Becoming a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) in Michigan requires completing a state-approved training program of at least 75 hours and passing the Prometric CNA competency exam. The Michigan Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) Nurse Aide Registry manages all CNA credentials in the state — LARA is unique in that it oversees licensing for all healthcare professions in Michigan, not just nursing assistants. Michigan's Going PRO Talent Fund, administered by the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, funds free CNA training at participating employers statewide, making Michigan one of the most accessible states in the country for no-cost certification. With Detroit and Grand Rapids as the state's dominant healthcare markets — anchored by Henry Ford Health, Beaumont Health, and Spectrum Health (Corewell Health) — Michigan CNAs have strong employment options across the Lower and Upper Peninsula. Annual CNA salaries in Michigan range from $30,000 to $38,000, with hospital positions in the Detroit metro often reaching $40,000+.
Michigan state law under MCL 333.21720 sets the minimum CNA training requirement at 75 hours — equal to the federal OBRA minimum. However, many LARA-approved programs at community colleges and vocational schools offer 80–120 hour curricula to better prepare candidates for the Prometric clinical skills exam. Training must be completed at a LARA-approved program and include classroom instruction in basic nursing skills, anatomy, infection control, resident rights, personal care, and emergency procedures, plus supervised clinical practice at a licensed nursing facility. Henry Ford College, Lansing Community College, Grand Rapids Community College, and Kellogg Community College are among the most reputable LARA-approved programs in the state.
Michigan uses Prometric to administer the CNA competency evaluation — the same vendor used by New York, Texas, and many other large states. The written (or oral) section covers 70 multiple-choice questions in 90 minutes, testing knowledge of basic nursing care, infection control, safety, rights of residents, and personal care skills. The clinical skills evaluation requires demonstrating 5 randomly selected nursing procedures in front of a trained evaluator. Test sites are located throughout Michigan — including Detroit, Grand Rapids, Lansing, Ann Arbor, Flint, and Kalamazoo. Candidates have up to 3 attempts within 24 months of completing LARA-approved training.
LARA (Licensing and Regulatory Affairs) is unique among state healthcare regulators: it is a single state agency that oversees licensing for ALL healthcare professions in Michigan — from CNAs and RNs to physicians, pharmacists, and physical therapists. This means that Michigan CNA registry issues, renewals, and abuse findings are all handled through the same LARA portal that manages every other healthcare license in the state. LARA's online registry lookup at michigan.gov/lara allows the public to verify any CNA's active certification status, search by name or license number, and view any abuse or neglect findings recorded on a CNA's registry entry.
Before beginning clinical rotations at a Michigan licensed nursing facility, candidates must complete a background check through the Michigan State Police ICHAT system or FBI fingerprinting (required at most programs), TB testing (Mantoux PPD or QuantiFERON Gold blood test), CPR/BLS certification through the American Heart Association or American Red Cross, and a physical examination. Many LARA-approved programs arrange background checks and TB testing as part of the enrollment process. LARA checks the Nurse Aide Abuse Registry before issuing any certificate — a substantiated finding of abuse or neglect disqualifies a candidate from certification.
Detroit and Metro Detroit — including Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties — is Michigan's largest and highest-paying CNA market. Henry Ford Health (6 hospitals, 250+ care sites) is the dominant employer, with Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Henry Ford Macomb, and Henry Ford West Bloomfield offering competitive CNA wages and tuition assistance programs. Beaumont Health (now part of Corewell Health after the 2026 merger) operates 8 hospitals across the Detroit metro, including flagship campuses in Royal Oak and Dearborn. Detroit Medical Center (DMC), now a Tenet Healthcare system, employs large numbers of CNAs across its 8 hospitals including Detroit Receiving Hospital and Sinai Grace. Training programs in the Detroit area include Henry Ford College (Dearborn — LARA-approved, affordable tuition), Wayne County Community College District, Baker College, and Oakland Community College. CNA wages in Detroit metro average $15–$19/hour, with unionized hospital positions reaching $20–$24/hour. Detroit is a CNA free classes hub — Going PRO-funded employer training at Henry Ford Health and Corewell is available for qualified candidates. SEIU Healthcare Michigan represents CNAs at several Detroit-area facilities, providing union wage floors and benefits.
Grand Rapids and West Michigan is anchored by Corewell Health (formerly Spectrum Health) — the state's largest health system after the Beaumont merger, headquartered in Grand Rapids with Butterworth Hospital and Blodgett Hospital as flagship campuses. Mercy Health Saint Mary's (Trinity Health) also operates major facilities in Grand Rapids and surrounding communities. The Grand Rapids metro is one of the fastest-growing healthcare markets in the Midwest, with strong demand for CNAs driven by a young and growing population plus a significant elderly demographic in Ottawa and Kent counties. Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC) offers a highly regarded LARA-approved CNA program at community college rates (~$500 for Michigan residents). Davenport University and Baker College (Grand Rapids campus) also offer programs. CNA wages in Grand Rapids average $14–$18/hour; Corewell Health positions with full benefits packages are especially sought after. The Going PRO Talent Fund is widely used by West Michigan healthcare employers to fund employer-sponsored CNA training at zero cost to employees.
Ann Arbor and Lansing represent Michigan's academic and government health corridors. Michigan Medicine (University of Michigan Health System) in Ann Arbor is one of the nation's top 10 academic medical centers and the largest healthcare employer in Washtenaw County, consistently hiring CNAs for inpatient units, oncology floors, and rehabilitation services. Sparrow Health System in Lansing (now part of University of Michigan Health) is the dominant employer in the Ingham County market. Lansing Community College offers an affordable LARA-approved CNA program (approximately $600–$800 for Michigan residents), and Washtenaw Community College runs a competitive program in Ann Arbor. The University of Michigan also periodically offers employer-sponsored CNA training for prospective Michigan Medicine employees. CNA pay in Ann Arbor is the highest in the state outside Detroit — Michigan Medicine CNAs earn $17–$22/hour with comprehensive U-M benefits. State government healthcare employment in Lansing (Department of Health and Human Services facilities) also offers stable CNA positions with pension benefits.
