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

CNA jobs in SeaTac, WA are mostly outside the city's borders, because SeaTac itself has no hospital. What the city does have is skilled nursing facilities, assisted living, and licensed adult family homes that hire Nursing Assistant-Certified (NA-C) holders and, in nursing facilities, Nursing Assistant-Registered (NAR) students with 4 months from hire to certify. Beyond the city line, the 1 Line from SeaTac/Airport and Angle Lake stations reaches St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way to the south and UW Medicine, Harborview, Swedish, and Virginia Mason in Seattle to the north, and the F Line reaches St. Anne Hospital in Burien. Indeed's August 2026 posting data averages about $23.62 per hour for nursing assistants statewide and about $23.80 in Seattle, with no separate SeaTac figure.

Where the jobs are, by distance from SeaTac

The middle bands are what make SeaTac unusual. A nursing assistant here can reach four hospitals in three directions without a car, which is not true of most South King County cities.

Settings inside the city

• Skilled nursing facilities are the volume employer for a first NA-C job and the setting where clinical rotations happen. Expect 8- or 12-hour shifts and the NAR 4-month rule if hired before certification.
• Assisted living and memory care communities hire both NA-Cs and HCAs; the NA-C is preferred for resident-care roles that involve nurse delegation.
• Adult family homes are numerous in SeaTac's residential neighborhoods (Riverton Heights, McMicken Heights, Angle Lake). Small resident counts, flexible hours, pay closer to the wage floor.
• Home care agencies cover the airport corridor and hire NA-Cs at or near HCA rates unless the role is written for nursing assistant scope.
• Behavioral health. Olympic Heritage Behavioral Health in Tukwila, a 72-bed DSHS state hospital per DSHS, is a state employer minutes from north SeaTac; state hospitals hire nursing assistants under state pay scales.

What an NA-C may do in each setting is defined by the credential, not the employer; the boundaries are in Washington CNA scope of practice.

Pay in and around SeaTac

All figures are approximate. One SeaTac-specific point: the city's higher minimum wage applies only to hospitality and transportation employers under the employment standards ordinance, so an adult family home or nursing facility in SeaTac is bound by the state minimum, while a job across the line in Tukwila or Burien falls under those cities' broader local minimums. That gap matters at the bottom of the pay range, not for a facility NA-C role, which typically posts above all of them. Statewide numbers by setting are in CNA salary in Washington State.

What employers around SeaTac check

1. Registry status. Active NA-C, or NAR for nursing facility work before certification, on the DOH Provider Credential Search.
2. Background check. DOH runs a name-based statewide check at application; facilities and adult family homes run their own.
3. BLS CPR. Required by hospitals and most facilities; keep the card current.
4. TB test and immunizations. The same records used for clinical placement.
5. Work authorization and ID. Standard I-9 documents; the credential name must match.

The NAR route lets a nursing facility hire you before the exam, but the clock is strict; the details are in the NAR four-month rule in Washington.

A job-search timeline for a SeaTac graduate

• Last two weeks of class: apply to skilled nursing facilities in SeaTac, Tukwila, Burien, and Des Moines with the Certificate of Completion and NAR confirmation.
• After the $100 skills pass is recorded: register for the $55 Credentia knowledge test.
• After the knowledge pass and DOH application: apply to St. Anne, St. Francis, and Valley Medical Center nursing assistant and patient care technician postings.
• Once the NA-C shows on the registry: apply north. Seattle hospital postings often state a preference for 6 to 12 months of experience (a typical range), so a facility job first is the usual path.
• At 6 to 12 months: revisit hospital unit roles, float pools, and state positions.

The registry lookup employers use is described in Washington CNA license lookup.

Commuting to each employer band

Times are approximate and based on Sound Transit and King County Metro published information as of September 2026, including Metro's August 29, 2026 service change.

• Burien (St. Anne Hospital): F Line from Tukwila International Boulevard Station to Burien Transit Center, then a short local trip; by car, SR 518 west, roughly 10 to 15 minutes. Metro's DART route 631 links Burien Transit Center and the hospital area and now runs weekends.
• Tukwila (skilled nursing, Olympic Heritage): F Line or a short drive on International Boulevard or Military Road.
• Federal Way (St. Francis): 1 Line to Federal Way Downtown, about 15 to 20 minutes; the hospital is a further bus or car trip from the station.
• Renton (Valley Medical Center): F Line to Renton, then a local connection; by car, SR 518 to I-405, roughly 15 to 25 minutes.
• Seattle: 1 Line, 37 minutes from SeaTac/Airport to Westlake and 41 from Angle Lake, with First Hill hospitals a short transfer away.

A car shortens the Burien and Renton trips more than the others; the 1 Line already handles Federal Way and Seattle well.

Frequently asked questions

How much do CNAs make in SeaTac, WA? No SeaTac-specific figure appears in the August 2026 Indeed data. Plan around the Washington average of about $23.62 per hour, with first facility jobs below that and hospital roles with differentials above it.

Does SeaTac's $20.74 minimum wage apply to CNA jobs? No. Per L&I's list of local minimum wages, SeaTac's rate covers hospitality and transportation employers. Care facilities in SeaTac fall under the $17.13 state minimum, and NA-C postings normally exceed both.

Which hospital is closest to SeaTac? St. Anne Hospital in Burien, reached by the F Line or SR 518. St. Francis in Federal Way is the closest by light rail.

Can a new graduate get hired before passing the exam? Yes, at a nursing facility, as a NAR with 4 months from hire to certify. Hospitals generally wait for the NA-C.

Do I need a car for CNA work from SeaTac? Not for Federal Way or Seattle hospitals or for facilities on the A Line. Burien and Renton are faster by car.

The statewide job picture is in CNA jobs in Washington. If you have not trained yet, the CNA Traditional program at Huduma CNA Programs covers the 108 hours in 4 weeks, one 1 Line ride south of SeaTac.