Washington · home health aide (HHA)
How to become a home health aide in Washington: the routes that qualify you, who regulates home health agencies in Washington, pay, free training options, and all 130 state-approved CNA programs, since a CNA certification also qualifies you as a home health aide.
Your route
Washington certifies home care aides, who do much of the in-home work. Here are both ways in.
Washington certification
HCA
Fastest for agencies
CNA
Why we list CNA programs: under federal rules, a state-approved CNA program plus good standing on the Washington nurse aide registry qualifies you as a home health aide. It’s the route that opens the most doors. See our Washington CNA guide.
The steps
The general path for most new aides.
Keep your hours up. Federal rules require at least 12 hours of in-service training a year, and if you go 24 months in a row without paid aide work, you must retrain.
Home health aide vs. CNA
The two jobs overlap, but the settings and pay differ.
| Home health aide | CNA | |
|---|---|---|
| Where you work | Clients’ homes, through home health and hospice agencies | Nursing homes and hospitals |
| Training | 75 hours federal minimum, or a CNA certification | State-approved CNA program |
| Official record | Washington home care aide credential | The Washington nurse aide registry |
| Median pay (WA) | $22.95 an hour* | $23.65 an hour |
*Federal pay data groups home health aides with personal care aides. About 103,260 of them work in Washington.
Help paying
Ways to cover the cost of training.
Many home health agencies train aides they hire, and nursing homes that hire you can’t charge you for CNA training under federal rules.
Directory
All 130 programs from our Washington CNA guide. Finishing one, passing the exam, and staying in good standing on the state registry also qualifies you as a home health aide for Medicare and Medicaid agencies.
| Program | City | County | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advanced CNA School | Tukwila | King | (206) 491-8568 |
| Avamere at Ridgemont | Port Orchard | Kitsap | (360) 876-4461 |
| Bailey Boushay House | Seattle | King | (206) 640-6905 |
| Bainbridge Island Health & Rehabilitation | Bainbridge Island | Kitsap | (360) 479-1915 |
| Bates Technical College | Tacoma | Pierce | (253) 680-7328 |
| Bellevue College | Bellevue | King | (425) 564-5604 |
| Bellingham Technical College | Bellingham | Whatcom | (360) 752-8316 |
| Bethany at Pacific | Everett | Snohomish | (425) 259-5508 |
| Better Options School of Nursing | Vancouver | Clark | (360) 607-8028 |
| Big Bend Community College | Moses Lake | Grant | (509) 793-2130 |
| Blossom Nursing Academy | Kent | King | (253) 945-8232 |
| Caldera Care East | Spokane | Spokane | (605) 366-9926 |
| Care Plus Home Health, Inc | Port Orchard | Kitsap | (360) 373-8016 |
| Caregiving Training & Huduma Center | Federal Way | King | (206) 460-9022 |
| Centralia College | Centralia | Lewis | (360) 623-8963 |
| Clark County Career Development Center | Battle Ground | Clark | (360) 574-1535 |
| Clover Park Technical College | Lakewood | Pierce | (253) 589-6013 |
| CLT Care Academy, LLC | Vancouver | Clark | (360) 713-6559 |
| CNA School of Longview/Health Education Center | Longview | Cowlitz | (360) 747-7716 |
| CNA Training School of Nursing | Woodland | Cowlitz | (360) 546-0098 |
| Columbia Basin College | Pasco | Franklin | (509) 544-8300 |
| Columbia Basin Job Corps | Moses Lake | Grant | (877) 763-0580 |
| Columbia County Health System | Dayton | Columbia | (509) 382-8401 |
| Columbia Safety LLC | Pasco | Franklin | (509) 820-3883 |
| Columbia Safety Training Center | Kennewick | Benton | (509) 820-3883 |
| Cottesmore of Life Care | Gig Harbor | Pierce | (253) 851-5433 |
| Divine CNA Training | Federal Way | King | (253) 874-0174 |
| DT&T NA Training School | Burien | King | (206) 439-6715 |
| Edmonds College | Lynnwood | Snohomish | (425) 640-1691 |
| Elite Learning Institute, LLC | Federal Way | King | (206) 330-4750 |
| Emerald Care | Wapato | Yakima | (509) 504-9583 |
