CNA in Florida 2026: Training, Certification, Salary, and Requirements
Florida requires 120 hours of CNA training, Prometric exam, and Level 2 background screening. Learn salary ranges, top employers, and how to get certified.
Florida Key Facts and Figures
Florida Important Details
Florida law requires 120 hours of approved nurse aide training — 80 hours of classroom and laboratory instruction plus 40 hours of supervised clinical practice in a licensed nursing facility. Programs must be approved by the Florida Department of Health. Graduates must complete all hours before sitting for the Prometric CNA competency exam.
- Classroom/Lab Hours: 80 hours minimum
- Clinical Hours: 40 hours minimum
- Total Required: 120 hours
- Federal Minimum: 75 hours (FL exceeds by 45 hours)
Florida requires a Level 2 background screening under the Jessica Lunsford Act (Florida Statute 435) for all healthcare workers with direct contact with vulnerable adults. This includes an FDLE state check and an FBI national fingerprint check through Livescan. The $51 fee is mandatory and results are submitted directly to the Florida Department of Health. Any disqualifying offense results in denial unless an exemption is granted.
- Cost: $51 (state-required fee)
- Processing Time: 1-3 weeks
- Agencies Checked: FDLE + FBI (national)
- Basis: Jessica Lunsford Act (FS 435)
Florida's CNA competency exam is administered by Prometric at testing centers across the state. The written (or oral) section consists of 60 multiple-choice questions with a 90-minute time limit. The clinical skills evaluation requires candidates to demonstrate 5 randomly selected skills in 30 minutes. Both sections must be passed within a 24-month window of completing training. Prometric testing sites are located in Miami, Orlando, Tampa, Jacksonville, Fort Lauderdale, and other major Florida cities.
- Written Section: 60 questions, 90 minutes
- Skills Section: 5 randomly selected skills, 30 minutes
- Passing Score: 70% written, all skills passed
- Exam Fee: $117.05 (written + skills combined)
Before beginning clinical rotations at a Florida nursing facility, CNA students must provide a negative TB test (Mantoux PPD or QuantiFERON Gold) within the past 12 months and a physician's physical clearance form. Most approved programs also require current immunizations including the Hepatitis B series, MMR, Varicella, Tdap, and seasonal flu vaccine. These health requirements protect both patients and students during clinical training.
- TB Test: Required within 12 months
- Physical Exam: Physician clearance required
- Immunizations: Hep B, MMR, Varicella, Tdap, Flu
Florida Detailed Breakdown
South Florida and the Miami metro area — including Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties — represent the highest-demand CNA market in the state. The region's large Cuban, Haitian, and Caribbean populations mean bilingual (Spanish/Creole-speaking) CNAs are especially valued and often command higher starting wages. Major programs include Miami Dade College (120-hour program at community college rates, ~$700-$1,200), Broward College in Fort Lauderdale, and Florida Career College locations across the region. Top employers include Baptist Health South Florida, Cleveland Clinic Florida (Weston), Memorial Healthcare System, and Kindred Healthcare facilities. Starting CNA wages in Miami-Dade average $16-$19/hour, with experienced CNAs at private hospitals reaching $22/hour. The snowbird influx from November to April significantly increases staffing demand at skilled nursing facilities and assisted living communities throughout Palm Beach and Broward counties.
Florida Costs and Pricing
Florida Step-by-Step Process
Find a Florida-Approved CNA Program
Complete Prerequisites and Enrollment
Complete 120-Hour Training
Register with Prometric
Pass the Prometric CNA Exam
Get Added to FL CNA Registry
Begin Employment in Florida
Florida Essential Checklist
Florida Level 2 Background Screening: What CNA Candidates Must Know
Florida's Level 2 background screening is one of the most thorough in the nation and is legally required for all healthcare workers who have direct contact with vulnerable adults or children under the Jessica Lunsford Act (Florida Statute 435). Unlike a standard background check, Level 2 screening involves biometric fingerprint submission to both the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) and the FBI for a national criminal history check.
Cost and Process: The state fee is $51, paid when you submit your Livescan fingerprints at an authorized Livescan vendor (found on the FDLE website). Many Livescan sites are located at law enforcement agencies, UPS stores, and healthcare facilities throughout Florida. Results are submitted electronically directly to the Florida Department of Health — you do not receive a copy to submit yourself.
