Average Certified Nursing Assistant CNA Salary in Afghanistan for 2026
A certified nursing assistant CNA in Afghanistan earns about 648,200 AFN a year. That's 31% below the national average of 934,900 AFN.
Pay ranges widely from country to country and from role to role. The lowest reported salaries in Afghanistan sit around 315,900 AFN a year, while the very top stretches to 1,006,300 AFN. Everything on this page is in Afghan afghani (AFN, symbol ؋), which lets you compare numbers like-for-like without worrying about exchange rates.
The numbers here are pulled together from official government wage data, large independent salary surveys, and aggregated worker-reported pay. Most reported salaries include the benefits that are common in Afghanistan, such as housing or transport allowances, which is worth keeping in mind if you're comparing against a country where those are usually paid on top.
How much does a certified nursing assistant CNA make in Afghanistan?
A typical certified nursing assistant CNA working in Afghanistan brings home around 54,016 AFN a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 315,900 AFN, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 1,006,300 AFN for the most experienced and specialised people in the role.
The wide gap between low end and top end reflects how much pay can vary inside the same job title. A junior certified nursing assistant CNA working at a small local employer earns very different money from a senior at a multinational. Skills, employer, city and years in the seat all push the number around.
How certified nursing assistant CNA pay ranges in Afghanistan
A good way to think about salary in Afghanistan is to look at the distribution rather than the headline average. Half of all certified nursing assistant CNAs in Afghanistan earn less than 659,200 AFN a year, and the other half earn more. That middle number is the median, and it is usually more useful than the average for answering "is my pay normal here".
Looking at the quartiles fills in the picture. A quarter of earners take home less than 437,900 AFN (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 849,200 AFN (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of certified nursing assistant CNAs sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.
The very lowest reported salaries sit around 315,900 AFN. The highest stretch to 1,006,300 AFN, though only a small fraction of earners ever reach that level. If you are deciding whether your own offer or current pay is reasonable, work out which of those four bands you would fall into and use that as your reference point.
Certified nursing assistant CNA pay by experience in Afghanistan
Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for a certified nursing assistant CNA in Afghanistan, ahead of education and almost any other single factor. The longer you have been in the role, the more your employer can trust you to handle complexity, mentor others and act independently, all of which command higher pay. The chart below shows how the typical certified nursing assistant CNA salary changes as you move through the career ladder.
- 0-2 Years376,800 AFN
- 2-5 Years+28% from previous483,400 AFN
- 5-10 Years+38% from previous667,400 AFN
- 10-15 Years+24% from previous824,800 AFN
- 15-20 Years+7% from previous884,700 AFN
- 20+ Years+7% from previous942,700 AFN
The single largest jump on the ladder is from 2 - 5 Years to 5 - 10 Years, where pay rises by about 38%. That is the point at which a certified nursing assistant CNA typically goes from "competent in the role" to "the person other people in the team learn from", and the market pays well for that step.
Certified nursing assistant CNA pay by education in Afghanistan
Education sits alongside experience as one of the biggest factors driving certified nursing assistant CNA pay in Afghanistan. Higher qualifications consistently pull higher salaries, but the size of the gap tends to be smallest at junior levels and widens as people move up. Two people in the same role with the same years of experience but different degrees can end up earning very different money once they reach mid-career.
Below is the average certified nursing assistant CNA salary in Afghanistan broken down by the highest level of education a worker has completed.
- Bachelor's Degree467,700 AFN
- Master's Degree+61% from previous751,700 AFN
Certified nursing assistant CNA gender pay gap in Afghanistan
The gender pay gap is a stubborn feature of almost every labour market, and Afghanistan is no exception. Male certified nursing assistant CNAs in Afghanistan earn an average of 596,100 AFN a year, while female certified nursing assistant CNAs earn around 680,100 AFN. That works out to a 12% gap in favour of women, even when comparing people doing the same work.
A pay gap of this size has a real long-term cost. Over a typical thirty-year career it can add up to several years of pay, and it compounds through pensions, retirement contributions and bonus-linked stock. Some of the gap is explained by women being more likely to work part-time, take career breaks, or be steered toward lower-paying specialisations. Some of it is straightforward unequal pay for the same job, which is harder to defend.
Certified Nursing Assistant CNA gender pay gap
12%
Men earn this much less than women on average in Afghanistan.
Pay raises for a certified nursing assistant CNA in Afghanistan
Most countries hand out at least some kind of pay raise every year, typically when an employee's contract is reviewed or as a cost-of-living adjustment to keep wages roughly in step with inflation. The rhythm and size of those raises varies hugely between industries.