| EmpRes at Buena Vista | Colville | Stevens | (509) 684-4539 |
| EmpRes at Royal Park | Spokane | Spokane | (509) 483-7136 |
| Everett Community College | Everett | Snohomish | (425) 388-9135 |
| Evergreen Elite Medical Academy | Lynnwood | Snohomish | (206) 458-1571 |
| Evergreen NA Training Program | Enumclaw | King | (360) 920-9343 |
| Ferry County Public Hospital District | Republic | Ferry | (509) 775-3333 |
| Five Peaks Healthcare | Bellingham | Whatcom | (360) 733-2322 |
| Forest Ridge Health & Rehab | Bremerton | Kitsap | (605) 366-9926 |
| Forks Community Hospital District No. 1 | Forks | Clallam | (360) 374-6271 |
| Fulton Academy for Certified Nursing Assistants | Seattle | King | (206) 725-8800 |
| Goodheart Training – Sunnyside | Sunnyside | Yakima | (509) 439-5258 |
| Goodheart Training – Yakima | Yakima | Yakima | (509) 439-5258 |
| Grays Harbor College | Aberdeen | Grays Harbor | (360) 538-4244 |
| Green River College | Auburn | King | (253) 833-9111 |
| Hallmark Manor | Federal Way | King | (253) 874-3580 |
| Health Care Apprenticeship Consortium | Tacoma | Pierce | (425) 255-0315 |
| Health Professionals Institute | Federal Way | King | (253) 252-3956 |
| Higher Living Healthcare Training School | Vancouver | Clark | (360) 903-3106 |
| Highline College | Des Moines | King | (206) 592-3785 |
| Home Aide CNA Training Center | Federal Way | King | (206) 592-2115 |
| Iroko Bridge Academy | Ruston | Pierce | (253) 200-1683 |
| Josephine at Home NAC Training Program | Stanwood | Snohomish | (360) 629-2126 |
| Kittitas Valley Healthcare | Ellensburg | Kittitas | (509) 933-7536 |
| Lake Washington Institute of Technology | Kirkland | King | (425) 739-8344 |
| Lakeland Village | Medical Lake | Spokane | (509) 299-1036 |
| Life Care Center of Kennewick | Kennewick | Benton | (509) 586-9286 |
| Life Care Center of Mount Vernon | Mount Vernon | Skagit | (360) 424-4258 |
| Life Care Center of Skagit Valley | Sedro Woolley | Skagit | (360) 856-6867 |
| Lower Columbia College | Longview | Cowlitz | (360) 442-2865 |
| Lynden Healthcare Education and Consulting | Lynden | Whatcom | (360) 306-3038 |
| Mason Health Certified Nursing Program | Shelton | Mason | (360) 427-3609 |
| Medprep Vocational Training Center | Everett | Snohomish | (425) 257-9888 |
| MedSmart Academy | Marysville | Snohomish | (425) 737-1605 |
| Mt. Carmel Hospital | Colville | Stevens | (509) 685-5455 |
| NAT Healthcare Academy | Tukwila | King | (206) 575-2010 |
| New Chapters In Healthcare Education | Spokane | Spokane | (509) 572-7178 |
| North Valley Hospital/Nursing Home | Tonasket | Okanogan | (509) 486-2151 |
| Northcare Training | Lynnwood | Snohomish | (425) 239-5027 |
| Northwest NAC Training | Vancouver | Clark | (360) 882-0101 |
| Nurse Staffing Solutions | Renton | King | (425) 473-2777 |
| Nursing Assistant Training Institute | Shoreline | King | (206) 546-1120 |
| Olympic College | Bremerton | Kitsap | (360) 475-7748 |
| Park Manor Rehabilitation Center | Walla Walla | Walla Walla | (509) 529-4218 |
| Peninsula College | Port Angeles | Clallam | (360) 452-9277 |
| Peninsula College NAC in Port Townsend | Port Townsend | Jefferson | (360) 417-5698 |
| Pennant at Beacon Hill Rehabilitation | Longview | Cowlitz | (360) 423-4060 |
| Pennant at Belmont Terrace | Bremerton | Kitsap | (360) 479-1915 |
| Pennant at Mira Vista Care Center | Mount Vernon | Skagit | (360) 424-1320 |
| Pennant at Olympia Transitional Healthcare | Olympia | Thurston | (360) 491-9700 |
| Pennant at Pacific Care | Hoquiam | Grays Harbor | (360) 532-7882 |
| Pennant at Rainier Rehabilitation | Puyallup | Pierce | (253) 841-3422 |
| Pennant at the Oaks | Lakewood | Pierce | (253) 581-9002 |
| PNW Medical Training Academy | Burien | King | (206) 278-2258 |
| PNW Nursing Assistant School | Issaquah | King | (206) 475-0928 |
| ProCare Academy of Washington | Lakewood | Pierce | (888) 960-2553 |
| ProCare Academy of Washington – Olympia | Olympia | Thurston | (888) 960-2553 |
| Providence Health Training | Spokane | Spokane | (509) 473-6007 |
| Providence St. Joseph's Hospital | Chewelah | Stevens | (509) 685-5455 |
