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

Kirkland is one of the few Washington cities with its own line in Indeed's August 2026 job-posting data: nursing assistants there average about $23.73 per hour, a little above the statewide average of about $23.62 and just under Seattle's $23.80. The hiring is concentrated in Totem Lake, where EvergreenHealth's Kirkland medical center, a Level III trauma center per the hospital system, sits among skilled nursing, rehabilitation, and assisted living employers, and it spreads out through Juanita, Finn Hill, and the Houghton and Bridle Trails neighborhoods in the form of licensed adult family homes. A Nursing Assistant-Certified (NA-C) holder can also reach Seattle hospitals on Metro route 255 across SR 520 in well under an hour.

Where the jobs are, by neighborhood

Kirkland's residential character shapes the market. Washington licenses thousands of adult family homes statewide, and the Eastside's single-family neighborhoods hold many of them. They are the easiest first job to get and usually the lowest paying.

Settings and what each one pays relative to the average

• Hospital (EvergreenHealth Kirkland). Nursing assistant and patient care technician roles on inpatient units and float pools. Hospitals in the Seattle metro tend to pay above the posting average and add shift differentials of roughly $1.50 to $4 per hour for evenings, nights, and weekends. Most units list 6 to 12 months of experience as a preference, not always a requirement.
• Skilled nursing facilities. The largest employer of new NA-Cs and the setting where clinical hours are completed. Expect 8- or 12-hour shifts and a higher resident ratio than a hospital. Pay usually starts a little below the city average and rises with differentials.
• Assisted living and memory care. Personal care, mobility support, and medication assistance under nurse delegation. Often hire HCAs and NA-Cs interchangeably, which can pull the wage toward the HCA rate.
• Adult family homes. A small number of residents in a licensed house. Flexible schedules, close relationships with residents, pay closest to the wage floor of $17.13 per hour, the 2026 Washington minimum (Kirkland uses the state minimum).
• Home care agencies. Serve clients across the Eastside; NA-C scope is rarely required, so the posted rate is often the HCA rate.

The scope difference explains most of the pay spread. An NA-C practices under a licensed nurse in a facility; in community settings, tasks are delegated. That line is explained in Washington CNA scope of practice.

Pay figures to plan with

All figures are approximate and describe postings, not offers. A first job in a Totem Lake skilled nursing facility will likely sit near or slightly below $23.73; a night-shift hospital role with differentials will exceed it. Setting-by-setting detail is in CNA salary in Washington State.

What Kirkland employers check before an offer

1. Registry status. Employers look you up on the DOH Provider Credential Search. An active NA-C is required for most roles; a nursing facility can hire a Nursing Assistant-Registered (NAR) who has 4 months from hire to certify.
2. Background check. The DOH runs a name-based statewide check at application. Employers run their own, and adult family homes must check every caregiver.
3. BLS CPR. Required by EvergreenHealth and by most skilled nursing facilities.
4. Immunization and TB records. The same file you built for clinicals.
5. Reliable transportation. Adult family homes and agencies ask because clients are spread across the Eastside.

If your NA-C is not yet on the registry, employers can still see a NAR. The difference between the two credentials is explained in NAR vs NA-C in Washington.

A timeline for a Kirkland job search

• Weeks 3 and 4 of training. Apply to skilled nursing facilities and assisted living communities in Totem Lake, Juanita, Bothell, and Redmond. Bring the Certificate of Completion and NAR confirmation.
• Day the skills pass is recorded. Register with Credentia for the $55 knowledge test. The $100 skills test comes first by rule.
• After the knowledge pass. Submit the DOH application, then apply to EvergreenHealth Kirkland float pool and unit positions and to Overlake in Bellevue.
• Once the NA-C is listed. Notify your employer so pay and scope update. If Seattle hospital pay is the goal, Metro 255 to the University of Washington station puts UW Medicine and the First Hill hospitals within reach.
• After 6 to 12 months. Reapply to any hospital unit that listed an experience preference. That range is typical in postings, not a rule.

Reaching jobs outside Kirkland without a car

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

• Seattle hospitals. Metro route 255 from Totem Lake or Kirkland Transit Center across SR 520 to the University of Washington station, then the 1 Line one stop to U District or south to Capitol Hill for First Hill hospitals.
• Bellevue (Overlake). Metro local routes from downtown Kirkland; the 2 Line's Bellevue stations are reachable from South Kirkland Park and Ride.
• Redmond (EvergreenHealth Redmond and Swedish Redmond emergency campuses). Metro local routes link downtown Kirkland and Redmond; by car it is a short drive.
• South King County and Federal Way. The 2 Line across I-90 to the International District, then the 1 Line south; Federal Way Downtown to downtown Seattle is about 50 minutes, so a Kirkland to Federal Way trip is roughly two hours by rail.

For a Kirkland resident, a car doubles the reachable employers; without one, Totem Lake plus the 255 corridor is the practical job market.

Frequently asked questions

What does a CNA earn in Kirkland? Indeed's August 2026 posting data shows about $23.73 per hour, approximate. Adult family homes pay less; hospital roles with differentials pay more.

Which Kirkland employer hires the most new nursing assistants? Skilled nursing facilities and assisted living communities in Totem Lake and Juanita. EvergreenHealth is the biggest single employer but typically lists an experience preference for unit roles.

Can I work at EvergreenHealth right after certification? You can apply. Float pools and some units hire new NA-Cs; others prefer 6 to 12 months of facility experience.

Do I need a car for CNA work in Kirkland? Not for Totem Lake, downtown, or Seattle hospitals via Metro 255. Adult family home and agency work across the Eastside usually requires one.

Is Kirkland's minimum wage higher than the state's? No. Kirkland uses the 2026 Washington minimum of $17.13 per hour. Seattle sets its own higher rate.

Does it matter where I trained? No. Employers verify the NA-C on the DOH registry. Any WABON-approved program, including the 4-week course at Huduma CNA Programs in Federal Way, produces the same credential.

The statewide employer map is in CNA jobs in Washington. Program options and commute times for Kirkland residents who have not trained yet are in CNA classes near Kirkland, WA, and the CNA Traditional program page lists the 108-hour course details.