CNA in Georgia 2026: Training, Certification, Salary, and Requirements
Georgia CNA: 85 hours training, D&S Diversified exam (not Prometric), DCH Registry. Salary $28K–$34K. Emory, Piedmont, Wellstar, Grady employers. 2026.
Georgia Key Facts and Figures
Georgia Important Details
Georgia law requires 85 hours of approved nurse aide training broken into four components: 24 hours classroom, 16 hours laboratory, 24 hours supervised clinical practice at a licensed nursing facility, and 21 additional hours of combined instruction. Programs must be approved by the Georgia DCH. All 85 hours must be completed before sitting for the D&S Diversified CNA competency exam. Training is available at community colleges, technical colleges, Red Cross chapters, and some long-term care facilities.
- Classroom Hours: 24 hours minimum
- Laboratory Hours: 16 hours minimum
- Clinical Hours: 24 hours minimum
- Additional Hours: 21 hours (combined instruction)
- Total Required: 85 hours
- Federal Minimum: 75 hours (GA exceeds by 10 hours)
Georgia uses D&S Diversified Technologies — not Prometric — to administer the CNA competency exam. This is a key distinction for candidates who may have prepared using resources referencing Prometric. The written (or oral) section contains 60 multiple-choice questions with a 90-minute time limit. The clinical skills evaluation requires demonstrating 5 randomly selected skills. Candidates have up to 3 attempts within 24 months of completing training. Testing sites are located in Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus, Macon, Savannah, and other cities across Georgia.
- Written Section: 60 questions, 90 minutes
- Skills Section: 5 randomly selected skills
- Passing Score: 70% written, all skills passed
- Exam Provider: D&S Diversified Technologies (not Prometric)
- Attempts: 3 attempts within 24 months of training
Georgia requires a criminal background check for CNA candidates seeking to work in Medicaid/Medicare-certified facilities. The check is administered through the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) and includes state and federal criminal history. The Georgia DCH maintains a separate Nurse Aide Abuse Registry — any individual listed on this registry for patient abuse, neglect, or misappropriation of property is barred from working as a CNA in Georgia. Employers are required to verify registry status before hiring.
- Check Type: State + national fingerprint-based check
- Administered By: Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI)
- Disqualifying: Abuse, neglect, exploitation convictions
- Registry Block: GA DCH maintains Nurse Aide Abuse Registry
Before beginning clinical rotations at a Georgia nursing facility, CNA students must provide a negative TB test (Mantoux PPD or QuantiFERON Gold) within the past 12 months, a physician's physical clearance form, and current CPR/BLS certification. Most approved programs also require current immunizations including the Hepatitis B series, MMR, Varicella, Tdap, and seasonal flu vaccine. These health requirements are set by individual training programs in compliance with DCH facility regulations.
- TB Test: Required within 12 months
- Physical Exam: Physician clearance required
- Immunizations: Hep B, MMR, Varicella, Tdap, Flu
- CPR: BLS certification required
Georgia Detailed Breakdown
Atlanta and the metro area — including Fulton, DeKalb, Gwinnett, Cobb, and Clayton counties — represent Georgia's largest and highest-paying CNA market. Emory Healthcare, one of the nation's most respected academic medical systems, is among the top employers of CNAs in the state, offering competitive starting wages and tuition reimbursement programs. Piedmont Healthcare (11 hospitals across Georgia) and Wellstar Health System (11 hospitals including Kennestone and Atlanta Medical Center) also hire CNAs in high volumes throughout the metro. Training programs are available at Georgia Piedmont Technical College (Clarkston), Atlanta Technical College, Kennesaw State University's allied health division, and American Red Cross chapters across the metro. CNA wages in Atlanta average $14–$17/hour, with hospital positions at Emory and Piedmont reaching $19–$21/hour. Sandy Springs and the northern suburbs have seen particularly high demand due to rapid population growth. CNA scholarships and WIOA-funded grants are available through Georgia WorkSource centers for eligible candidates.
Georgia Costs and Pricing
Georgia Step-by-Step Process
Find a Georgia-Approved CNA Program
Complete Prerequisites and Enrollment
Complete 85-Hour Training
Register with D&S Diversified Technologies
Pass the Georgia CNA Competency Exam
Get Added to Georgia DCH Nurse Aide Registry
Begin Employment in Georgia
Georgia Essential Checklist
Georgia CNA Reciprocity: Transferring Your CNA License to Georgia
Georgia participates in the Nurse Aide Reciprocity process, allowing CNAs certified in other states to transfer their license to the Georgia Nurse Aide Registry without retaking the full competency exam — provided they meet specific requirements. This process is coordinated through the Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH), which manages the registry independently of the Georgia Board of Nursing.
Requirements for Reciprocity: To transfer your CNA certification to Georgia, you must have an active, unrestricted CNA listing on your current state's nurse aide registry, with no findings of abuse, neglect, or misappropriation of resident property. Your out-of-state certification must have been obtained by passing a state-approved competency evaluation (written + skills). You must submit a completed reciprocity application to the Georgia DCH along with verification of your current registry status and a Georgia criminal background check through the GBI.
Key Georgia-Specific Note: Because Georgia's registry is managed by the DCH and not the Board of Nursing, the reciprocity application goes directly to DCH — not to a nursing board. This differs from most other states and can cause confusion for applicants used to dealing with state boards of nursing. Allow 4–8 weeks for reciprocity processing.
Out-of-State Candidates: CNAs moving to Georgia from Florida, Tennessee, Alabama, South Carolina, or North Carolina can typically transfer credentials without retesting. If your certification has lapsed (not renewed within 24 months), you may be required to retake the full D&S Diversified competency exam before being listed on the Georgia registry. See our full CNA reciprocity guide for details on the multi-state transfer process.
Georgia Advantages and Disadvantages
- +Only 85 hours required — one of the shorter state minimums, making entry faster
- +Atlanta metro is a top-10 US healthcare market with Emory, Piedmont, Wellstar, and Grady Memorial all hiring CNAs
- +D&S Diversified exam has high pass rates and is well-supported by local training programs
- +Georgia DCH registry system is straightforward and searchable online
- +Lower cost of living vs. comparable markets like Florida, making salaries stretch further
- +Strong employer-sponsored training at Emory and Northside Hospital reduces out-of-pocket training costs
- +Growing retiree migration to Georgia (especially North GA mountains) driving long-term demand increase
- +TCSG (Technical College System of Georgia) offers affordable CNA programs at 22 campuses statewide
- −Salaries ($28K–$34K) are below the national median — Florida and New York pay significantly more
- −D&S Diversified exam — not Prometric — means many national practice test resources may not perfectly reflect GA exam content
- −Georgia DCH registry process can be slow (4–8 weeks) for reciprocity applications
- −Rural South Georgia and North Georgia mountain areas have fewer training programs and lower wages
- −Background check through GBI adds processing time vs. states using integrated fingerprint systems
- −Limited union presence in Georgia means fewer collective bargaining protections for CNAs
- −High competition in Atlanta metro for hospital CNA positions, particularly at academic medical centers
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.