Certified Nursing Assistant Jobs in San Diego, CA
Certified nursing assistants in San Diego generally start around $24 to $26 an hour, and hospital systems like Sharp, Scripps and Kaiser post CNA scales that top out above $31. Below are the current openings, followed by who is hiring, what it pays and how to get certified in California.
Current certified nursing assistant Openings in San Diego, CA
Listings marked External are sponsored openings provided by the Jobs2Careers network.
Certified Nursing Assistant Work in San Diego
CNA work in San Diego clusters where the big hospitals do: the Kearny Mesa medical campus along SR-163, where Sharp Memorial, Rady Children's and Kaiser's San Diego Medical Center sit close together; Hillcrest, home to Scripps Mercy San Diego and UC San Diego Health; and North County, where Palomar Health anchors Escondido off I-15 and SR-78. Skilled nursing and sub-acute units add steady demand, from Sharp Coronado and Villa Coronado across the bridge to the inpatient rehab hospital in Escondido.
Health care is the region's job-growth engine. The San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce reports healthcare and social assistance added 16,600 jobs between June 2025 and June 2026, more than any other sector. For CNAs, that means acute, sub-acute, rehab and float pool roles open year round.
Top San Diego Employers Hiring Certified Nursing Assistants
These San Diego employers post CNA and nursing assistant roles on their own careers sites:
- Sharp HealthCare - hires CNAs for sub-acute and skilled nursing at Sharp Coronado Hospital and Villa Coronado, with part-time, full-time and per diem shifts.
- Scripps Health - staffs PCA and nurse assistant roles at Scripps Mercy San Diego in Hillcrest, from medical acute and trauma observation to the outpatient infusion center.
- Kaiser Permanente - posts CNA openings in the nursing float pool at San Diego Medical Center on Clairemont Mesa Boulevard in Kearny Mesa.
- UC San Diego Health - hires CNAs under the Sr. Nursing Aide title for telemetry, progressive care and float pool units in Hillcrest and La Jolla.
- Rady Children's Health - the children's hospital on Children's Way hires CNAs for its pediatric sub-acute unit.
- Palomar Health Rehabilitation Institute - the Escondido inpatient rehab hospital runs 12-hour day and night CNA shifts with a retention bonus.
Certified Nursing Assistant Salaries in San Diego
- Entry level: about $21 to $26 per hour, depending on the employer and setting.
- Experienced: roughly $27 to $30 per hour for CNAs with acute care or sub-acute experience.
- Senior / top of scale: $30 to $32.50 per hour at the top of hospital pay scales.
These are estimates drawn from pay ranges San Diego employers posted in 2026, and they move with setting, shift and seniority. Acute care hospitals and union scales pay more than most skilled nursing facilities, nights and weekends add differentials, and California's health care worker minimum wage law sets higher floors at many covered facilities.
How to Become a Certified Nursing Assistant in San Diego
CNAs in California are certified by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH). You complete a CDPH-approved nurse assistant training program of at least 160 hours, 60 in the classroom and 100 in supervised clinical training, submit Live Scan fingerprints, and pass the state competency exam with a written and a skills portion. Locally, San Diego College of Continuing Education offers a CDPH-approved Nursing Assistant Training course based at its Cesar Chavez Campus in Barrio Logan, and the Grossmont Health Occupations Center in Santee runs a CNA program. Most hospital postings also require an American Heart Association BLS card, and some ask for six months to a year of CNA experience.
What the Job Involves
CNAs handle the hands-on care that keeps a unit running: taking vital signs, helping patients bathe, dress, eat and move, turning and repositioning bedbound patients, recording intake and output, answering call lights and reporting changes in condition to the nurse. In sub-acute and rehab units the work includes more mobility help and long-term care routines, while acute care floors move faster with more admissions and discharges each shift.
Skills Employers Look For
- Active California CNA certificate from CDPH
- Current AHA Basic Life Support (BLS) card
- Accurate vital signs and charting in an EHR
- Safe patient handling and transfer technique
- Calm, clear communication with patients and families
- Bilingual English and Spanish, a plus at many San Diego employers
- Reliability across 8- and 12-hour shifts
Career Path and Advancement
Many San Diego CNAs use the job as a paid step into nursing. A common path is CNA to LVN through a vocational nursing program such as Southwestern College's at Otay Mesa, then LVN to RN through a step-up track at Southwestern, San Diego City College or Grossmont College. Others stay at the bedside and move into acute care, float pool, monitor tech or patient care lead roles at the big hospital systems.
Related Careers in San Diego
If CNA work interests you, these related San Diego roles are close matches:
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get CNA certified in San Diego?
Complete a CDPH-approved nurse assistant training program of at least 160 hours, then pass the California competency exam. San Diego College of Continuing Education offers a state-approved course, and the Grossmont Health Occupations Center in Santee also trains CNAs. You submit Live Scan fingerprints when you enroll.
How much do CNAs make in San Diego?
Posted 2026 ranges at San Diego hospitals run from about $21 to $32.50 an hour. Most new CNAs land between $24 and $26, and experienced acute care CNAs earn $27 to $30 or more, before night and weekend differentials.
Which San Diego hospitals hire CNAs?
Sharp HealthCare, Scripps Health, Kaiser Permanente, UC San Diego Health and Rady Children's all post CNA or nursing assistant roles, along with the Palomar Health Rehabilitation Institute in Escondido. Some systems use different titles, such as PCA at Scripps and Sr. Nursing Aide at UC San Diego Health.
Do San Diego hospitals hire new CNAs without experience?
Some do. Scripps accepts current nursing assistant students or recent program graduates for some PCA roles, while UC San Diego Health and Kaiser usually ask for six months to a year of CNA experience. Skilled nursing and sub-acute units are often the easiest place to get that first year.
How often do I renew a California CNA certificate?
Every two years. CDPH requires 48 hours of in-service training or continuing education per renewal period, with at least 12 hours completed each year, and up to 24 hours can come from a CDPH-approved online provider.
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