### Bureau of Labor Statistics U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Home Health and Personal Care Aides Summary
                        
            
                                                        
                                                                
                        
            
            
            
                            
                                                
                                                
                                                
                                                
            						
							
				                                                
                                            




            			home health aides imageHome health aides may provide some basic health-related services, such as checking a client's blood pressure.							
						Quick Facts:     Home Health and Personal Care Aides2023     Median Pay
            						$33,530     per year
										$16.12     per hourTypical Entry-Level Education
                                    High school diploma or equivalentWork Experience in a Related Occupation
                                    NoneOn-the-job Training
                                    Short-term on-the-job trainingNumber of Jobs, 2022
                                    3,715,500Job Outlook, 2022-32
                                    22% (Much faster than average)Employment Change, 2022-32
                                    804,600What Home Health and Personal Care Aides Do
                                                
                        
                        
Home health and personal care aides monitor the condition of people with disabilities or chronic illnesses and help them with daily living activities.
            
                        Work Environment
                        
Home health and personal care aides work in a variety of settings, including clients’ homes, group homes, and day services programs. Most aides work full time, although part-time work is common. Work schedules may vary.
            
                                                How to Become a Home Health or Personal Care Aide
                                                
                        
Home health and personal care aides typically need a high school diploma or equivalent, but some positions do not require it. Those working in certified home health or hospice agencies may need to complete formal training or pass a standardized test.
            
                        Pay
                        												                            																				    														The median annual wage for home health and personal care aides  was $33,530 in May 2023.									                                					
						
            
                        Job Outlook
                        						
												Employment							of home health and personal care aides is projected to grow							 22 percent from 2022 to 2032, much faster than the average for all occupations.
						About 684,600 openings for home health and personal care aides are projected each year, on average, over the decade.
            			
            			 Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
						State & Area Data
                       Explore resources for employment and wages by state and area for home health and personal care aides.
            
            
						
                        Similar Occupations
                        
                                                    Compare the job duties, education, job growth, and pay of home health and personal care aides with similar occupations.
            
            
                        More Information, Including Links to O*NET
                        
                                               
                        Learn more about home health and personal care aides by visiting additional resources, including O*NET, a source on key characteristics of workers and occupations.
 What Home Health and Personal Care Aides Do 
            

			home health aides imagePersonal care aides assist clients in everyday tasks.			
Home health and personal care aides monitor the condition of people with disabilities or chronic illnesses and help them with daily living activities. They often help older adults who need assistance. Under the direction of a nurse or other healthcare practitioner, home health aides may be allowed to give a client medication or to check the client’s vital signs.
Duties
Home health and personal care aides typically do the following:
Assist clients in their daily personal tasks, such as bathing or dressing
Perform housekeeping tasks, such as laundry, washing dishes, and vacuuming
Help to organize a client’s schedule and plan appointments
Arrange transportation to doctors’ offices or other outings
Shop for groceries and prepare meals to meet a client’s dietary specifications
Keep clients engaged in their social networks and communities*Home health aides* may provide some basic health-related services—such as checking a client’s pulse, temperature, and respiration rate—depending on the state in which they work. They also may help with simple prescribed exercises and with giving medications. Occasionally, they change bandages or dressings, give massages, care for skin, or help with braces and artificial limbs. With special training, experienced home health aides also may help with medical equipment, such as ventilators to help clients breathe.
Home health aides are supervised by medical practitioners, usually nurses, and may work with therapists and other medical staff. These aides keep records on the client, such as services received, condition, and progress. They report changes in the client’s condition to a supervisor or case manager.
*Personal care aides,*sometimes called caregivers or personal attendants, are generally limited to providing nonmedical services, including companionship, cleaning, cooking, and driving. Some of these aides work specifically with people who have developmental or intellectual disabilities to help create a behavior plan and teach self-care skills, such as doing laundry or cooking meals.
 Work Environment
			Home health aides image.Many aides work in clients’ homes; others work in group homes or care communities.			

