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

CNA jobs in Olympia, WA cluster around two acute-care hospitals on the city's east side, Providence St. Peter Hospital on Lilly Road NE and MultiCare Capital Medical Center, plus the skilled nursing facilities, assisted living communities, and licensed adult family homes that serve a city of about 56,700 people (Census Bureau estimate, July 2025) and the wider Thurston County market. Nursing facilities hire Nursing Assistant-Registered (NAR) students who then have 4 months from hire to finish training and pass the exam; hospitals mostly want an active Nursing Assistant-Certified (NA-C). Indeed job-posting data (August 2026) puts the Washington average at about $23.62 per hour; Olympia is not reported separately, so treat the state figure as your planning number and expect a first facility job to start below it.

Who hires nursing assistants in Olympia

Olympia is the state capital and the health care hub for the South Sound counties west and south of Pierce County. Providence describes St. Peter Hospital as serving Thurston, Lewis, Mason, Grays Harbor, and Pacific counties, which is why its nursing units, emergency department, and float pool post nursing assistant openings more steadily than a similarly sized suburb would. MultiCare Capital Medical Center, which MultiCare lists at 107 beds and roughly 5,000 inpatients a year, is the smaller of the two and tends to post fewer, more specific roles.

Skilled nursing facilities are where most Olympia graduates begin, for the same reason as everywhere in Washington: they hire on a Certificate of Completion plus NAR status, they run 8- and 12-hour shifts around the clock, and they are the facilities where training clinicals take place. Hospitals typically list 6 to 12 months of experience as a preference, not a requirement, so a first-year NA-C can apply, but a facility year makes the application stronger.

What the two hospitals mean for a new NA-C

Both hospitals are on the east side of the city near I-5 and Martin Way, which puts them within a short Intercity Transit ride of downtown, Lacey, and the Martin Way Park and Ride. A nursing assistant in a hospital works in a smaller patient-to-aide ratio than a nursing home, rotates through med-surg, telemetry, and observation units, and often starts in a float pool that fills gaps across units. Providence notes that St. Peter holds Magnet recognition for nursing excellence, which in practice means a structured onboarding and a clear ladder for nursing assistants who later pursue an LPN or RN.

If you plan to work at either hospital, keep the same TB, immunization, and CPR records you used for clinicals; hospital occupational health will ask for them again. The full list of employer checks is in the Washington CNA background check.

Pay in Olympia compared with the state

All numbers are approximate. Cost of living in Thurston County is lower than in King County, and posted rates in Olympia tend to follow that gap, so a rate a little under the state average buys more here than the same rate would in Seattle. Adult family homes and home care agencies usually pay closer to the floor; hospital night shifts with differentials are the roles that exceed the average. A fuller breakdown by setting is in CNA salary in Washington State.

How Olympia employers check you out

1. Registry lookup. Every employer searches the DOH Provider Credential Search for an active NA-C or NAR under your legal name.
2. Background check. The DOH runs a name-based statewide check at application; facilities and adult family homes run their own DSHS checks on top.
3. BLS CPR from the American Heart Association or an equivalent; hospitals will not schedule a start date without it.
4. Health records. TB test, immunizations, and often a flu shot in season.
5. References from clinical. Small county, small market: the nursing facility where you did your 40 clinical hours is often the first place that offers you a job.

If your NA-C lapsed while you were away from care work, the reactivation steps depend on how long it has been: under three years is a late-fee reactivation, three years or more generally means retraining and retesting. Sort that out with the DOH before applying.

A job-search order that fits Olympia

• Weeks 3 and 4 of training: apply to skilled nursing facilities in Olympia, Lacey, and Tumwater as a NAR. Mention the facility where you are doing clinicals.
• Skills test day: the $100 Part 1 is administered by your program; the same day the pass is recorded, register for the $55 Credentia knowledge test.
• After the knowledge pass: file the DOH application, then apply to Providence St. Peter and MultiCare Capital Medical Center float pools and nursing assistant openings.
• Six to twelve months in: move to unit-based hospital roles, or to state positions that list an NA-C as the qualifying credential.
• Any time: licensed adult family homes across Thurston County hire continuously and accept part-time and weekend availability.

The details of working under a NAR before the exam are in the NAR four-month rule in Washington.

Getting to work without a car

Intercity Transit's local routes reach both hospitals and the facilities along Martin Way, Pacific Avenue, and Capitol Way, and the agency's zero-fare program, which it reports has been extended through 2028, means no fare on any local route. For jobs north of the county line, Intercity Transit route 600 runs on weekdays between Olympia Transit Center and Lakewood Station in about 31 minutes per the published timetable, and from Lakewood Station Sound Transit's 574 continues to Tacoma Dome Station and Federal Way Downtown Station. Pierce County hospitals such as St. Clare in Lakewood and St. Joseph in Tacoma are therefore reachable on transit for a weekday day shift, but a night shift on that corridor needs a car. A realistic radius for a car-free Olympia nursing assistant is the city itself, Lacey, and Tumwater.

Training first, if you are not yet certified

Olympia residents who want the credential in weeks rather than a college quarter have two options near home and one in Federal Way. Huduma CNA Programs runs the CNA Traditional program as 108 clock hours in 4 weeks with the skills test on site, and the HCA to CNA bridge as 40 hours for anyone who already holds an active Washington HCA credential. Federal Way is roughly 40 miles north on I-5 (approximate), so most Olympia students who choose it either drive or plan the weekend pattern; the transit option is covered in CNA classes near Olympia, WA.

Frequently asked questions

What do CNAs earn in Olympia, WA? Indeed does not break out Olympia in its August 2026 data. The Washington average is about $23.62 per hour; a first job in an Olympia skilled nursing facility usually starts below that, and hospital shifts with differentials can exceed it.

Which Olympia hospitals hire nursing assistants? Providence St. Peter Hospital and MultiCare Capital Medical Center, both on the east side of the city. Both verify an active NA-C on the DOH registry and usually ask for BLS CPR.

Can I work in Olympia before I pass the exam? Yes, in a nursing facility, as a NAR. The facility must see you complete training and pass both exam parts within 4 months of your hire date.

Do state jobs in Olympia hire CNAs? Some state facilities and agencies post positions that list a nursing assistant credential as qualifying. Read each announcement; the credential requirement and pay scale vary by posting.

Is Olympia's job market smaller than Tacoma's? Yes. Tacoma has more hospitals and more facilities, but Olympia's two hospitals serve five counties, so demand per hospital is steady.

For the statewide view of openings by setting, read CNA jobs in Washington, and check current class starts on the schedules page.