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

Lacey has one of the denser nursing assistant job markets in Thurston County because Providence St. Peter Hospital, a 394-bed regional hospital per Providence's about-us page, sits on the Olympia side of the city line, and the Panorama retirement community with its skilled nursing center sits inside Lacey on Circle Lane SE. Indeed's job-posting data, updated September 10, 2026, lists an average of about $22.80 per hour for nursing assistants in Lacey from 41 reports, with a range of roughly $19.53 to $26.63; Olympia's figure from 229 reports is about $23.19. Both are approximate and slightly below the statewide posting average of about $23.62. A Nursing Assistant-Certified (NA-C) in Lacey also reaches Joint Base Lewis-McChord's Madigan gate and Lakewood by Intercity Transit's Route 610.

Lacey employers by setting

Lacey's hospitals are the ceiling of the local pay scale; adult family homes are the floor. Skilled nursing and continuing care campuses in between hire the most first-year NA-Cs.

What the Lacey numbers mean for a first job

Indeed's Lacey average of about $22.80 comes from a small sample, 41 reports over 36 months, so it moves with a handful of postings. Olympia's $23.19 draws on more than five times as many reports and is the better reference for the county. Both sit under the Everett ($24.89) and Seattle ($23.80) figures from Indeed's August 2026 data, which reflects lower housing costs in Thurston County and fewer competing hospital systems. The 2026 Washington minimum wage is $17.13 per hour; Lacey does not set a higher local minimum.

Working from the floor upward:

1. Adult family homes and home care agencies typically list caregiver roles from the minimum wage to the low $20s. Many accept an HCA credential, so the NA-C is not always rewarded there.
2. Assisted living and memory care in Lacey often post in the low $20s, with medication aide roles paying more for holders of the medication assistant endorsement.
3. Skilled nursing and post-acute roles at Panorama and comparable facilities align with the Lacey and Olympia averages and add evening, night, and weekend differentials of about $1.50 to $4 per hour.
4. Providence St. Peter and MultiCare Capital post at the top of the local range, with differentials, and generally prefer NA-Cs already on the registry.

For how these bands are built statewide, see CNA salary in Washington State.

Providence St. Peter: the employer most Lacey NA-Cs aim for

St. Peter is a short drive up Lilly Road from central Lacey, and its size means steady nursing assistant openings across medical, surgical, telemetry, and orthopedic units. Hospital units in this market commonly list a preference for 6 to 12 months of experience, so the usual path is a year in skilled nursing first. Providence, like most Puget Sound systems, verifies the NA-C on the Department of Health (DOH) Provider Credential Search, requires BLS CPR, and runs its own background check on top of the DOH name-based check. Float pool and per diem roles at St. Peter can be a way in for a new graduate who wants hospital experience without waiting for a unit posting.

Lacey, JBLM, and Lakewood: the northern job corridor

Because Intercity Transit's Route 610 Lacey Connector stops at Lacey Transit Center, Hawks Prairie Park and Ride, Berkeley Street near JBLM's Madigan Gate, Lakewood Sounder Station, and the SR 512 Park and Ride daily, per the agency's September 2025 launch announcement, a Lacey NA-C can consider employers up I-5 without a second car. Lakewood has Western State Hospital, skilled nursing facilities, and the Washington Veterans Home network within reach; the employer picture there is in CNA jobs in Lakewood, WA. Madigan and other federal postings follow federal hiring rules and pay tables rather than local posting averages. Federal roles also verify the same DOH credential as civilian employers.

Job-search order for a Lacey graduate

• During the last two weeks of training: apply to Lacey skilled nursing, post-acute, and continuing care employers with the Certificate of Completion and Nursing Assistant-Registered (NAR) status. A nursing facility can hire a NAR, who then has 4 months from hire to finish training and pass the exam.
• When the $100 skills pass is recorded: register with Credentia for the $55 knowledge test; Part 2 opens only after Part 1 is passed.
• After the knowledge pass: file the DOH application with the fee per the current schedule, then apply to St. Peter's float pool and per diem postings.
• When the NA-C shows on the registry: notify your employer so pay and scope update, then compare Olympia and Lacey postings side by side.
• After 6 to 12 months of facility experience: apply to hospital unit positions at St. Peter or MultiCare Capital.

The deadline mechanics of a NAR hire are in the NAR four-month rule in Washington.

What Lacey employers check before an offer

• Registry status. Active NA-C, or NAR if the hire is at a nursing facility, on the DOH Provider Credential Search.
• Background. DOH runs a name-based statewide check for the credential; DSHS-licensed adult family homes and assisted living run their own; hospitals add a third. A recent out-of-state move may trigger a fingerprint check.
• Clinical clearances. BLS CPR, TB test, and immunization records, the same set required before the 40 clinical hours in training.
• Endorsements. The medication assistant endorsement for medication aide roles in senior living, which requires 8 hours of medication-specific continuing education and 250 documented hours per renewal cycle.

The check itself and what disqualifies an applicant are explained in the Washington CNA background check.

Getting to Lacey employers without a car

Intercity Transit runs zero-fare service, per the agency's website, which lowers the cost of a first job considerably. Routes 62A and 62B cover the Martin Way corridor and northeast Lacey; Route 610 covers Hawks Prairie and I-5 north; Route 600 is a weekday commuter to Lakewood. Panorama and the Sleater Kinney corridor are reachable on local routes from Lacey Transit Center. Providence St. Peter is served from Olympia Transit Center and the Martin Way routes. A car remains close to essential for adult family home and home care agency work spread across Lacey, Olympia, and Tumwater.

Frequently asked questions

How much do CNAs make in Lacey, WA? Indeed's September 2026 posting data lists about $22.80 per hour in Lacey and about $23.19 in Olympia, both approximate. Hospitals post at the top of that range, adult family homes near the $17.13 state minimum.

Which hospital is closest to Lacey for nursing assistant work? Providence St. Peter Hospital on Lilly Road NE, a 394-bed hospital on the Olympia side of the city line. MultiCare Capital Medical Center in west Olympia is the second option.

Can I start work in Lacey before I pass the NA-C exam? At a skilled nursing facility, yes, as a NAR with 4 months from hire to certify. Hospital roles usually require the NA-C first.

Are there CNA jobs near JBLM for Lacey residents? Yes. Madigan Army Medical Center and contractors post federal roles, and Lakewood's facilities are reachable by Intercity Transit Route 610 from Lacey Transit Center.

Is public transit free in Lacey? Intercity Transit operates zero-fare service on its routes, per the agency's website, including the Lacey Connector to Lakewood.

Do I need a car for CNA work in Lacey? Not for Panorama, St. Peter, or the Martin Way corridor. For adult family home and agency work across Thurston County, a car is nearly essential.

If you have not trained yet, CNA classes near Lacey, WA compares South Puget Sound Community College with the 4-week CNA Traditional program in Federal Way, and active Home Care Aides can read HCA to CNA bridge near Lacey, WA. Statewide openings by setting are in CNA jobs in Washington.