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

Shoreline is one of the few Puget Sound suburbs where a Nursing Assistant-Certified (NA-C) can work for the State of Washington without leaving the city: Fircrest Residential Habilitation Center on 15th Avenue NE, run by DSHS, serves about 200 adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and includes a 100-bed nursing facility, per the DSHS program page. Add Shoreline Health and Rehabilitation on NE 145th Street, the CRISTA senior living campus, adult family homes throughout the city, and two hospitals a few minutes outside it, UW Medical Center Northwest to the south and Swedish Edmonds to the north. Indeed's posting data updated September 2, 2026, lists about $23.93 per hour for nursing assistants in Shoreline from 70 reports, with a range of roughly $19.12 to $29.95; the statewide posting average is about $23.62. All wage figures are approximate.

Shoreline employers by setting

Fircrest is the feature that sets Shoreline apart. State positions post on the Washington state jobs site with defined pay ranges and benefits, and the nursing facility on campus needs the same NA-C the private sector does.

Pay in Shoreline, from the floor up

1. Adult family homes and home care agencies. Closest to the 2026 state minimum of $17.13 per hour. Shoreline follows the state minimum; it has no city-specific rate, unlike Seattle across the city line to the south.
2. Senior living and memory care. Low $20s, with medication aide roles above that for holders of the medication assistant endorsement.
3. Skilled nursing. Near the Shoreline figure of about $23.93 per hour, plus evening, night, and weekend differentials of about $1.50 to $4.
4. State employment at Fircrest. Set by the state's classified pay tables rather than posting averages; check the specific job bulletin for the range and the step system.
5. Hospitals. UW Medical Center Northwest and Swedish Edmonds post at the top of the local range with differentials; BLS OEWS puts the Seattle-metro healthcare support mean at about $25.96 per hour (May 2025).

Seattle's higher minimum wage applies at UW Medical Center Northwest, which is inside Seattle, but hospital nursing assistant rates already sit well above it. Wage structure by setting is explained in CNA salary in Washington State.

Working at Fircrest: what is different

The Fircrest nursing facility is a licensed nursing facility, so it can hire a Nursing Assistant-Registered (NAR) who then has 4 months from hire to finish training and pass the exam. Residential units on the same campus hire attendant counselors, a state job class that does not require the NA-C but values it. State hiring runs slower than private hiring: applications are screened against the bulletin's minimum qualifications, interviews are scheduled in rounds, and a background check follows. A Shoreline graduate who wants the state benefits package should apply to Fircrest early and take a private skilled nursing job in the meantime. Understanding the credential the facility will verify is covered in NAR vs NA-C in Washington.

Job-search order for a Shoreline graduate

• Weeks 3 and 4 of training: apply to Shoreline Health and Rehabilitation, CRISTA, and Lake Forest Park skilled nursing with the Certificate of Completion and NAR status; file the Fircrest application the same week.
• When the $100 skills pass is recorded: register with Credentia for the $55 knowledge test; Part 2 cannot be booked before Part 1.
• After the knowledge pass: submit the DOH application with the fee per the current schedule; apply to UW Medical Center Northwest and Swedish Edmonds float pools.
• When the NA-C appears on the Provider Credential Search: tell your employer so pay and scope update; consider Seattle hospitals on the 1 Line.
• After 6 to 12 months: apply to hospital unit positions, where the experience preference is a posting habit rather than a regulation.

What Shoreline employers verify

• Registry status on the DOH Provider Credential Search: active NA-C, or NAR for a nursing facility hire.
• Background checks: the DOH name-based statewide check for the credential; DSHS checks for adult family homes, assisted living, and Fircrest; a hospital's own check. A recent out-of-state address can trigger a fingerprint check.
• BLS CPR, universal at hospitals and most facilities.
• TB test and immunization records, the same set required before the 40 clinical hours in training.
• The medication assistant endorsement for medication aide roles, which requires 8 hours of medication-specific continuing education and 250 documented hours per cycle.

How the DOH check works and what it screens for is in the Washington CNA background check.

Reaching each employer without a car

Sound Transit and King County Metro station pages, as of September 2026, give Shoreline better transit than most suburbs:

• Fircrest: on 15th Avenue NE near NE 150th, a short walk or one Metro stop from Shoreline South/148th Station.
• Shoreline Health and Rehabilitation: NE 145th Street, also near Shoreline South/148th; Metro routes 65, 72, 333, 345, 346, and 365 serve that station.
• CRISTA campus: Kings Garden Drive N off Aurora Avenue; the RapidRide E Line and Swift Blue Line run the Aurora corridor.
• UW Medical Center Northwest: N 115th Street, reachable from Northgate Station by Metro or by the E Line to N 115th.
• Swedish Edmonds: Swift Blue Line north from Shoreline North/185th or the Aurora corridor to the Edmonds area, then a short connection to 76th Avenue W.
• Seattle hospitals: the 1 Line south to U District, Capitol Hill, or Chinatown/International District.

Adult family home and home care agency work spread across Shoreline, Lake Forest Park, and Kenmore still favors a car.

Frequently asked questions

How much do CNAs make in Shoreline? Indeed's September 2026 data lists about $23.93 per hour from 70 Shoreline postings, approximate. Hospitals and state pay tables sit at the top of the range; adult family homes near the $17.13 minimum.

Can I work for the state as a CNA in Shoreline? Yes. Fircrest Residential Habilitation Center, run by DSHS, includes a 100-bed nursing facility and hires through the Washington state jobs system.

Which hospital is closest to Shoreline? UW Medical Center Northwest at N 115th Street in Seattle, a few minutes south; Swedish Edmonds is a similar distance north.

Can I be hired in Shoreline before passing the exam? A licensed nursing facility, including Fircrest's, can hire a NAR with 4 months from hire to certify. Hospitals generally require the NA-C.

Does Seattle's minimum wage apply in Shoreline? No. Shoreline uses the state minimum of $17.13 per hour in 2026. Seattle's higher rate applies only to jobs inside Seattle, such as UW Medical Center Northwest.

Do I need a car for CNA jobs in Shoreline? Not for Fircrest, Shoreline Health and Rehabilitation, the Aurora corridor, or hospitals on the 1 Line. Adult family home work usually requires one.

If you have not trained yet, CNA classes near Shoreline, WA compares Shoreline Community College with the 4-week CNA Traditional program in Federal Way, and active Home Care Aides can read HCA to CNA bridge near Shoreline, WA. The statewide picture by setting is in CNA jobs in Washington.