Northern Michigan — including Traverse City, Petoskey, Marquette, and the Upper Peninsula — presents a growing but distinct CNA market shaped by a rapidly aging rural population and seasonal tourism healthcare demand. Munson Healthcare (Traverse City) is the dominant health system for the Lower Peninsula north of Grand Rapids, with Munson Medical Center employing CNAs across multiple service lines. McLaren Northern Michigan (Petoskey) and UP Health System (Marquette) anchor the Upper Peninsula. Northwestern Michigan College (Traverse City) and North Central Michigan College (Petoskey) offer LARA-approved CNA programs serving the northern lower peninsula. Bay de Noc Community College and Lake Superior State University serve the Upper Peninsula. CNA wages in Northern Michigan average $13–$16/hour — lower than southeast Michigan — but housing costs are substantially lower. The region sees high CNA turnover due to seasonal population swings and limited advancement opportunities, making it an accessible entry market for new CNAs. Going PRO funding is available at northern Michigan healthcare employers including Munson Healthcare.
Flint and Saginaw represent the Genesee and Saginaw County healthcare markets — historically shaped by the automotive industry workforce and their healthcare needs. Hurley Medical Center in Flint (a level I trauma center affiliated with Michigan State University) is the major public hospital employer for CNAs in Genesee County. McLaren Flint also operates a major campus. In Saginaw, Covenant HealthCare (now part of Ascension Health) and Ascension St. Mary's are the primary employers. Mott Community College in Flint offers one of the most affordable LARA-approved CNA programs in the state, with Michigan resident tuition often covered in full through Going PRO funding and Pell grants. Delta College in University Center (near Saginaw) also runs an approved program. CNA wages in Flint and Saginaw average $13–$17/hour. The Going PRO Talent Fund is particularly active in Genesee and Saginaw counties due to workforce development priorities in economically distressed regions. Flint-area candidates should note that LARA background check processing may include additional screening related to the region's documented public health history.
Visit michigan.gov/lara to search the official list of LARA-approved nurse aide training programs in your county. Michigan has programs at community colleges (GRCC, Lansing CC, Henry Ford College, Mott CC), vocational schools, and employer-sponsored programs at healthcare facilities. Verify the program appears on LARA's current approved list before enrolling — graduates of unapproved programs cannot sit for the Prometric exam.
Submit to a Michigan State Police ICHAT criminal background check (or FBI fingerprinting), complete a TB test (Mantoux PPD or QuantiFERON Gold within 12 months), obtain CPR/BLS certification (American Heart Association or Red Cross), and pass a physical examination. LARA checks the Nurse Aide Abuse Registry before certification — no disqualifying findings permitted. Some programs coordinate background checks and health screenings during enrollment.
Complete your LARA-approved program — minimum 75 hours including classroom instruction and supervised clinical practice at a licensed Michigan nursing facility. Most Michigan programs run 75–120 hours. Topics include basic nursing skills, infection control, resident rights, anatomy, personal care, safety, and emergency procedures. Full-time accelerated programs complete in 2–3 weeks; evening/weekend formats take 6–10 weeks. Going PRO-funded employer training programs often run 3–5 weeks paid.
After program completion, your training program submits your eligibility to LARA and Prometric. Register for both the written knowledge test and clinical skills evaluation at prometric.com/cna. Pay the Michigan exam fee (approximately $110–$130 for both portions). Select a test site in your region — Michigan test sites include Detroit/metro suburbs, Grand Rapids, Lansing, Ann Arbor, Flint, Kalamazoo, and Traverse City.
Pass the written knowledge test (70 multiple-choice questions, 90-minute time limit, 70% passing score) and the clinical skills evaluation (5 randomly selected nursing procedures, all must be passed). Candidates have up to 3 attempts within 24 months of completing training. Study with our free CNA practice test and review the CNA skills test checklist for all 22 tested procedures.
After passing both Prometric exam components, LARA processes your certification and adds you to the Michigan Nurse Aide Registry. Processing typically takes 2–4 weeks. Verify your active certification status at michigan.gov/lara before applying to employers. Michigan law permits provisional employment at some facilities while your certification processes — verify with your specific employer.
Apply to Henry Ford Health, Corewell Health, Michigan Medicine, McLaren Health Care, Sparrow Health, or local SNFs, home health agencies, and staffing companies. Provide your LARA registry number to employers for verification. Going PRO-funded employers may hire directly into training programs — reach out to HR departments at major health systems before completing independent training to ask about funded pathways.
The Going PRO Talent Fund, administered by the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO), is one of the most impactful workforce development programs in the country for healthcare workers. Going PRO awards grants directly to employers to fund training for current or newly hired employees — including CNA training programs. This means Michigan residents can access fully funded 75-hour CNA training at major healthcare employers across the state at zero personal cost.
How It Works for CNA Candidates:
Where to Find Going PRO CNA Programs: Visit michigan.gov/leo and search the Going PRO grantee list, or contact HR departments at major Michigan health systems directly. Michigan Works! Service Centers (statewide network of 17 agencies) also connect job seekers with Going PRO-funded opportunities. The free CNA classes guide covers additional pathways for no-cost certification.
Note: Going PRO grants are awarded annually in competitive rounds. Availability varies by employer and region. Not all healthcare employers are active grantees in every cycle — contact employers directly to confirm current Going PRO availability.