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

Wenatchee is the medical hub for North Central Washington, which gives a Nursing Assistant-Certified (NA-C) more hospital work than a city of its size would normally offer. Confluence Health operates two campuses in town: the Central Campus at 1201 S. Miller Street, the former Central Washington Hospital with 198 licensed beds and a trauma center per hospital directory listings, and the Mares Campus at 820 N. Chelan Avenue, the former Wenatchee Valley Hospital. Below the hospital tier are two skilled nursing facilities inside the city, senior living on both sides of the Columbia River, home care agencies, and licensed adult family homes across Chelan and Douglas counties. Indeed's city-level wage page for Wenatchee was not available at review time; the Washington average from Indeed's August 2026 posting data is about $23.62 per hour, and all pay figures here are approximate.

Wenatchee employers by setting

Confluence Health is the dominant health employer in the valley, and the two campuses post nursing assistant openings for inpatient units, the emergency department, and outpatient clinics. Both skilled nursing facilities sit within Wenatchee city limits, which keeps the first-job search short. Adult family homes are the least visible tier but the most numerous; DSHS licenses them across both counties, and many advertise only through word of mouth or the DSHS locator rather than on job boards.

What to expect on pay in the valley

With no reliable city-level figure, the useful anchors are the state average of about $23.62 per hour, the 2026 Washington minimum wage of $17.13 (Wenatchee applies the state figure), and the typical shift differential range of $1.50 to $4 per hour. From those:

1. Adult family homes and home care. Closest to the minimum; HCAs and NA-Cs compete for the same postings.
2. Senior living. Middle of the range; the medication assistant endorsement, which needs 8 hours of medication CE plus 250 documented hours per renewal cycle, is the lever for higher pay here.
3. Skilled nursing. Near the state average, plus evening, night, and weekend differentials.
4. Confluence Health. The top of the valley range once differentials are added; hospital postings set the ceiling.

Two comparisons frame the decision to stay or leave. The BLS OEWS May 2025 Seattle-metro healthcare support mean is about $25.96 per hour, and Indeed lists Everett at about $24.89 and Seattle at about $23.80. Those are higher, but Wenatchee housing costs less, and the pass drive limits how often anyone actually commutes west. The mechanics of Washington pay are in CNA salary in Washington State.

Timing the job search around the exam

A Wenatchee graduate has one more variable than a Puget Sound graduate: where the skills test happens. Wenatchee Valley College graduates test through the college or a WABON-scheduled site; a graduate of a Federal Way program tests on site before heading home. Either way the sequence is:

• During training: apply to Colonial Vista and Regency Wenatchee as a Nursing Assistant-Registered (NAR) with the Certificate of Completion, which gives you 4 months from hire to pass both exam parts.
• After the $100 skills pass is recorded: book the $55 Credentia knowledge test, which is online and can be taken from Wenatchee.
• After Part 2: submit the DOH application, paying the fee on the current schedule, and check the Provider Credential Search until the NA-C appears.
• Once the NA-C posts: apply to Confluence Health and tell your current employer so the scope and rate update.

The NAR clock and what happens when it runs out are in the NAR four-month rule in Washington. The provisional credential itself is explained in Nursing Assistant-Registered in Washington.

What employers in Chelan and Douglas counties verify

• Active NA-C or NAR on the DOH Provider Credential Search.
• The name-based statewide background check, plus the DSHS check for adult family homes and assisted living; a recent move from out of state may add a fingerprint check.
• American Heart Association BLS CPR.
• TB screening and immunizations, including seasonal flu vaccination.
• The medication assistant endorsement, for any posting that includes passing medications.

Adult family homes and senior living in the valley also employ many Home Care Aides. If you already hold that credential and want the NA-C rate, the 40-hour bridge is described in HCA to CNA bridge near Wenatchee, WA.

Getting to work by Link Transit

Link Transit's routes page lists 13 urban routes and 8 intercity routes, fanning out from Columbia Station downtown. Route 6 links Columbia Station with South Wenatchee, Route 18 runs from East Wenatchee to Wenatchee Valley College, and Routes 2 and 12 cover East Wenatchee commercial corridors. Intercity service includes Route 22 to Leavenworth and Routes 20 and 21 toward Manson and Chelan, so an NA-C living up the valley can reach Wenatchee employers on a scheduled bus. Use the agency's trip planner for the Miller Street hospital campus and the Red Apple Road and Okanogan Avenue nursing facilities, since urban routes changed in the agency's January service expansion. For adult family home and home care work spread from Cashmere to Rock Island, a car is the practical answer.

Frequently asked questions

How much do CNAs earn in Wenatchee? No verified Wenatchee-specific figure was available at review time. The Washington average is about $23.62 per hour per Indeed's August 2026 data; adult family homes sit nearer the $17.13 minimum and Confluence Health with differentials sits above the average. All approximate.

Which hospitals hire CNAs in Wenatchee? Confluence Health's Central Campus on S. Miller Street (198 licensed beds) and Mares Campus on N. Chelan Avenue.

Can I work before passing the exam? Yes, at a skilled nursing facility as a NAR, with 4 months from hire to certify. The hospital typically requires the NA-C.

Do I need a car for CNA work in Wenatchee? Not for the hospital campuses or the two nursing facilities, which sit inside the Link Transit urban network. Home care and adult family homes along the valley usually do.

Is it worth commuting to the Seattle area for higher pay? Rarely as a daily commute; Federal Way is about 150 miles over a mountain pass. Some NA-Cs relocate for the roughly $2 per hour difference; most stay for the lower housing cost.

Openings by setting across the state are covered in CNA jobs in Washington. If you are not yet trained, CNA classes near Wenatchee, WA compares Wenatchee Valley College with the 4-week CNA Traditional program in Federal Way.