Home Health and Personal Care Aides
Home Health and Personal Care Aides (SOC 31-1120) earn a median $35,800 a year ($17.21 an hour) in the United States, with 4,305,810 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Washington.
What home health and personal care aides do
This BLS grouping joins two SOC occupations that help people with disabilities or illness. Home health aides monitor the health status of an individual with disabilities or illness and address health-related needs, such as changing bandages, dressing wounds or giving medication, under the direction of offsite or intermittent onsite licensed nursing staff. Personal care aides provide personalized help with personal care and activities of daily living such as feeding, bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting and walking. Both may prepare meals, do light housekeeping and laundry, and check a client's pulse, temperature and respiration. Personal care aides work in settings that may include the client's home, place of work, the community or a daytime nonresidential facility. Aides keep records of care, condition and progress and report observations to a supervisor or case manager, and they offer companionship, emotional support and instruction in areas such as nutrition or adapting to illness. O*NET alternate titles include caregiver, companion, care provider and certified home health aide. Most respondents report a high school diploma. Nursing assistants, who work under licensed nurses in facilities, have their own code.
Typical entry: O*NET respondents most often report a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical level of education for this occupation (63 percent).
Also called: Care Worker, Caregiver, Certified Home Health Aide (CHHA), Certified Medical Aide (CMA), Certified Nurses Aide (CNA).
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $13.00 | $15.35 | $17.21 | $18.98 | $21.65 | $17.36 | 4,305,810 |
| Annual | $27,040 | $31,920 | $35,800 | $39,470 | $45,040 | $36,120 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where home health and personal care aides earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Washington | Hourly | $19.29 | $21.45 | $22.95 | $23.38 | $26.43 | $23.18 | 103,260 | 29.08 | 1.05 |
| Annual | $40,130 | $44,620 | $47,730 | $48,630 | $54,980 | $48,210 | ||||
| Oregon | Hourly | $18.10 | $18.94 | $21.35 | $23.25 | $25.54 | $21.46 | 42,330 | 21.52 | 0.78 |
| Annual | $37,650 | $39,400 | $44,410 | $48,360 | $53,120 | $44,650 | ||||
| Rhode Island | Hourly | $15.32 | $18.50 | $21.00 | $21.96 | $22.45 | $20.35 | 7,490 | 14.93 | 0.54 |
| Annual | $31,860 | $38,470 | $43,680 | $45,690 | $46,700 | $42,330 | ||||
| District of Columbia | Hourly | $18.41 | $19.26 | $20.53 | $20.80 | $22.04 | $20.45 | 12,810 | 18.25 | 0.66 |
| Annual | $38,290 | $40,050 | $42,700 | $43,270 | $45,840 | $42,540 | ||||
| Vermont | Hourly | $15.05 | $17.37 | $20.00 | $22.31 | $23.10 | $19.86 | 7,700 | 25.35 | 0.92 |
| Annual | $31,310 | $36,120 | $41,600 | $46,410 | $48,040 | $41,300 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $16.50 | $16.50 | $16.50 | $17.57 | $18.87 | $17.51 | 970,150 | 53.27 | 1.92 |
| Annual | $34,320 | $34,320 | $34,320 | $36,550 | $39,260 | $36,420 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $17.77 | $18.59 | $19.05 | $21.05 | $22.45 | $19.78 | 663,140 | 68.45 | 2.47 |
| Annual | $36,960 | $38,660 | $39,620 | $43,780 | $46,690 | $41,130 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $10.57 | $10.97 | $11.65 | $13.23 | $15.17 | $12.54 | 329,590 | 23.42 | 0.85 |
