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Average Certified Nursing Assistant CNA Salary in Brazil for 2026

A certified nursing assistant CNA in Brazil earns about 72,120 BRL a year. That's 29% below the national average of 101,120 BRL.

Pay ranges widely from country to country and from role to role. The lowest reported salaries in Brazil sit around 31,980 BRL a year, while the very top stretches to 112,440 BRL. Everything on this page is in Brazilian real (BRL, symbol R$), 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 Brazil, 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 Brazil?

Average salary
72,120 BRL
6,010 BRL per month
Lowest reported
31,980 BRL
2,665 BRL per month
Highest reported
112,440 BRL
9,370 BRL per month

A typical certified nursing assistant CNA working in Brazil brings home around 6,010 BRL a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 31,980 BRL, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 112,440 BRL 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 Brazil

A good way to think about salary in Brazil is to look at the distribution rather than the headline average. Half of all certified nursing assistant CNAs in Brazil earn less than 76,280 BRL 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 48,760 BRL (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 101,980 BRL (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 31,980 BRL. The highest stretch to 112,440 BRL, 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.

31,980
Low
76,280
Median
112,440
High
48,760
25th
101,980
75th
The middle 50% sit between the 25th and 75th percentile Tails are the lowest and highest reported All figures in BRL

Certified nursing assistant CNA pay by experience in Brazil

Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for a certified nursing assistant CNA in Brazil, 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 Years
    35,420 BRL
  • 2-5 Years
    +41% from previous
    50,020 BRL
  • 5-10 Years
    +48% from previous
    73,880 BRL
  • 10-15 Years
    +23% from previous
    90,980 BRL
  • 15-20 Years
    +9% from previous
    98,820 BRL
  • 20+ Years
    +7% from previous
    106,160 BRL

The single largest jump on the ladder is from 2 - 5 Years to 5 - 10 Years, where pay rises by about 48%. 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 Brazil

Education sits alongside experience as one of the biggest factors driving certified nursing assistant CNA pay in Brazil. 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 Brazil broken down by the highest level of education a worker has completed.

  • Bachelor's Degree
    44,140 BRL
  • Master's Degree
    +94% from previous
    85,460 BRL

Certified nursing assistant CNA gender pay gap in Brazil

The gender pay gap is a stubborn feature of almost every labour market, and Brazil is no exception. Male certified nursing assistant CNAs in Brazil earn an average of 66,440 BRL a year, while female certified nursing assistant CNAs earn around 75,980 BRL. That works out to a 13% 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

13%

Men earn this much less than women on average in Brazil.

Women 75,980 BRL
Men 66,440 BRL

Pay raises for a certified nursing assistant CNA in Brazil

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 Brazil sees a raise of about 9% every 18 months, which works out to roughly 6% 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 Brazil, the national average raise is around 9% every 16 months.

By industry

Industries with the highest pay raises in Brazil:

  • Banking
  • Energy
  • 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 Level
    3% - 5%
  • Mid-Career
  • Senior Level
  • Top Management

Certified nursing assistant CNA bonus rates in Brazil

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.

59%

59% of certified nursing assistant CNAs in Brazil reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes a certified nursing assistant CNA a moderate-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 2% to 7% of base salary. The remaining 41% of certified nursing assistant CNAs reported no bonus at all over the same period.

Which careers pay bonuses in Brazil

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 Brazil is about 7% 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

7%

Public-sector workers earn this much more than private-sector workers in Brazil on average.

Public sector 106,500 BRL
Private sector 99,460 BRL

Certified nursing assistant CNA salary by city in Brazil

Certified nursing assistant CNA pay is not even across Brazil. The chart below shows the highest-paying cities in the dataset, followed by the full location table.

