How to Become a CNA in Florida
To work as a certified nursing assistant in Florida, you finish a state-approved training program of 120 hours, pass the competency exam given by Prometric, and get listed on the state nurse aide registry. Florida has 201 approved programs to choose from (list dated August 2026).
Updated October 2026 · Sources: Florida Board of Nursing (August 2026), Fla. Admin. Code 64B9-15.006, IPEDS 2023–24, BLS May 2025
- Training required
- 120 hr40 clinical
- Approved programs
- 201official list, August 2026
- First-time pass rate
- 89.08%statewide 2025
- Florida median pay
- $37,510$18.03/hr · BLS May 2025
Step 1: Choose a state-approved program
Only programs on the official Florida list qualify you for the exam. The Florida Board of Nursing list has 201 approved programs.
Biggest Florida metro areas for CNA training
- CNA classes in Miami46
- CNA classes in Jacksonville24
- CNA classes in Tampa18
- CNA classes in Orlando17
- CNA classes in Port St. Lucie13
- CNA classes in Cape Coral12
- CNA classes in Palm Bay10
- CNA classes in Gainesville6
Step 2: Complete 120 hours of training
Florida requires 120 hours: at least 80 classroom and 40 clinical (20 or more in a nursing home), with 16 hours before any resident contact. Source: Fla. Admin. Code 64B9-15.006. That is 45 hours more than the federal minimum of 75.
What college CNA programs charge in Florida
16 colleges report a CNA program price to the U.S. Department of Education: $710 to $12,660, median $1,960 for tuition plus books and supplies (IPEDS 2023–24).
| College (lowest prices) | City | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Fort Myers Technical College | Fort Myers | $710 |
| Lively Technical College | Tallahassee | $795 |
| North Florida Technical College | Starke | $881 |
| D A Dorsey Technical College | Miami | $902 |
| Medical Institute of Palm Beach | Greenacres | $1,200 |
Price = tuition plus books and supplies, self-reported by colleges for 2023–24. Exam and background-check fees are extra.
Step 3: Pass the Florida competency exam
The exam has a written (or oral) part and a hands-on skills part, given by Prometric. Statewide, 89.08% of first-time testers passed in 2025.
Programs with the highest pass rates (2025, 20+ testers)
| Program | City | Testers | Passed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vero Beach High School | Vero Beach | 59 | 100.0% |
| Baker County High School | Glen Saint Mary | 58 | 100.0% |
| East Lee County High School | Lehigh Acres | 38 | 100.0% |
| Baptist Health Clinical School | Jacksonville | 36 | 100.0% |
| West Nassau High School- Nassau County | Callahan | 30 | 100.0% |
Florida Board of Nursing, CNA first-time pass rate by program, 1/1/2025-12/31/2025. Pass rates for every reporting program.
Step 4: Get listed on the registry
After you pass, you are added to the Florida nurse aide registry, kept by the Florida Board of Nursing. Employers check it before hiring, and anyone can look up a CNA license for free. Under federal rules, if you go 24 months in a row without paid nursing-related work, you must retrain or retest.
Step 5: Find a job
96,960 nursing assistants work in Florida. The median earns $37,510 a year; the top 10% earn $46,790 or more (BLS May 2025). See Florida CNA pay by metro area.
CNA requirements by state
| State | Training hours | Clinical | Exam | Programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 160 | 100 | D&SDT-Headmaster, Credentia, or the Regional Testing Center | 592 |
| Colorado | 75+ | 16 | Credentia (NNAAP) | state list |
| Florida | 120 | 40 | Prometric | 201 |
| Georgia | 85 | 24 | Credentia (NNAAP) | 335 |
| Illinois | 120 | 40 | Southern Illinois University Carbondale (INACE) | 395 |
| Massachusetts | 75+ | — | D&S Diversified Technologies (Headmaster) | 109 |
| Michigan | 75 | 16 | D&S Diversified Technologies (Headmaster) | 222 |
| Missouri | 175+ | 100 | D&S Diversified Technologies (Headmaster) | not checked |
| New Jersey | 90 | 40 | PSI and D&SDT-Headmaster | 158 |
| New York | 100 | 30 | Prometric | 196 |
| North Carolina | 75+ | — | Credentia (NNAAP) | 247 |
| Ohio | 75+ | 16 | D&S Diversified Technologies (Headmaster) | not published |
| Pennsylvania | 80 | 37.5 | Credentia (NNAAP) | 182 |
| Texas | 100 | 40 | Prometric | not published |
| Virginia | 140+ | 40 | Credentia (NNAAP) | 220 |
| Washington | 108+ | 40 | Credentia | 170 |
| Wisconsin | 75+ | 16 | D&S Diversified Technologies (Headmaster) | not checked |
Becoming a CNA in Florida: FAQ
How many hours of training does a CNA need in Florida?
Florida requires 120 hours: at least 80 classroom and 40 clinical (20 or more in a nursing home), with 16 hours before any resident contact (Fla. Admin. Code 64B9-15.006). The federal minimum is 75 hours, 16 of them supervised clinical.
Who runs the Florida CNA exam?
The Florida competency exam (a written or oral test plus a skills test) is given by Prometric. In 2025, 89.08% of first-time testers statewide passed.
How much does CNA training cost in Florida?
Among 16 Florida colleges that report a CNA program price to the U.S. Department of Education, tuition plus books and supplies ranges from $710 to $12,660 (median $1,960, IPEDS 2023–24). Programs run by nursing homes and private schools are not in that data; ask them directly.
How do I look up a CNA license in Florida?
Use the free Florida nurse aide registry search, run by the Florida Board of Nursing. It shows whether a certificate is active. The link is in the rules box on this page.
How much do CNAs make in Florida?
The median Florida nursing assistant earned $37,510 a year ($18.03 an hour) in BLS May 2025 data, below the U.S. median of $42,260. The middle half earned $36,040 to $42,310.