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

CNA jobs in Puyallup, WA revolve around one large hospital, MultiCare Good Samaritan on 15th Avenue SE, and a wide ring of skilled nursing facilities, assisted living and memory care communities, and licensed adult family homes on the valley floor and South Hill, with the Washington Soldiers Home in Orting, a state veterans home serving 128 residents at nursing-home level of care, a short drive up the valley. Nursing facilities hire Nursing Assistant-Registered (NAR) students, who then have 4 months from hire to certify; the hospital hires on an active Nursing Assistant-Certified (NA-C). Indeed job-posting data (August 2026) shows a Washington average of about $23.62 per hour; Puyallup is not reported separately, so plan on the state figure and expect a first facility job to start under it.

Good Samaritan: the hospital that sets Puyallup's market

MultiCare Good Samaritan Hospital is the only acute-care hospital in the Puyallup valley, and MultiCare's description of its services explains the nursing assistant demand: a 24-hour emergency room, a birth center, an inpatient rehabilitation center, a state Level 2 stroke center designation, and a Joint Commission certification for hip and knee replacement. Each of those units staffs nursing assistants alongside RNs, and the rehabilitation and orthopedic units in particular lean on nursing assistants for mobility and transfers, the core of the state skills test.

Hospital hiring follows the health system pattern: an active NA-C on the DOH registry, BLS CPR, occupational health clearance, and a preference (not a requirement) for 6 to 12 months of experience. MultiCare also operates Tacoma General and Auburn Medical Center, so a nursing assistant hired into the system can transfer between campuses later. The MultiCare application is one portal for all three.

The facility ring: valley floor and South Hill

South Hill has grown fast, and much of that growth is senior housing, which is why memory care and assisted living openings there outnumber the same postings downtown. Skilled nursing facilities remain the first stop for most new NA-Cs because they hire on a Certificate of Completion plus NAR status, and because they are where the 40 clinical hours of training happen. The Soldiers Home in Orting is operated by the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs; positions there are state jobs with state benefits and a state pay scale, posted through the state jobs system rather than a general job board.

Pay expectations for Puyallup

All figures are approximate. A first job in a Puyallup skilled nursing facility usually starts below the state average; assisted living and adult family homes tend to sit closer to the wage floor; a Good Samaritan night shift with differentials exceeds the average; the Soldiers Home pays from the state scale on its announcement. For how those settings compare statewide, see CNA salary in Washington State.

The checks every Puyallup employer runs

1. DOH Provider Credential Search for an active NA-C, or NAR for facility work before the exam.
2. Background check. The DOH's name-based statewide check at application, then the employer's own DSHS check; the Soldiers Home runs a state employment check.
3. BLS CPR, required by the hospital and most facilities.
4. TB test and immunizations, the same records used for clinicals; the reasoning is in TB tests and immunizations for CNA clinicals in Washington.
5. Name match between your photo ID and the credential.

A hiring order that fits Puyallup

• Weeks 3 and 4 of training: apply as a NAR to skilled nursing facilities in Puyallup, Sumner, and South Hill. Students whose 40 clinical hours are placed at one of these facilities should ask the unit manager about openings during the rotation, not after.
• The day the skills pass is recorded: register for the $55 Credentia knowledge test.
• After the knowledge pass: file the DOH application, then apply to Good Samaritan through the MultiCare portal and to the Soldiers Home through the state jobs system; both take longer than a facility.
• Once the NA-C is issued: update your employer's file and, if you want a hospital unit sooner, look at MultiCare's Tacoma and Auburn campuses as well.
• After 6 to 12 months (typical range): reapply to any hospital unit that listed an experience preference.

What you can and cannot do while working as a NAR is spelled out in NAR vs NAC in Washington.

Getting to work around Puyallup

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

• Good Samaritan and downtown facilities: Pierce Transit local routes serve Puyallup Station and the hospital area; most valley-floor facilities are within a short ride.
• South Hill: route 402 runs the length of Meridian from 171st through South Hill Mall Transit Center to Puyallup Station, which covers most assisted living and memory care addresses on the hill.
• Orting: the Soldiers Home is a drive up SR 162; plan on a car for that job.
• Federal Way and beyond: route 402 continues from Puyallup Station to Federal Way Downtown Station in about 20 to 30 minutes, where the 1 Line light rail and Sound Transit's 574 connect to South King County, Seattle, and Tacoma.
• Tacoma hospitals: roughly 15 to 25 minutes by car on SR 512 and I-5; the Sounder S Line links Puyallup Station and Tacoma Dome Station on weekday commuter schedules.

Training first, if you are not certified yet

Puyallup residents can take the 4-week, 108-hour CNA Traditional program at Huduma CNA Programs in Federal Way, one route 402 ride from Puyallup Station, with the skills test administered on site. Active HCAs take the 40-hour HCA to CNA bridge. Commute detail and program comparisons are in CNA classes near Puyallup, WA.

Frequently asked questions

How much do CNAs earn in Puyallup, WA? Indeed's August 2026 data does not break out Puyallup. The Washington average is about $23.62 per hour; a first job in a Puyallup skilled nursing facility usually starts below that, and hospital nights with differentials exceed it.

Does Good Samaritan hire new CNAs? Yes, with an active NA-C and BLS CPR. Experience is a preference in most postings, not a requirement.

Is the Soldiers Home in Orting a good first job? It is a state position with state benefits and a nursing-home level of care. Expect a state hiring process and a drive; the home is about 10 miles from Puyallup (approximate).

Can I work in Puyallup before I pass the exam? In a nursing facility, yes, as a NAR. You have 4 months from hire to complete training and pass both exam parts.

Where are most of Puyallup's assisted living jobs? On South Hill along the Meridian corridor, which route 402 serves end to end.

For openings by setting across the state, read CNA jobs in Washington.