| Puget Skilled Nursing | Olympia | Thurston | (618) 792-8877 |
| Puget Sound Nursing | Federal Way | King | (253) 392-2026 |
| Ready Set Scrubs | Bremerton | Kitsap | (360) 362-4177 |
| Regency at Northpointe | Spokane | Spokane | (509) 465-8800 |
| Regency Care Center at Monroe | Monroe | Snohomish | (360) 794-4011 |
| Regency Harmony House Rehabilitation & Nursing Center | Brewster | Okanogan | (509) 689-2546 |
| Regency on Whidbey | Oak Harbor | Island | (360) 386-6142 |
| Renton Technical College | Renton | King | (425) 235-5728 |
| River Mountain Training Center | Newport | Pend Oreille | (509) 447-9469 |
| Seattle Central College | Seattle | King | (206) 934-4347 |
| Sequim Bay Post Acute | Sequim | Clallam | (206) 491-8568 |
| Shoreline Community College | Shoreline | King | (206) 546-4101 |
| Skagit Valley College (Main Campus) | Mount Vernon | Skagit | (360) 333-8802 |
| Skagit Valley College (Whidbey Island Campus) | Oak Harbor | Island | (360) 675-6656 |
| South Puget Sound Community College | Olympia | Thurston | (360) 596-5200 |
| Sparkle Training Center | Spokane | Spokane | (509) 953-6810 |
| Spokane Community College | Spokane | Spokane | (509) 533-8829 |
| Spring Creek Assisted Living Facility | Bellingham | Whatcom | (360) 756-2301 |
| Spring Fields Healthcare Training | Renton | King | (206) 507-6180 |
| Stardig Nursing Services | Vancouver | Clark | (503) 680-7709 |
| Sunrise Caregiver Training | Anacortes | Skagit | (425) 212-4210 |
| Sunrise Caregiver Training | Everett | Snohomish | (425) 212-4210 |
| Sunrise Caregiver Training on Whidbey | Oak Harbor | Island | (425) 212-4210 |
| Supreme Nursing Academy of Givers | Tacoma | Pierce | (253) 398-5395 |
| Tacoma Community College | Tacoma | Pierce | (253) 566-5085 |
| Tacoma Community College (Gig Harbor Campus) | Gig Harbor | Pierce | (253) 460-4439 |
| Three Rivers Care | Centralia | Lewis | (360) 736-2823 |
| Trouvés Health Care College | Fife | Pierce | (253) 691-0197 |
| Two Rivers Care Training, LLC | Federal Way | King | (214) 354-5943 |
| Unique NextGen Healthcare Training | Lakewood | Pierce | (253) 625-7688 |
| Upper Valley Nursing CNA Training | Leavenworth | Chelan | (509) 548-4076 |
| Visiting Angels | Tacoma | Pierce | (253) 537-3700 |
| Vital Healthcare Training | Spokane | Spokane | (509) 688-4040 |
| Vital Healthcare Training Center, LLC | Kent | King | (253) 277-0141 |
| Walla Walla Community College | Walla Walla | Walla Walla | (509) 527-4462 |
| Wenatchee Valley College | Wenatchee | Chelan | (509) 682-6662 |
| Westfield Nursing Assistants Training Institute | Lynnwood | Snohomish | (425) 236-5530 |
| Whatcom Community College | Bellingham | Whatcom | (360) 383-3080 |
| WhidbeyHealth Medical Center | Coupeville | Island | (360) 678-7656 |
| Woodard Creek NAC Program | Olympia | Thurston | (360) 493-4900 |
| Yakima Valley School | Selah | Yakima | (509) 698-1245 |
Tip: ask each program whether it also offers a home health aide add-on. For details, costs, and exam steps, see our Washington CNA guide.
FAQ
Short answers to what people ask most.
Washington certifies home care aides (HCAs) through the Department of Health. Aides finish 75 hours of approved training within 120 days of hire and pass a Prometric exam. Home health agencies that bill Medicare also accept certified nursing assistants.
The two most common routes are completing a 75-hour home health aide training and competency evaluation, or becoming a CNA. Federal rules count a CNA in good standing on the Washington nurse aide registry as a qualified home health aide.
The median pay for home health and personal care aides in Washington is $22.95 an hour, about $47,730 a year, based on the May 2025 federal wage survey. Washington CNAs earn a median $23.65 an hour.
Yes, for Medicare and Medicaid home health agencies, if the CNA completed a state-approved program and is listed in good standing on the state nurse aide registry.
Yes. Federal rules require at least 12 hours of in-service training every 12 months for aides at Medicare and Medicaid agencies.