Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) to Registered Nurse

Summary: 2 of the 5 core skills listed for Registered Nurse carry over directly from Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), and 1 more build on related experience. The US median salary changes by +141% ($34K → $82K). Difficulty: Moderate, typically around 6 months of focused upskilling.

The two roles

Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA): Provide basic patient care under supervision of nursing staff.

Registered Nurse: Provide patient care and coordinate treatment in healthcare settings. Growth outlook +6%; AI-resistant. Typical education: associate. Typical experience: Entry with degree.

Skills that carry over

• Patient Care
• Communication

Builds on related experience

• Clinical Skills — builds on Patient Care

Skills to learn for Registered Nurse

• Critical Thinking
• EMR Systems

Salary comparison (median, estimated)

Salary figures are estimates benchmarked against public compensation data — see methodology.

Next steps

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Related

Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) career guide | Registered Nurse career guide

Other transitions to consider

• Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) to Occupational Therapist — 4 of the core skills carry over
• Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) to Physician/Doctor — 3 of the core skills carry over
• Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) to Phlebotomist — 3 of the core skills carry over
• Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) to Medical Assistant — 2 of the core skills carry over
• Physician/Doctor to Registered Nurse — 3 of the core skills carry over
• Occupational Therapist to Registered Nurse — 3 of the core skills carry over
• Home Health Aide to Registered Nurse — 3 of the core skills carry over
• Phlebotomist to Registered Nurse — 3 of the core skills carry over