Disqualifying Offenses: Certain criminal convictions automatically disqualify candidates, including felonies involving abuse, neglect, exploitation of vulnerable adults, sexual offenses, and violent crimes. Other offenses may be reviewed case-by-case. If disqualified, you can apply for an Exemption from Disqualification through the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA), but the process takes several months.
Fingerprinting Locations: The FDLE maintains an online locator for Livescan vendors at fdle.state.fl.us. Major concentrations of Livescan sites are in Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Orange (Orlando), Hillsborough (Tampa), and Duval (Jacksonville) counties. Most sites offer walk-in appointments and results are transmitted within 1-3 business days.
Florida's CNA Job Market: Why the Sunshine State Leads in Demand
Florida employs more CNAs per capita than almost any other state, driven by the largest concentration of residents aged 65 and older in the country — over 4.5 million seniors as of 2024. The state's snowbird season (November through April) creates an annual staffing surge as snowbirds from Northern states arrive with chronic conditions requiring skilled nursing care, dramatically increasing demand at skilled nursing facilities and assisted living communities throughout South Florida, Tampa Bay, and the Space Coast.
Top Florida healthcare employers for CNAs include CNA careers at AdventHealth (30+ hospitals in Florida), Baptist Health South Florida, Cleveland Clinic Florida, HCA Florida Healthcare (25 hospitals statewide), and BayCare Health System. State-wide, there are over 700 licensed skilled nursing facilities, more than 3,000 assisted living facilities, and a rapidly growing home health sector funded in part by Florida's Medicaid HCBS waiver programs.
For those interested in CNA to RN bridge programs, Florida offers strong options through the state college system. Florida State College at Jacksonville, Miami Dade College, and Hillsborough Community College all offer LPN-to-RN and CNA-to-LPN bridge programs. The Florida Board of Nursing also allows CNA work experience to count toward accelerated nursing program prerequisites at many institutions.
The Prometric CNA exam in Florida uses the same format as most other states — making Florida CNA certification highly portable for those considering CNA reciprocity to other states in the future. Florida requires 24 hours of in-service training every 2 years for renewal, which is lower than the national average and manageable through employer-provided training sessions. Understanding the full CNA requirements before enrolling ensures a smooth path from training to employment.
Florida Advantages and Disadvantages
- +Massive job market — over 700 SNFs, 3,000+ ALFs, and growing home health sector
- +Snowbird season (Nov-Apr) creates annual demand surge with premium agency rates
- +No state income tax in Florida — take-home pay exceeds comparable-salary states
- +Strong employer-sponsored training programs at AdventHealth, Baptist Health, HCA Florida
- +120-hour requirement is moderate — faster completion than high-requirement states like California
- +Prometric exam format is consistent with most other states — easy reciprocity out of FL
- +Low renewal requirements (24 in-service hours/2 years) reduce ongoing certification burden
- +Growing travel CNA market with $24-$32/hr contracts and housing stipends available year-round
- −Level 2 background screening adds $51 and 1-3 weeks to the certification timeline
- −CNA wages are below national median in rural North Florida and Panhandle regions
- −Hurricane season (June-November) can disrupt training schedules and patient transport
- −Intense summer heat and humidity affect outdoor patient transfer procedures and clinical comfort
- −High cost of living in Miami and Fort Lauderdale offsets higher CNA wages in those markets
- −Florida's large population means Prometric testing centers can have 2-4 week scheduling delays
- −High patient-to-CNA ratios at some SNFs due to staffing shortages statewide
- −Bilingual (Spanish) fluency is increasingly expected in South Florida but not formally required
Related CNA Resources
About the Author
Registered Nurse & Healthcare Educator
Johns Hopkins University School of NursingDr. Sarah Mitchell is a board-certified registered nurse with over 15 years of clinical and academic experience. She completed her PhD in Nursing Science at Johns Hopkins University and has taught NCLEX preparation and clinical skills courses for nursing students across the United States. Her research focuses on evidence-based exam preparation strategies for healthcare certification candidates.