  • Fortaleza
  • Salvador
  • Manaus
  • Recife
  • Brasilia
  • Rio de Janeiro
  • Goiania
  • Sao Paulo
  • Curitiba
  • Belo Horizonte
LocationTypeAverageMedianRange
FortalezaCity79,500 BRL79,360 BRL42,320-125,100 BRL
SalvadorCity79,240 BRL83,900 BRL36,800-127,700 BRL
ManausCity78,940 BRL77,400 BRL42,320-119,700 BRL
RecifeCity78,420 BRL80,180 BRL37,380-119,700 BRL
BrasiliaCity76,540 BRL80,540 BRL35,520-119,700 BRL
Rio de JaneiroCity76,280 BRL83,200 BRL34,120-123,400 BRL
GoianiaCity75,260 BRL74,300 BRL36,800-115,740 BRL
Sao PauloCity75,100 BRL73,880 BRL39,560-117,380 BRL
CuritibaCity74,060 BRL75,500 BRL35,000-115,520 BRL
Belo HorizonteCity73,820 BRL78,960 BRL36,580-118,380 BRL
BelemCity73,800 BRL80,480 BRL35,300-118,800 BRL
Porto AlegreCity72,700 BRL68,320 BRL37,380-111,700 BRL
CampinasCity72,360 BRL68,580 BRL38,260-110,340 BRL
MaceioCity72,360 BRL72,700 BRL35,520-111,700 BRL
TeresinaCity72,180 BRL66,120 BRL38,140-109,740 BRL
Sao LuisCity69,400 BRL77,640 BRL31,520-112,660 BRL
Joao PessoaCity69,240 BRL75,980 BRL31,040-113,220 BRL
MacapaCity68,900 BRL69,540 BRL34,980-106,780 BRL
NatalCity68,580 BRL66,940 BRL34,120-104,620 BRL
VitoriaCity67,560 BRL69,240 BRL29,640-104,620 BRL
Vale do AcoCity67,020 BRL70,600 BRL30,220-107,680 BRL
AracajuCity66,100 BRL70,880 BRL31,400-104,140 BRL
MaringaCity66,020 BRL63,380 BRL34,980-99,080 BRL
CuiabaCity64,640 BRL65,760 BRL32,620-97,900 BRL
LondrinaCity64,620 BRL69,240 BRL30,700-104,600 BRL
Petrolina and JuazeiroCity61,400 BRL57,800 BRL29,600-92,900 BRL
SantosCity60,600 BRL63,500 BRL29,640-97,060 BRL


Certified Nursing Assistant CNA in Brazil: FAQs

  • How much does a certified nursing assistant CNA make per month in Brazil?

    A certified nursing assistant CNA in Brazil earns about 6,010 BRL a month before tax, based on an annual average of 72,120 BRL.

  • What's the salary range for a certified nursing assistant CNA in Brazil?

    Entry-level certified nursing assistant CNAs in Brazil start near 31,980 BRL. Top-end pay reaches around 112,440 BRL. The middle 50% of earners sit between 48,760 and 101,980 BRL.

  • Is the median certified nursing assistant CNA salary in Brazil higher or lower than the average?

    The median is 76,280 BRL, higher than the average of 72,120 BRL. Half of certified nursing assistant CNAs in Brazil earn below the median, half earn above it.

  • What's the gender pay gap for certified nursing assistant CNAs in Brazil?

    Men working as a certified nursing assistant CNA in Brazil earn around 13% less than women on average (66,440 vs 75,980 BRL a year).

  • Do certified nursing assistant CNAs in Brazil get bonuses?

    About 59% of certified nursing assistant CNAs in Brazil reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 2% to 7% of base salary.

  • Do certified nursing assistant CNAs earn more in the public or private sector in Brazil?

    In Brazil, the public sector pays a certified nursing assistant CNA about 7% more on average. Public-sector pay tends to be steadier; private-sector pay tends to offer bigger upside.

  • How often do certified nursing assistant CNAs in Brazil get a pay raise?

    A certified nursing assistant CNA in Brazil sees a raise of around 9% every 18 months, equivalent to roughly 6% a year.