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

CNA jobs in Lakewood, WA come from four kinds of employers that rarely share one city: a community hospital (St. Clare Hospital, Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, on Bridgeport Way SW), a state psychiatric hospital (Western State Hospital, run by DSHS and listed at 806 beds, on Steilacoom Boulevard SW), a federal medical center (American Lake VA Medical Center, whose Community Living Center provides 24/7 nursing care), and the skilled nursing facilities and adult family homes that serve Lakewood's large retired-military population. A new Nursing Assistant-Certified (NA-C) can apply to all four; a Nursing Assistant-Registered (NAR) can start in a nursing facility and has 4 months from hire to certify. Indeed job-posting data (August 2026) shows a Washington average of about $23.62 per hour; Lakewood is not reported separately, and the state and federal employers pay from their own published scales.

Four employer types, four hiring processes

The private facilities move fastest: many hire on a Certificate of Completion and NAR status during the last weeks of training. The hospital typically wants an active NA-C and lists 6 to 12 months of experience as a preference. The state and federal employers take longest because each runs its own background and credential process, but both offer pension-style benefits and pay steps that a private nursing home does not.

What Western State and the VA mean for a nursing assistant

Western State Hospital is one of the largest employers in Lakewood, and its nursing assistant positions differ from nursing-home work: patients are adults under civil or forensic commitment, the work is behavioral and safety-focused rather than mobility-focused, and units are locked. DSHS posts openings through the state jobs system; read the classification and minimum qualifications on each announcement, because the credential requirement and the pay range are stated there, not in a general job board.

The American Lake campus of VA Puget Sound Health Care System, on Veterans Drive SW at the Lakewood and Tacoma boundary, posts nursing assistant positions on USAJOBS. Federal hiring includes veterans' preference, a federal background investigation, and a pay table that does not follow Indeed's averages in either direction. The VA's Community Living Center provides rehabilitation, extended care, and palliative and hospice care, which is close to skilled nursing work with federal staffing ratios.

Both employers verify the NA-C on the DOH Provider Credential Search before an offer becomes final; how to check your own listing is in Washington CNA license lookup.

Pay: what the numbers can and cannot tell you

All figures are approximate. For Western State and the VA, ignore the posting averages and read the salary range on the announcement itself. For private employers, a first job in a Lakewood skilled nursing facility generally starts below the state average, and a St. Clare night shift with differentials exceeds it. Statewide comparisons by setting are in CNA salary in Washington State.

What every Lakewood employer checks

1. DOH registry status. Active NA-C, or NAR for nursing-facility work before the exam.
2. Background check. The DOH runs a name-based statewide check at application; DSHS-licensed facilities run their own, Western State runs a state employment check, and the VA runs a federal one. Anything on your record should be addressed early; the process is in the Washington CNA background check.
3. BLS CPR for the hospital, the VA, and most facilities.
4. TB test and immunizations, the same records used for clinicals.
5. Legal name match between your ID and the DOH credential.

A sequence that works from Lakewood

• During training: apply to skilled nursing facilities in Lakewood, University Place, and Parkland as a NAR. If your clinical site is one of them, ask about openings before the rotation ends.
• On the skills pass: register for the $55 Credentia knowledge test the same day the $100 Part 1 pass is recorded.
• On the knowledge pass: submit the DOH application, then start the longer applications: St. Clare's health system portal, DSHS state jobs for Western State, and USAJOBS for the VA. Those pipelines can take weeks, so begin them while working the first facility job.
• After 6 to 12 months (typical range): hospital unit roles in Lakewood and Tacoma, or a state or federal position that has finished its process.

The rules on working before certification are in working as a CNA before certification in Washington.

Getting around Lakewood for work

Times are approximate and based on Pierce Transit and Sound Transit published information as of September 2026.

• Inside Lakewood: Pierce Transit local routes serve Bridgeport Way, Steilacoom Boulevard, and Pacific Highway SW, which covers St. Clare, Western State, and most facilities. The VA campus on Veterans Drive is best reached by car.
• Tacoma hospitals: roughly 10 to 15 minutes by car on I-5; Sound Transit's 574 from Lakewood Station reaches Tacoma Dome Station, and the Sounder S Line runs from Lakewood Station to Tacoma in about 21 minutes on its schedule.
• Federal Way and South King County: the 574 continues from Tacoma Dome to Federal Way Downtown Station, about 41 minutes from Lakewood Station in total, with 574 buses about every 15 minutes in the morning and midday.
• JBLM: civilian nursing assistant positions on base follow federal hiring and require base access; the base is adjacent to the city.

If you have not trained yet

Lakewood residents can take the 4-week, 108-hour CNA Traditional program at Huduma CNA Programs in Federal Way, one 574 ride from Lakewood Station, with the skills test administered on site. Active HCAs take the 40-hour HCA to CNA bridge instead. The commute options are laid out in CNA classes near Lakewood, WA.

Frequently asked questions

How much do CNAs make in Lakewood, WA? Indeed does not report Lakewood separately; the Washington average is about $23.62 per hour (August 2026). Western State Hospital and the VA pay from state and federal scales listed on each announcement.

Does Western State Hospital hire new CNAs? DSHS posts nursing assistant positions for Western State through the state jobs system. Each announcement lists the credential and experience it requires; read it rather than assuming.

Can I work at the VA in Lakewood as a nursing assistant? Yes, through USAJOBS. Expect a federal background investigation and credential verification, and note that veterans' preference applies.

Which employer hires fastest? Skilled nursing facilities and adult family homes. Many hire NARs before the exam; the hospital, the state, and the VA take longer.

Do I need a car for CNA work in Lakewood? Not for St. Clare, Western State, or most facilities, which sit on Pierce Transit routes. The VA campus and JBLM are easier by car.

For statewide openings by setting, read CNA jobs in Washington.