How to Become a CNA in Wisconsin
To work as a certified nursing assistant in Wisconsin, you finish a state-approved training program of at least 75 hours, pass the competency exam given by D&S Diversified Technologies (Headmaster), and get listed on the state nurse aide registry. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services approves training programs; ask any program to show its current state approval before you pay. 16 colleges here report a CNA program to the U.S. Department of Education.
Updated October 2026 · Sources: Wisconsin Department of Health Services (Division of Quality Assurance), Wis. Admin. Code DHS 129.07(2)(b), IPEDS 2023–24, BLS May 2025
- Training required
- 75+ hr16 clinical
- Colleges with CNA programs
- 16IPEDS 2023–24
- Wisconsin median pay
- $45,130$21.70/hr · BLS May 2025
Step 1: Choose a state-approved program
Only a nurse aide training program approved by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services qualifies you for the exam. We could not open the state's approved-program list when we checked in October 2026, so ask each program for its current state approval in writing before you pay. The 16 colleges that report a CNA program to the U.S. Department of Education are listed with costs here; programs run by nursing homes and private schools are not in that federal data.
Biggest Wisconsin metro areas for CNA training
Step 2: Complete at least 75 hours of training
Wisconsin requires at least 75 hours: at least 16 of them clinical; the first 16 hours are classroom training before any direct contact with clients, and the competency exam and provider orientation do not count toward the 75. Source: Wis. Admin. Code DHS 129.07(2)(b). That is the same as the federal minimum of 75.
Step 3: Pass the Wisconsin competency exam
The exam has a written (or oral) part and a hands-on skills part, given by D&S Diversified Technologies (Headmaster). Headmaster also maintains the Wisconsin Nurse Aide Registry for the Department of Health Services.
Step 4: Get listed on the registry
After you pass, you are added to the Wisconsin nurse aide registry, kept by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (Division of Quality Assurance). 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
28,370 nursing assistants work in Wisconsin. The median earns $45,130 a year; the top 10% earn $50,650 or more (BLS May 2025). See Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin: FAQ
How many hours of training does a CNA need in Wisconsin?
Wisconsin requires at least 75 hours: at least 16 of them clinical; the first 16 hours are classroom training before any direct contact with clients, and the competency exam and provider orientation do not count toward the 75 (Wis. Admin. Code DHS 129.07(2)(b)). The federal minimum is 75 hours, 16 of them supervised clinical.
Who runs the Wisconsin CNA exam?
The Wisconsin competency exam (a written or oral test plus a skills test) is given by D&S Diversified Technologies (Headmaster). Headmaster also maintains the Wisconsin Nurse Aide Registry for the Department of Health Services.
Is there a list of state-approved CNA programs in Wisconsin?
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services approves nurse aide training programs in Wisconsin. We could not open the state's approved-program list when we checked in October 2026, so we don't show a program count here. Only an approved program qualifies you for the D&S Diversified Technologies (Headmaster) exam: ask any program to show you its current state approval before you pay. 16 colleges in Wisconsin report a CNA program to the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS 2023–24); they are listed on this page.
How do I look up a CNA license in Wisconsin?
Use the free Wisconsin nurse aide registry search, run by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (Division of Quality Assurance). It shows whether a certificate is active. The link is in the rules box on this page.
How much do CNAs make in Wisconsin?
The median Wisconsin nursing assistant earned $45,130 a year ($21.70 an hour) in BLS May 2025 data, above the U.S. median of $42,260. The middle half earned $39,580 to $47,320.