CNA Jobs in Texas: Salary, Requirements & Openings

Certified nursing assistants (CNAs) are often the staff patients see most: helping with daily living, reporting changes, and keeping units moving. If you are looking for CNA jobs in Texas, this guide covers the work itself, how the Texas market typically looks, what employers screen for, and how to search live openings on McKent.

What CNA work involves

A CNA supports nurses and the care team with hands-on help. Duties vary by setting, but they commonly include:

• Helping patients or residents with bathing, dressing, toileting, and mobility
• Taking and recording vital signs, intake, and output as allowed by the facility
• Turning and repositioning to reduce pressure injuries
• Serving meals and assisting with feeding when needed
• Observing and promptly reporting changes in condition to the nurse
• Keeping rooms, equipment, and supplies in usable order
• Documenting care in the facility’s charting system

CNA work is physical and people-centered. Strong candidates are comfortable on their feet, communicate clearly with patients and coworkers, and follow infection-control and privacy rules. This is not a substitute for RN or LPN practice — CNAs work under the nurse’s direction and the employer’s policies.

Texas CNA job market overview

Texas has a large, spread-out healthcare system: major metro hospitals, suburban medical campuses, rural critical-access hospitals, and a substantial long-term care network. CNA hiring demand can vary by city, facility type, employer, and local workforce needs. Texas employers commonly hire CNAs in settings such as:

• Hospitals need aides on medical-surgical, telemetry, rehab, and other units
• Skilled nursing and long-term care facilities rely on CNAs for daily care
• Home health and hospice agencies hire CNAs for visits in the community
• Population growth in many Texas metros keeps census and staffing needs active

Competition and hiring speed differ by city and setting. A night shift in a large Houston hospital is a different search than a day-shift role in a smaller West Texas facility. Use location, shift, and setting filters instead of treating “Texas CNA jobs” as one pile.

McKent lists employer-posted CNA roles with the CNA certification required on the job — not scraped or invented ads. Open the CNA jobs in Texas page to see what is actually hiring now.

Typical work settings

Most Texas CNA postings fall into a few buckets:

Hospitals. Faster pace, more equipment, and tighter coordination with RNs. You may float between units depending on staffing.

Skilled nursing and long-term care. Longer-term relationships with residents, heavy ADL support, and close teamwork with nurses and therapists.

Assisted living and memory care. More independence for some residents, with a focus on safety, routines, and behavioral support in memory-care neighborhoods.

Rehabilitation. Helping patients regain strength after surgery, stroke, or injury, often alongside PT and OT.

Home health and hospice. Travel between homes, more independent visits, and documentation after each stop. Reliable transportation matters.

Clinics and specialty offices. Less common than facility roles, but some practices hire CNAs or medical assistants for rooming and vitals.

Read the posting for the setting. “CNA” in a hospital and “CNA” in a 120-bed nursing home can mean different ratios, charting tools, and physical demands.

What affects CNA pay in Texas

McKent does not publish a single statewide CNA wage here. Pay varies, and a number that is accurate in one city or facility can be misleading in another.

Factors that typically move an offer:

• City and cost of living — large metros and high-demand zip codes often differ from rural markets
• Employer type — hospital systems, SNFs, agencies, and home health may use different pay scales
• Shift — nights, weekends, and holidays often include differentials
• Experience and skills — med-surge exposure, dementia care, or bilingual skills can matter to some employers
• Assignment type — staff, PRN, contract, or travel-style CNA work are priced differently
• Overtime and extra shifts — some facilities rely on pickup shifts; that is extra pay, not base rate

When you compare jobs, look at the full posting: shift pattern, differentials, benefits, and whether the rate is hourly staff pay or a contract package. If a listing on McKent shows a range, treat it as the employer’s stated range for that role — not a statewide average.

Certification and registry considerations

Texas CNAs are generally expected to complete a state-approved nurse aide training and competency evaluation program and to appear on the Texas Nurse Aide Registry, administered through Texas Health and Human Services (HHSC). Employers commonly verify that listing before or shortly after hire.

A few practical notes — not legal advice:

• Registry status, expiration, and any findings are between you, the state, and the employer. Confirm your own record on the official HHSC Nurse Aide Registry site.
• If you trained in another state, you may need to follow Texas’s endorsement or reciprocity process before a Texas facility can use you as a CNA. Do not assume a compact or automatic transfer.
• Facilities also run their own onboarding: background checks, drug screens, TB testing, influenza or other immunization policies, and BLS/CPR. Those are employer rules, not a substitute for state certification.
• Names used in postings (“nurse aide,” “CNA,” “PCA”) are not always identical to the legal title. Match the license/certification required field and ask the recruiter if the role requires an active CNA listing.

McKent cannot certify you, restore a lapsed listing, or promise that a given posting will accept a training-in-progress candidate. Use the job description and the employer as the source of truth.

Common shift types

Expect to see:

• 8-hour shifts (days, evenings, nights) especially in long-term care
• 12-hour shifts (often 7a–7p or 7p–7a) in many hospitals
• Weekends and holidays as part of a rotating or every-other-weekend pattern
• PRN / per diem with minimum shift requirements
• Part-time blocks that still include some off-shifts

Ask how shift bids, weekend rotation, and cancelation policies work. A “full-time days” posting can still include weekends. If you need a set schedule for school or caregiving, say so early so you do not start a role you cannot keep.

What Texas employers typically look for

Beyond an active CNA listing, hiring teams usually screen for:

• Reliable attendance and a schedule that matches the unit’s needs
• Clear communication with patients, families, and nurses
• Comfort with mobility assistance, gait belts, and safe transfers
• Basic computer or kiosk charting
• Professionalism: privacy (HIPAA), infection control, and respectful language
• For some roles: recent facility experience, dementia care, or hospital exposure

A short, specific resume helps: training program, registry status, clinical hours or rotations, and any paid caregiving. You do not need a long narrative. You do need dates, the setting, and skills you actually used.

How to improve your chances of getting hired

1. Confirm your registry and documents before you apply. Have your certification details, BLS card, and ID ready for onboarding.
2. Target the setting you can do well in. If you prefer slower-paced long-term care, do not only apply to high-turnover hospital float pools.
3. Be honest about shifts. Applying to nights you cannot work wastes everyone’s time.
4. Use a Texas-ready resume. City, willingness to commute or relocate, and CNA skills listed in plain language.
5. Apply to live employer posts. On McKent, open the job, read duties and requirements, then apply through the listing.
6. Follow up professionally. If the employer uses McKent messaging, answer quickly. Ghosting after an interview is a common reject reason.
7. Keep learning on the job. New CNAs who ask for feedback on transfers, charting, and vital signs tend to pass orientation more smoothly.

None of this guarantees a job offer. Hiring depends on the employer, unit needs, and your interview.

How to search McKent for CNA jobs in Texas

1. Open CNA jobs in Texas — McKent’s CNA + Texas jobs landing page.
2. Scan live employer listings. Each role on that page is posted with the CNA certification required.
3. Use filters (when available) for city, shift, or employment type if you need a tighter commute or schedule.
4. Open a job to read the full description, then apply with a free candidate account.
5. If you also want roles outside Texas, use Explore U.S. healthcare jobs and keep CNA in your profile so matching stays relevant.

You can also start from the national CNA jobs page and then choose Texas. The Texas URL above is the direct path.

If a page has few listings that week, check back — McKent shows current employer posts, not a static directory of every facility in the state.