CNA Jobs in Bothell, WA: Employers, Settings, and Starting Pay

A Nursing Assistant-Certified (NA-C) living in Bothell can look for work in two counties at once. South, in King County, EvergreenHealth's Level III trauma hospital in Totem Lake borders the city. North, in Snohomish County, Swedish Edmonds (217 licensed beds, per the Swedish locations page) and Providence's Everett hospital are a short drive. In between are skilled nursing facilities, senior living campuses around Canyon Park and Mill Creek, and licensed adult family homes across Bothell's neighborhoods. Indeed's August 2026 job-posting data does not report Bothell on its own; the two nearest reported cities are Kirkland at about $23.73 per hour and Everett at about $24.89, which bracket what a Bothell nursing assistant should expect. All wage figures here are approximate.

Employers by direction from Bothell

Bothell's own employers are the volume market. The hospitals in the four directions around it are where experienced NA-Cs move for higher base pay and differentials.

One feature of Bothell's market is the concentration of senior living around Canyon Park, Thrashers Corner, and the Mill Creek boundary. Those campuses combine independent living, assisted living, and memory care under one roof, so a single employer may post caregiver roles at the HCA rate and nursing assistant roles at the NA-C rate in the same week. Read the scope of the role before comparing the hourly figure.

Pay bands for Bothell, from the floor up

1. Floor. The 2026 Washington minimum wage is $17.13 per hour. Bothell uses the state minimum in both counties. Adult family home and home care agency caregiver roles sit closest to it.
2. Senior living and memory care. Roles often open to both Home Care Aides and NA-Cs, which holds the rate below the nursing assistant average.
3. Skilled nursing facilities. Near the Kirkland figure of about $23.73 per hour to start, with evening, night, and weekend differentials of roughly $1.50 to $4 per hour on top.
4. Hospitals. At or above the Everett figure of about $24.89 per hour, plus differentials. BLS OEWS puts the Seattle-metro healthcare support mean at about $25.96 per hour (May 2025), against $19.62 nationally, which is why Puget Sound hospital postings look high to anyone moving from out of state.

How each setting's pay is built is explained in CNA salary in Washington State.

Two counties, one credential, two background-check habits

The NA-C credential is issued by the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) and is valid statewide, so the county line does not affect where you can work. What does change is employer practice. Adult family homes and assisted living in either county must run background checks on caregivers through DSHS; hospitals and skilled nursing facilities run their own checks on top of the DOH's name-based statewide check. A Bothell applicant who has lived out of state recently may be asked for a fingerprint check. What each check looks for is described in the Washington CNA background check.

Beyond the checks, Bothell employers verify:

• An active NA-C on the DOH Provider Credential Search, or NAR status for a nursing facility hire who then has 4 months from hire to certify.
• BLS CPR, required by every hospital and most facilities.
• TB test and immunization records.
• The medication assistant endorsement for medication aide roles in senior living.

Job-search order for a Bothell graduate

• Weeks 3 and 4 of training: apply to skilled nursing facilities and assisted living in Bothell, Kenmore, Kirkland, Lynnwood, and Mill Creek with the Certificate of Completion and NAR confirmation.
• The day the $100 skills pass is recorded: register with Credentia for the $55 knowledge test; Part 2 cannot be booked before Part 1 is passed.
• After the knowledge pass: file the DOH application and apply to EvergreenHealth Kirkland and Swedish Edmonds float pools.
• Once the NA-C is on the registry: tell your employer so scope and pay update; apply to Providence Everett or a Seattle hospital if you want the higher bands.
• After 6 to 12 months: reapply to hospital unit positions that listed an experience preference; the range is typical of postings, not a regulation.

If your first employer hires you as a NAR, the deadline rules are in the NAR four-month rule in Washington.

Getting to each employer from Bothell without a car

Sound Transit, King County Metro, and Community Transit published information as of September 2026 gives these approximate options:

• EvergreenHealth Kirkland (Totem Lake): a short drive south on I-405; King County Metro local routes connect downtown Bothell and Totem Lake.
• Swedish Edmonds and Lynnwood senior living: Sound Transit Express 535 from Canyon Park to Lynnwood City Center Station, then Community Transit local routes or the Swift Orange Line; Swedish Edmonds is on 76th Avenue W in Edmonds, near the Lynnwood line.
• Providence Everett: Swift Green Line from Canyon Park Park and Ride north to Everett, or I-405 to I-5 north by car.
• Seattle hospitals: ST Express 522 along Bothell Way to Shoreline South/148th Station, then the 1 Line to U District, Capitol Hill, or the International District.
• Overlake and Redmond campuses: Sound Transit Express 535 south to Bellevue Transit Center; Redmond by car.

A car is close to necessary for adult family home and agency work spread across north King and south Snohomish counties; for hospital work, the 522 and 535 corridors make Bothell better connected than most suburbs its size.

Frequently asked questions

How much do CNAs make in Bothell? No Bothell-specific figure appears in the August 2026 Indeed data. Neighboring Kirkland shows about $23.73 per hour and Everett about $24.89, so plan on that range, approximate, with hospitals at the top and adult family homes near the $17.13 minimum.

Which hospital is closest to Bothell for CNA work? EvergreenHealth Kirkland in Totem Lake, which borders Bothell. Swedish Edmonds and Providence Everett are the nearest to the north.

Can I get hired in Bothell before I pass the exam? At a skilled nursing facility, yes, as a Nursing Assistant-Registered with 4 months from hire to certify. Hospitals typically require the NA-C first.

Does working in Snohomish County require anything different from King County? No. The NA-C is a state credential. Only employer-level checks and pay differ.

Do I need a car for CNA jobs in Bothell? Not for hospital work reachable by ST Express 522 or 535. For adult family home and agency work across two counties, a car is nearly essential.

For openings by setting across the whole state, see CNA jobs in Washington. If you have not trained yet, CNA classes near Bothell, WA compares local colleges with the 4-week CNA Traditional program in Federal Way.