	    
				
	
	
	
	
	
	
	    					 Home health and personal care aides  held about 3.7 million jobs in 2022. The largest employers of home health and personal care aides  were as follows:
        Individual and family services
                49%Home healthcare services
                24Residential intellectual and developmental disability facilities
                7Continuing care retirement communities and assisted living facilities for the elderly
                7Many home health and personal care aides work in clients’ homes; others work in group homes or care communities. Some aides work with only one client, while others work with groups of clients. They sometimes stay with one client on a long-term basis or for a specific purpose, such as hospice care. They may work with other aides in shifts so that the client always has an aide.
Aides may travel as they help people with disabilities go to work and stay engaged in their communities.
Injuries and Illnesses
Work as a home health or personal care aide can be physically and emotionally demanding. Because they often move clients into and out of bed or help with standing or walking, aides must use proper lifting techniques to guard against back injury.
In addition, aides may work with clients who have cognitive impairments or mental health issues and who may display difficult or violent behaviors. Aides also face hazards from minor infections and exposure to communicable diseases but can lessen their chance of infection by following proper procedures.
Work Schedules
Most aides work full time, although part-time work is common. They may work evening and weekend hours, depending on their clients’ needs. Work schedules may vary.
 How to Become a Home Health or Personal Care Aide

			Home health aides image.Under the direction of a nurse or other healthcare practitioner, home health aides may be allowed to give a client medication.			
Home health and personal care aides typically need a high school diploma or equivalent, but some positions do not require it. Those working in certified home health or hospice agencies must complete formal training and pass a standardized test.
Education
Home health and personal care aides typically need a high school diploma or equivalent, although some positions do not require a formal educational credential. Postsecondary nondegree award programs are available at community colleges and vocational schools.
Training
Home health and personal care aides may be trained in housekeeping tasks, such as cooking for clients who have special dietary needs. Aides may learn basic safety techniques, including how to respond in an emergency. If state certification is required, specific training may be needed.
Training may be completed on the job or through programs. Training typically includes learning about personal hygiene, reading and recording vital signs, infection control, and basic nutrition.
In addition, individual clients may have preferences that aides need time to learn.
Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations
Home health and personal care aides may need to meet requirements specific to the state in which they work. For example, some states require home health aides to have a license or certification, which may involve completing training and passing a background check and a competency exam. For more information, check with your state board of health.
Certified home health or hospice agencies that receive payments from federally funded programs, such as Medicare, must comply with regulations regarding aides’ employment. Private care agencies that do not receive federal funds may have other employment requirements that vary by state.
Aides also may be required to obtain certification in first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
Important Qualities
***Detail oriented.*** Home health and personal care aides must adhere to specific rules and protocols to help care for clients. They must carefully follow instructions, such as how to care for wounds, that they receive from other healthcare workers.
***Emotional skills.***Home health and personal care aides must be sensitive to clients’ needs, especially while in extreme pain or distress. Aides must be compassionate and enjoy helping people.
***Integrity.***Home health and personal care aides must be dependable and trustworthy so that clients and their families can rely on them. They also should be respectful when tending to personal activities, such as helping clients bathe.
***Interpersonal skills.*** Home health and personal care aides must be able to communicate with clients and other healthcare workers. They need to listen closely to what they are being told and convey information clearly.
***Physical stamina.*** Home health and personal care aides should be comfortable doing physical tasks. They might need to be on their feet for many hours or do strenuous tasks, such as lifting or turning clients.
 Pay

			



	
 
                                                     
            
    
                Home Health and Personal Care AidesMedian annual wages, May 2023Total, all occupations$48,060  Home health and personal care aides; and nursing assistants, orderlies, and psychiatric aides$34,570  Home health and personal care aides$33,530Note: All Occupations includes all occupations in the U.S. Economy.Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
 

	
	



		
	
	
	
The median annual wage for home health and personal care aides was $33,530 in May 2023. 


The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $23,910, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $42,450.





		
	    					 In May 2023, the median annual wages for home health and personal care aides  in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:	
        Residential intellectual and developmental disability facilities
                $35,220Continuing care retirement communities and assisted living facilities for the elderly
                35,140Individual and family services
                33,530Home healthcare services
                33,360Most aides work full-time, although part-time work is common. They may work evening and weekend hours, depending on their clients’ needs. Work schedules may vary.
 Job Outlook

   
        
    
          
        
    
                Home Health and Personal Care AidesPercent change in employment, projected 2022-32Home health and personal care aides22%  Home health and personal care aides; and nursing assistants, orderlies, and psychiatric aides17%  Total, all occupations3%Note: All Occupations includes all occupations in the U.S. Economy.Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program
            
            
			 
	
	
	

			Employment				of home health and personal care aides is projected to grow				 22 percent from 2022 to 2032, much faster than the average for all occupations.
			
