Certified Nursing Assistant Jobs in Tampa, FL
Certified nursing assistants in Tampa usually start around $16 to $18 an hour, and hospital units on Fletcher Avenue near USF and on North Howard Avenue keep hiring for days and nights. Here are the current openings, followed by who is hiring, what it pays, and how to get certified in Florida.
Current certified nursing assistant Openings in Tampa, FL
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Certified Nursing Assistant Work in Tampa
Most CNA hiring in Tampa runs through hospitals rather than nursing homes alone. AdventHealth Tampa on East Fletcher Avenue staffs CNAs and patient care techs across its ICU, PCU, rehab and med-surg units, and Kindred Hospital Central Tampa on North Howard Avenue hires CNAs for long-term acute care. TGH Rehabilitation Hospital runs night CNA shifts on three 12-hour schedules, and BayCare, the largest health employer in Tampa Bay, recruits CNAs and patient care techs for its Hillsborough County sites.
That hospital mix matters for pay and schedules. Healthcare practitioners make up a bigger share of jobs in the Tampa metro than nationally, and many CNA jobs here are 12-hour shifts with night and weekend rotations, and a lot of staff commute in on I-275 from Wesley Chapel and Pasco County or across the Howard Frankland Bridge from Pinellas. Hospitals also accept a CNA certificate as the entry ticket to patient care tech roles, which is where the better pay sits.
Top Tampa Employers Hiring Certified Nursing Assistants
These Tampa employers hire CNAs and patient care techs directly:
- AdventHealth - AdventHealth Tampa on East Fletcher Avenue hires CNA and patient care techs for ICU, PCU, rehab and med-surg units, full time and PRN.
- BayCare - the region's largest health system recruits CNAs and patient care techs for Hillsborough County hospitals and runs a PCT Earn as You Learn track.
- Kindred Hospital Central Tampa - the long-term acute care hospital on North Howard Avenue hires CNAs on day and night shifts.
- TGH Rehabilitation Hospital - the Tampa General and Lifepoint rehab hospital staffs CNAs on three 12-hour night shifts a week.
Certified Nursing Assistant Salaries in Tampa
- Entry level: about $16 to $18 per hour for newly certified CNAs.
- Experienced: roughly $18 to $21 per hour with a year or more of acute care experience.
- Senior / patient care tech: $21 to $25 per hour for experienced hospital PCTs, especially on nights and in critical care.
These are estimates built from federal wage data for the Tampa metro and pay ranges posted by local hospitals. Hospital jobs generally pay more than nursing homes, night and weekend shifts add differentials, and an extra credential such as EKG or phlebotomy can move a CNA into a higher-paid patient care tech role. Florida's minimum wage is $15.00 an hour, so no CNA posting here should start below that.
How to Become a Certified Nursing Assistant in Tampa
CNAs in Florida are certified by the Florida Board of Nursing. You pass the Prometric exam, which has a written test and a five-skill hands-on test, and you clear a Level 2 fingerprint background screening. Florida lets applicants who are 18 or older, or who have a high school diploma or GED, sit for the exam without a state-approved course, but most people take one. Hillsborough College's Institute for Corporate and Continuing Education, based at the Dale Mabry Campus, runs a Certified Nursing Assistant course of about 80 to 84 hours with an optional 40-hour clinical, and Erwin Technical College on East Hillsborough Avenue offers a Patient Care Technician program for students who want the hospital route.
What the Job Involves
CNAs help patients with bathing, dressing, eating, toileting and moving safely, take and record vital signs, turn and reposition patients to prevent pressure injuries, answer call lights, and report changes in condition to the nurse. In hospitals, the role often adds blood glucose checks, EKGs or specimen collection under the patient care tech title.
Skills Employers Look For
- Active Florida CNA certification
- Current BLS CPR certification
- Accurate vital signs and charting in an electronic record
- Safe patient lifting, transfers and fall prevention
- Calm communication with patients and families
- Reliability on 12-hour, night and weekend shifts
Career Path and Advancement
In Tampa, CNAs often move first into patient care tech roles at the big hospital systems, then train as a licensed practical nurse in Erwin Technical College's 15-month Practical Nursing program or as a registered nurse through Hillsborough College's Nursing: Basic Option. Unit experience as a CNA also leads to monitor tech and unit secretary roles inside the same hospitals.
Related Careers in Tampa
If CNA work interests you, these related Tampa roles are close matches:
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need a license to be a CNA in Tampa?
Yes. Florida CNAs must be certified by the Florida Board of Nursing after passing the Prometric written and skills exam and a Level 2 fingerprint background screening. Hospitals also ask for a current BLS CPR card.
How much do CNAs make in Tampa?
Newly certified CNAs generally start around $16 to $18 an hour, experienced CNAs earn about $18 to $21, and hospital patient care techs can reach $21 to $25 with night or critical care shifts. These are estimates, and the employer and shift move them.
How long does CNA training take in Tampa?
A CNA course in Tampa can be finished in a matter of weeks. Hillsborough College's continuing education course is about 80 to 84 hours of lecture and skills training, plus an optional 40-hour clinical, before you schedule the state exam.
Can I take the Florida CNA exam without a training course?
Florida allows applicants who are 18 or older, or who have a high school diploma or GED, to apply for the exam without completing a state-approved program. You still have to pass both the written and skills portions, so most candidates take a course first.
What shifts do Tampa hospitals offer CNAs?
Most hospital CNA and patient care tech jobs in Tampa are 12-hour day or night shifts, often three a week with rotating weekends. Full-time, part-time and PRN schedules are all common, and nights usually pay a differential.
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