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

CNA jobs in Tukwila, WA come with a wage floor most Washington cities do not have. Tukwila's local minimum wage is $21.65 per hour in 2026 for employers with 15 or more employees worldwide or more than $2 million in annual Tukwila revenue, per the Department of Labor and Industries' list of local rates, which is above the $17.13 state minimum and above every neighboring city's rate. Inside the city, Nursing Assistant-Certified (NA-C) holders work at skilled nursing facilities, assisted living, adult family homes, and Olympic Heritage Behavioral Health, the 72-bed DSHS state psychiatric hospital on Military Road South. Outside it, the 1 Line from Tukwila International Boulevard Station and the F Line reach St. Anne Hospital in Burien, Valley Medical Center in Renton, St. Francis in Federal Way, and Seattle's hospitals. Job-posting data from Indeed for August 2026 gives Washington nursing assistants an average of about $23.62 per hour, with no separate Tukwila figure.

Employers inside Tukwila

Tukwila's largest private employers are retail, logistics, and aerospace (the city's own economic profile lists BECU, Boeing, and Nordstrom among the top five), so health care is a smaller slice of local jobs than in Burien or Renton. The state hospital changes that picture: it is the one large clinical employer inside city limits, and state nursing assistant roles do not depend on hospital experience preferences the way private hospital float pools do.

Employers within one transit ride

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

• St. Anne Hospital, Burien (formerly Highline Medical Center, per Virginia Mason Franciscan Health): F Line west from Tukwila International Boulevard Station to Burien Transit Center, then DART route 631 or a short drive; by car, SR 518 west, roughly 10 to 15 minutes.
• Valley Medical Center, Renton (UW Medicine): F Line east through Southcenter to Renton, or Metro DART route 906 from Southcenter, which serves Valley Medical Center; by car, I-405, roughly 10 to 20 minutes.
• St. Francis Hospital, Federal Way (Virginia Mason Franciscan Health): 1 Line south to Federal Way Downtown, about 20 to 25 minutes, then a local connection.
• Seattle hospitals (UW Medicine, Harborview, Swedish, Virginia Mason, Providence, Kaiser Permanente Washington): 1 Line north, 34 minutes to Westlake per Sound Transit.
• Kent and Des Moines skilled nursing: 1 Line to Kent Des Moines Station or Metro route 150 to Kent Station.

Three general hospitals within 25 minutes in three directions plus Seattle in a fourth is the strongest hospital reach of any South King County city without its own general hospital.

Pay in Tukwila

All figures are approximate. Because the Tukwila rate applies to any employer with 15 or more employees anywhere in the world as long as one works in Tukwila, a facility chain or agency office in the city is covered even if the Tukwila site is small. That narrows the gap between a first facility job and the state posting average more than in any nearby city. The trade-off is that adult family homes with fewer than 15 staff, the majority, remain on the state minimum. How pay varies by setting statewide is in CNA salary in Washington State.

Documents a Tukwila employer will ask for

1. NA-C (or NAR for a nursing facility hire before certification) verified on the DOH Provider Credential Search.
2. Results of the DOH name-based statewide background check, plus the employer's own check; state hospital hiring includes additional state screening.
3. BLS CPR card.
4. TB screening and immunization records.
5. Government photo ID matching the credential name.

State employment at Olympic Heritage also runs through the state's job system with its own application steps, so allow more lead time than for a private facility. The public registry the DOH maintains is explained in the Washington CNA registry.

First-year plan for a Tukwila NA-C

• Before the exam: apply to skilled nursing facilities in Tukwila, SeaTac, and Burien as a NAR with the Certificate of Completion; the 4-month clock starts at hire.
• After the $100 skills pass: register for the $55 Credentia knowledge test.
• After the DOH credential posts: apply to Olympic Heritage state postings and to St. Anne and Valley Medical Center nursing assistant openings.
• At 6 to 12 months (typical experience preference): revisit Seattle hospital unit roles by 1 Line and float pools with differentials.
• Every year: renew the NA-C on your birthday through the DOH portal; no continuing education is required for a standard credential.

Working before certification has fixed rules; they are in nursing assistant-registered (NAR) in Washington.

Frequently asked questions

How much do CNAs make in Tukwila, WA? No Tukwila-specific figure appears in the August 2026 Indeed data. The state average is about $23.62 per hour, and Tukwila's $21.65 city minimum sets a floor for covered facilities that is closer to that average than in most cities.

Is there a hospital in Tukwila? Olympic Heritage Behavioral Health, a DSHS state psychiatric hospital, is inside the city. The nearest general hospitals are St. Anne in Burien, Valley Medical Center in Renton, and St. Francis in Federal Way.

Does the Tukwila minimum wage apply to adult family homes? Only if the home's operator has 15 or more employees worldwide or over $2 million in annual Tukwila revenue, per L&I. Most adult family homes fall below both thresholds.

Can I reach Valley Medical Center from Tukwila without a car? Yes. The F Line runs east from Tukwila International Boulevard Station through Southcenter to Renton, and DART route 906 from Southcenter serves Valley Medical Center.

Do Tukwila employers prefer a particular training program? No. They verify the NA-C on the registry. Any WABON-approved program, including the 4-week course at Huduma CNA Programs in Federal Way, five 1 Line stops south, produces the same credential.

The statewide opening picture is in CNA jobs in Washington. If you have not trained yet, the CNA Traditional program covers the 108 hours in 4 weeks with the skills test on site.