			About 684,600 openings for home health and personal care aides are projected each year, on average, over the decade.
			
			 Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
			Employment
	
			
The services that home health and personal care aides provide will be in high demand to care for the rising number of older people.
The locations in which care is offered are affected by both policy changes and lifestyle preferences of older adults and people with disabilities. Long-term care services are increasingly shifting from institutional settings, such as nursing homes, to home- and community-based settings. This shift is expected to create many new jobs for home health and personal care aides.
			

                        Employment projections data for     home health and personal care aides, 2022-32
                Occupational Title
                        SOC Code
                        Employment, 2022
                        Projected Employment, 2032
                        Change, 2022-32
                        Employment by IndustryPercent
                        NumericSOURCE: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program**Home health and personal care aides**
			31-1120
			3,715,500
			4,520,100
			22
			804,600
			Get data
 State & Area Data **Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)** The Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program produces employment and wage estimates annually for over 800 occupations. These estimates are available for the nation as a whole, for individual states, and for metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. The link(s) below go to OES data maps for employment and wages by state and area. Home health and personal care aides **Projections Central** Occupational employment projections are developed for all states by Labor Market Information (LMI) or individual state Employment Projections offices. All state projections data are available at www.projectionscentral.com. Information on this site allows projected employment growth for an occupation to be compared among states or to be compared within one state. In addition, states may produce projections for areas; there are links to each state’s websites where these data may be retrieved. **CareerOneStop** CareerOneStop includes hundreds of occupational profiles with data available by state and metro area. There are links in the left-hand side menu to compare occupational employment by state and occupational wages by local area or metro area. There is also a salary info tool to search for wages by zip code.
 Similar Occupations This table shows a list of occupations with job duties that are similar to those of home health and personal care aides. Occupation
                Job Duties
                ENTRY-LEVEL EDUCATION
                2023     MEDIAN PAY**Childcare Workers**
            Childcare workers attend to children's needs while helping to foster early development.
            High school diploma or equivalent
            $30,370**Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses**
            Licensed practical nurses (LPNs) and licensed vocational nurses (LVNs) provide basic medical care.
            Postsecondary nondegree award
            $59,730**Medical Assistants**
            Medical assistants complete administrative and clinical tasks, such as scheduling appointments and taking patients’ vital signs.
            Postsecondary nondegree award
            $42,000**Nursing Assistants and Orderlies**
            Nursing assistants provide basic care and help patients with activities of daily living. Orderlies transport patients and clean treatment areas.
            See How to Become One
            $38,130**Occupational Therapy Assistants and Aides**
            Occupational therapy assistants and aides help patients develop, recover, improve, as well as maintain the skills needed for daily living and working.
            See How to Become One
            $65,450**Physical Therapist Assistants and Aides**
            Physical therapist assistants and aides are supervised by physical therapists to help patients regain movement and manage pain after injuries and illnesses.
            See How to Become One
            $58,740**Psychiatric Technicians and Aides**
            Psychiatric technicians and aides care for people who have mental conditions or developmental disabilities.
            See How to Become One
            $39,610**Registered Nurses**
            Registered nurses (RNs) provide and coordinate patient care and educate patients and the public about various health conditions.
            Bachelor's degree
            $86,070**Social and Human Service Assistants**
            Social and human service assistants provide client services in a variety of fields, such as psychology, rehabilitation, and social work.
            High school diploma or equivalent
            $41,410
 Contacts for More Information
								
For more information about home health and personal care aides, visit
American Society on Aging
National Association for Home Care & Hospice
PHI
For more information about licensing and certification requirements, check with your state board of health.
CareerOneStop
For a career video on home health aides, visit
Home Health Aides
For a career video on personal care aides, visit
Personal Care Aides

                                                
                                                        
                                                                                                    O*NET
                                        Home Health AidesPersonal Care Aides
 Suggested citation: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S.  Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Home Health and Personal Care Aides, 
        	 at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/home-health-aides-and-personal-care-aides.htm (visited *May 21, 2024*).
 **Last Modified Date:**
                        Wednesday, April 17, 2024


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