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How to become a caregiver or CNA in Spokane and North Idaho

Washington and Idaho train caregivers and nursing assistants differently, and the state line runs right between Spokane and Coeur d'Alene. Here's each path step by step: the hours, the exams, the deadlines and where each one lets you work. The rules were checked against the state agencies' own pages on September 27, 2026.

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Four ways in

Path	Where it lets you work	Training	Exam
Washington Home Care Aide (HCA)	Home care agencies, adult family homes, assisted living	75 hours, approved by DSHS; many employers provide it after hire	Prometric knowledge and skills test
Washington Nursing Assistant-Certified (NAC)	Hospitals, nursing homes and clinics, and anywhere an HCA works	At least 108 hours at a state-approved program	Credentia skills test and online knowledge test
Idaho Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)	Nursing homes, hospitals, home health and assisted living	120 hours: 80 in class, 40 clinical	Prometric written and skills test
Idaho assisted living caregiver	Residential assisted living facilities	At least 16 hours of orientation from the employer	None

Washington: Home Care Aide certification

For caregivers at home care agencies, adult family homes and assisted living. Nurses (RN, ARNP, LPN) and certified nursing assistants don't need it, and neither do caregivers in nursing homes, hospitals and hospice agencies.

Get hired, then 5 hours before your first client2 hours of orientation and 3 of safety training come before you work with clients. Ask whether your employer pays for the rest of the training: many do, not all.
Apply within 14 daysSend your Home Care Aide application to the Department of Health within 14 days of your hire date. A fingerprint background check goes through DSHS.
Finish 75 hours within 120 daysThe 75 hours of DSHS-approved training (the 5 you started with count) must be done within 120 days of hire.
Pass the exam and get certifiedPrometric's knowledge and skills test, offered in English and more than a dozen other languages. Under a temporary rule for applications filed by December 31, 2027, you have 365 days from hire to be certified (it used to be 200).

To keep it: 12 hours of continuing education every year. The certificate renews on your birthday.

Washington: Nursing Assistant-Certified (NAC)

Take a state-approved courseAt least 108 hours: 35 of classroom theory, 33 of skills lab and 40 of supervised clinical training. Home care aides and medical assistants can take bridge programs that build on their training.
Pass both parts of the examCredentia runs it: an in-person skills test (your program sets that fee) and an online knowledge test ($55).
Get certified by the Department of HealthA NAC can work in hospitals and nursing homes as well as home care, and doesn't also need Home Care Aide certification.

Idaho: Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)

Take an approved 120-hour course80 hours of classroom instruction and 40 of hands-on clinical instruction, at a state-approved training program.
Test within a yearPrometric's written and skills tests. You have one year from finishing the course, and up to three retakes of each part.
Join the registryPrometric mails the certificate, which can take up to 14 business days. Idaho's CNA Registry charges no fees for its forms or certifications.
Keep it activeWork at least 8 paid hours of nursing or nursing-related services in every 24 months, or your certification lapses.

Certified in another state? Idaho grants reciprocity when you live in Idaho or have an Idaho job offer.

Idaho: caregivers in assisted living

Idaho's rules for residential assisted living facilities require at least 16 hours of job-related orientation training for new staff before they help residents on their own, all of it within 30 days of hire. It covers residents' rights, emergencies, infection control, reporting abuse and neglect, and noticing changes in a resident's health. The employer provides it, so ask about it when you interview.

What the jobs pay here

Role	Washington side	Idaho side
Caregivers	$20–$24/hrtypical posted range, 28 postings	$14–$20/hrtypical posted range, 26 postings
CNAs	$21–$31/hrtypical posted range, 55 postings	$20–$24/hrtypical posted range, 5 postings

From the jobs on this board today: the middle of posted minimums to the middle of posted maximums where there are enough postings, otherwise the postings as they are. Pay by role

Employers that train

These caregiver, CNA and med tech postings say training is provided or no experience is needed. See all 132 jobs with training provided

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Common questions

How long does it take to become a home care aide in Washington?

You can start working after 5 hours of orientation and safety training. The full 75 hours of training must be done within 120 days of hire, and you have 365 days from hire to pass the exam and be certified (a temporary rule for applications filed by December 31, 2027; it had been 200 days).

Do adult family home caregivers need to be certified in Washington?

Yes. Caregivers at adult family homes, like those at home care agencies and in assisted living, must become certified home care aides unless they're exempt, for example as a nurse or a certified nursing assistant.

How many hours is CNA training in Idaho?

120 hours at a state-approved program: 80 in the classroom and 40 of clinical training. Then you have a year to pass Prometric's written and skills tests.

How many hours is nursing assistant training in Washington?

At least 108 hours at a state-approved program: 35 of classroom theory, 33 of skills lab and 40 of clinical training, followed by Credentia's skills test and online knowledge test.

How much do CNAs make in Spokane, Coeur d'Alene and the Inland Northwest?

Posted pay ranges for CNA jobs in Spokane, Coeur d'Alene and the Inland Northwest typically start around $21.18 an hour and top out around $30.96, across 60 current postings from 15 employers. Where a new hire starts depends on experience and, at union employers, the step on the pay scale. 15 of these postings also offer a sign-on or hiring bonus (up to $7,500). As of September 27, 2026.

Official sources

Rules change: check the agency's page before you enroll or pay for a course. Inland Care Jobs isn't affiliated with any state agency, school or testing company, and this guide is free.