Medication aide jobs: certified medication aide and med tech roles

A medication aide is an unlicensed care worker who is allowed, in some states, to give residents their medications under the supervision of a licensed nurse. The job goes by several names: certified medication aide (CMA), certified medication assistant, medication technician and med tech. Whether it exists in your state, and what it requires, is decided at the state level.

BLS does not list medication aides as a separate occupation. The closest federal description is in its profile of nursing assistants, which says: "Depending on their training level and the state in which they work, nursing assistants also may dispense medication." BLS adds that in some states nursing assistants may earn additional credentials, such as Certified Medication Assistant (CMA), and that a CMA may dispense medications.

Carevo has read the federal sources and found no national medication aide standard. This page says what the federal rules do say, and sends you to your state for the rest.

What the federal rules say

Three federal rules touch on who may give medications. None of them creates a national medication aide credential.

• Nursing homes. 42 CFR 483.45, the pharmacy services rule, says a facility may permit unlicensed personnel to administer drugs if State law permits, but only under the general supervision of a licensed nurse.
• Home health agencies. 42 CFR 484.80 lists "assistance in administering medications ordinarily self-administered" among the duties of a home health aide. The service must be ordered, included in the plan of care, permitted under state law and consistent with the aide's training.
• Hospices. 42 CFR 418.76 lists help with medications that are ordinarily self-administered among hospice aide duties.

The first rule is the one that sits behind the medication aide job in a nursing home. The other two cover a narrower task: helping a patient take their own medications.

What medication aides do

Because the federal rules leave the details to states, Carevo does not describe a standard list of tasks. In general, the role adds medication duties to the work of a nursing assistant, who BLS says provides basic care and helps patients with daily living activities, usually under the direction of a nurse. Your state decides what a medication aide may give and how a nurse must supervise.

Where medication aides work

The 42 CFR 483.45 rule applies to nursing facilities. BLS says nursing assistants work mostly in nursing and residential care facilities and hospitals, and lists nursing care facilities at 36%, hospitals at 32%, continuing care retirement communities and assisted living at 11% and home healthcare services at 5%. Which of those settings can use a medication aide is a state decision. See nursing homes and assisted living near you.

Training and certification

The federal floor is the nurse aide program. 42 CFR 483.152 requires such a program to total at least 75 clock hours, with at least 16 hours of supervised practical training under a registered nurse or licensed practical nurse. The rule's text does not cover medications. BLS says nursing assistants typically complete a state-approved program, pass the state's competency exam and go on the state registry, which they must do to work in a nursing home. See the CNA page for the nurse aide rules.

The medication aide step comes on top of that. Course length, exam, renewal and what you are allowed to give are set by each state, and Carevo does not summarize them. Contact your state board of nursing or health department, and ask any employer whether it pays for the course.

Medication aide pay

BLS has no wage series for medication aides. They are usually counted with nursing assistants (SOC 31-1131), for which BLS reports a national median wage of $20.32 an hour, or $42,260 a year, for the May 2025 reference period. See the BLS wage estimates box on the CNA page for the full figures. They are wages paid to workers and national, so your pay depends on your state, employer and credential.

How to find medication aide jobs

Nursing homes and assisted living communities hire medication aides where state law allows. Browse nursing homes and assisted living in your state, contact the ones near you and ask whether they use medication aides, whether they train them and whether they pay for the course. If you want to start as a nursing assistant first, see the CNA page and home health aide.

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