Medical Assistant to Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)

Summary: 1 of the 6 core skills listed for Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) carry over directly from Medical Assistant, and 1 more build on related experience. The US median salary changes by -11% ($38K → $34K). Difficulty: Challenging, typically around 9 months of focused upskilling.

The two roles

Medical Assistant: Support physicians with clinical and administrative tasks in medical offices.

Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA): Provide basic patient care under supervision of nursing staff. Growth outlook +8%; AI-resistant. Typical education: high-school. Typical experience: CNA certification.

Skills that carry over

• Vital Signs

Builds on related experience

• Patient Care — builds on Vital Signs

Skills to learn for Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)

• Personal Hygiene Assistance
• Communication
• Documentation
• Empathy

Salary comparison (median, estimated)

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

Next steps

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Related

Medical Assistant career guide | Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) career guide

Other transitions to consider

• Medical Assistant to Patient Service Representative — 4 of the core skills carry over
• Medical Assistant to Health Information Technician — 4 of the core skills carry over
• Medical Assistant to Pharmacy Technician — 3 of the core skills carry over
• Medical Assistant to Healthcare IT Specialist — 3 of the core skills carry over
• Home Health Aide to Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) — 4 of the core skills carry over
• Occupational Therapist to Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) — 4 of the core skills carry over
• Registered Nurse to Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) — 3 of the core skills carry over
• Physician/Doctor to Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) — 3 of the core skills carry over