A typical worker doing this role in Afghanistan sees a raise of about 4% every 31 months, which works out to roughly 2% on an annual basis. That figure is the typical underlying rate; in years where inflation runs high you can usually expect a bit more, and in flat-economy years a bit less.
Across all jobs in Afghanistan, the national average raise is around 4% every 29 months.
By industry
Industries with the highest pay raises in Afghanistan:
- Banking1%
- Energy2%
- Information Technology
- Healthcare
- Travel
- Construction
- Education
By experience level
Experienced workers tend to see larger raises. Retaining a senior is cheaper than replacing them, so employers fight harder for them.
- Junior Level3% - 5%
- Mid-Career
- Senior Level
- Top Management
Certified nursing assistant CNA bonus rates in Afghanistan
Bonuses are the other half of total compensation, and they vary a lot between jobs and industries. Some roles are paid almost entirely in base salary; others lean heavily on bonus structures tied to revenue, project completion or company performance. Whether a job pays a bonus, how big it is, and how often it lands all factor into whether the headline salary is actually a good offer.
38% of certified nursing assistant CNAs in Afghanistan reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes a certified nursing assistant CNA a low-bonus role overall, which is useful context when you're weighing up a job offer where the base is below market.
Among those who did receive a bonus, the size of the payment varied substantially. Reported bonuses ranged from 3% to 6% of base salary. The remaining 62% of certified nursing assistant CNAs reported no bonus at all over the same period.
Which careers pay bonuses in Afghanistan
Revenue-facing roles tend to pay the biggest bonuses. Operational and support roles tend toward smaller, more predictable ones.
- Finance
- Architecture
- Sales
- Business Development
- Marketing / Advertising
- Information Technology
- Healthcare
- Insurance
- Customer Service
- Human Resources
- Construction
- Transport
- Hospitality
Certified nursing assistant CNA: public vs private sector pay
Public-sector pay in Afghanistan is about 11% more than private-sector pay for similar work. The private sector typically offers stronger upside and bigger bonuses; the public sector typically offers better benefits and stability.
Public vs private pay gap
10%
Public-sector workers earn this much more than private-sector workers in Afghanistan on average.
Certified nursing assistant CNA salary by city in Afghanistan
Certified nursing assistant CNA pay is not even across Afghanistan. The chart below shows the highest-paying cities in the dataset, followed by the full location table.
- Kabul
- Kandahar
- Herat
- Kunduz
- Jalalabad
- Mazari Sharif
| Location | Type | Average | Median | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kabul | City | 744,700 AFN | 758,700 AFN | 363,000-1,162,900 AFN |
| Kandahar | City | 727,100 AFN | 699,700 AFN | 378,300-1,112,300 AFN |
| Herat | City | 670,600 AFN | 642,800 AFN | 349,300-1,023,400 AFN |
| Kunduz | City | 641,900 AFN | 693,100 AFN | 294,700-1,019,200 AFN |
| Jalalabad | City | 639,900 AFN | 692,500 AFN | 294,300-1,016,300 AFN |
| Mazari Sharif | City | 626,800 AFN | 639,900 AFN | 308,900-979,600 AFN |
Certified Nursing Assistant CNA in Afghanistan: FAQs
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How much does a certified nursing assistant CNA make per month in Afghanistan?
A certified nursing assistant CNA in Afghanistan earns about 54,016 AFN a month before tax, based on an annual average of 648,200 AFN.
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What's the salary range for a certified nursing assistant CNA in Afghanistan?
Entry-level certified nursing assistant CNAs in Afghanistan start near 315,900 AFN. Top-end pay reaches around 1,006,300 AFN. The middle 50% of earners sit between 437,900 and 849,200 AFN.
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Is the median certified nursing assistant CNA salary in Afghanistan higher or lower than the average?
The median is 659,200 AFN, higher than the average of 648,200 AFN. Half of certified nursing assistant CNAs in Afghanistan earn below the median, half earn above it.
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What's the gender pay gap for certified nursing assistant CNAs in Afghanistan?
Men working as a certified nursing assistant CNA in Afghanistan earn around 12% less than women on average (596,100 vs 680,100 AFN a year).
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Do certified nursing assistant CNAs in Afghanistan get bonuses?
About 38% of certified nursing assistant CNAs in Afghanistan reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 3% to 6% of base salary.
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Do certified nursing assistant CNAs earn more in the public or private sector in Afghanistan?
In Afghanistan, the public sector pays a certified nursing assistant CNA about 11% more on average. Public-sector pay tends to be steadier; private-sector pay tends to offer bigger upside.
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How often do certified nursing assistant CNAs in Afghanistan get a pay raise?
A certified nursing assistant CNA in Afghanistan sees a raise of around 4% every 31 months, equivalent to roughly 2% a year.