.
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