| Annual | $21,980 | $22,820 | $24,230 | $27,520 | $31,560 | $26,070 | ||||
| Pennsylvania | Hourly | $12.75 | $13.65 | $14.14 | $16.55 | $18.25 | $15.12 | 257,370 | 42.44 | 1.53 |
| Annual | $26,510 | $28,390 | $29,420 | $34,430 | $37,960 | $31,460 | ||||
| Illinois | Hourly | $16.44 | $17.70 | $18.30 | $18.61 | $20.43 | $18.37 | 134,100 | 21.99 | 0.79 |
| Annual | $34,200 | $36,810 | $38,060 | $38,700 | $42,500 | $38,210 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Grants Pass, OR | Hourly | $20.49 | $24.97 | $25.54 | $25.54 | $26.50 | $24.56 | 4,640 | 151.82 | 5.48 |
| Annual | $42,610 | $51,950 | $53,120 | $53,120 | $55,120 | $51,080 | ||||
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | Hourly | $21.25 | $22.05 | $23.18 | $23.64 | $26.43 | $23.80 | 54,670 | 26.21 | 0.95 |
| Annual | $44,190 | $45,870 | $48,210 | $49,160 | $54,980 | $49,500 | ||||
| Longview-Kelso, WA | Hourly | $19.03 | $21.64 | $23.00 | $23.00 | $23.10 | $22.65 | 1,780 | 43.40 | 1.57 |
| Annual | $39,580 | $45,010 | $47,840 | $47,840 | $48,040 | $47,100 | ||||
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | Hourly | $18.56 | $21.09 | $22.98 | $23.16 | $23.16 | $22.68 | 4,800 | 37.05 | 1.34 |
| Annual | $38,610 | $43,870 | $47,810 | $48,170 | $48,170 | $47,170 | ||||
| Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA | Hourly | $18.92 | $21.51 | $22.95 | $22.95 | $23.26 | $22.69 | 1,120 | 21.84 | 0.79 |
| Annual | $39,360 | $44,730 | $47,730 | $47,730 | $48,380 | $47,200 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $17.77 | $18.60 | $19.08 | $21.05 | $22.39 | $19.77 | 644,700 | 67.92 | 2.45 |
| Annual | $36,960 | $38,680 | $39,680 | $43,780 | $46,570 | $41,120 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $16.50 | $16.50 | $16.50 | $17.13 | $18.28 | $17.25 | 385,530 | 61.47 | 2.22 |
| Annual | $34,320 | $34,320 | $34,320 | $35,630 | $38,010 | $35,890 | ||||
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Hourly | $13.58 | $13.91 | $14.33 | $16.63 | $18.61 | $15.51 | 158,280 | 54.62 | 1.97 |
| Annual | $28,250 | $28,940 | $29,800 | $34,580 | $38,710 | $32,250 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $17.28 | $17.28 | $17.28 | $18.65 | $21.55 | $18.66 | 119,120 | 50.18 | 1.81 |
| Annual | $35,950 | $35,950 | $35,950 | $38,800 | $44,820 | $38,810 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $16.84 | $17.86 | $18.36 | $18.63 | $20.43 | $18.51 | 108,520 | 24.04 | 0.87 |
| Annual | $35,030 | $37,160 | $38,180 | $38,750 | $42,500 | $38,490 | ||||
Top industries employing home health and personal care aides
Individual and Family Services employ 53.7% of home health and personal care aides nationally (2,312,380 jobs) at a median $34,900 a year ($16.78 an hour), followed by Home Health Care Services (25.1%) and Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Facilities (7.5%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Individual and Family Services NAICS 624100 | 2,312,380 | 53.7% | $34,900 | $16.78 |
| Home Health Care Services NAICS 621600 | 1,079,060 | 25.1% | $36,230 | $17.42 |
| Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Facilities NAICS 623200 | 321,290 | 7.5% | $37,400 | $17.98 |
| Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly NAICS 623300 | 265,100 | 6.2% | $37,060 | $17.82 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Services NAICS 624300 | 56,970 | 1.3% | $36,500 | $17.55 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (4,305,810). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $29,430 for home health and personal care aides in May 2021 and $35,800 in May 2025, with employment of 3,366,480 and 4,305,810.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $29,430 | $14.15 | 3,366,480 |
| May 2022 | $30,180 | $14.51 | 3,504,230 |
| May 2023 | $33,530 | $16.12 | 3,689,350 |
| May 2024 | $34,900 | $16.78 | 3,988,140 |
| May 2025 | $35,800 | $17.21 | 4,305,810 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
51 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington profile | $22.95 | $47,730 | $40,130 | $54,980 | 103,260 | 29.08 | 1.05 |
| 2 | Oregon profile | $21.35 | $44,410 | $37,650 | $53,120 | 42,330 | 21.52 | 0.78 |
| 3 | Rhode Island profile | $21.00 | $43,680 | $31,860 | $46,700 | 7,490 | 14.93 | 0.54 |
| 4 | District of Columbia profile | $20.53 | $42,700 | $38,290 | $45,840 | 12,810 | 18.25 | 0.66 |
| 5 | Vermont profile | $20.00 | $41,600 | $31,310 | $48,040 | 7,700 | 25.35 | 0.92 |
| 6 | Massachusetts profile | $19.67 | $40,910 | $36,960 | $46,700 | 117,940 | 32.42 | 1.17 |
| 7 | Alaska profile | $19.11 | $39,740 | $30,710 | $46,740 | 6,530 | 20.06 | 0.72 |
| 8 | New York profile | $19.05 | $39,620 | $36,960 | $46,690 | 663,140 | 68.45 | 2.47 |
| 9 | North Dakota profile | $18.96 | $39,440 | $36,220 | $49,190 | 7,730 | 18.00 | 0.65 |
| 10 | Connecticut profile | $18.75 | $38,990 | $34,010 | $45,150 | 49,510 | 29.19 | 1.05 |
| 11 | New Hampshire profile | $18.64 | $38,760 | $31,950 | $47,770 | 9,440 | 13.81 | 0.50 |
| 12 | Maine profile | $18.55 | $38,580 | $35,130 | $46,860 | 18,630 | 29.08 | 1.05 |
| 13 | Colorado profile | $18.53 | $38,540 | $35,420 | $46,630 | 44,650 | 15.54 | 0.56 |
| 14 | Minnesota profile | $18.45 | $38,370 | $33,000 | $46,650 | 128,680 | 43.62 | 1.58 |
| 15 | Hawaii profile | $18.32 | $38,110 | $31,200 | $45,720 | 6,150 | 9.79 | 0.35 |
| 16 | Illinois profile | $18.30 | $38,060 | $34,200 | $42,500 | 134,100 | 21.99 | 0.79 |
| 17 | Maryland profile | $18.29 | $38,040 | $31,540 | $46,880 | 46,560 | 16.85 | 0.61 |
| 18 | South Dakota profile | $18.15 | $37,740 | $32,500 | $47,320 | 4,210 | 9.20 | 0.33 |
| 19 | New Jersey profile | $17.83 | $37,090 | $32,220 | $48,180 | 117,080 | 27.32 | 0.99 |
| 20 | Montana profile | $17.61 | $36,630 | $29,370 | $44,740 | 10,400 | 20.32 | 0.73 |
| 21 | Kentucky profile | $17.52 | $36,440 | $28,110 | $49,080 | 31,260 | 15.63 | 0.56 |
| 22 | Arizona profile | $17.51 | $36,420 | $30,990 | $40,660 | 74,540 | 23.01 | 0.83 |
| 23 | Wisconsin profile | $17.47 | $36,340 | $28,030 | $42,820 | 82,430 | 28.02 | 1.01 |
| 24 | Nebraska profile | $17.38 | $36,150 | $30,670 | $43,680 | 13,660 | 13.34 | 0.48 |
| 25 | Iowa profile | $17.34 | $36,080 | $30,420 | $45,490 | 25,800 | 16.54 | 0.60 |
| 26 | Utah profile | $17.25 | $35,880 | $30,730 | $45,250 | 17,130 | 9.87 | 0.36 |
| 27 | Indiana profile | $16.86 | $35,060 | $29,390 | $39,480 | 57,050 | 17.82 | 0.64 |
| 28 | Michigan profile | $16.83 | $35,000 | $27,880 | $42,790 | 95,020 | 21.58 | 0.78 |
| 29 | Idaho profile | $16.72 | $34,790 | $28,010 | $41,600 | 20,770 | 24.22 | 0.87 |
| 30 | Ohio profile | $16.57 | $34,460 | $28,370 | $39,530 | 106,940 | 19.27 | 0.70 |
| 31 | California profile | $16.50 | $34,320 | $34,320 | $39,260 | 970,150 | 53.27 | 1.92 |
| 32 | Delaware profile | $16.50 | $34,320 | $31,200 | $40,430 | 11,820 | 24.38 | 0.88 |
| 33 | Florida profile | $16.25 | $33,800 | $30,660 | $38,310 | 90,170 | 9.08 | 0.33 |
| 34 | Nevada profile | $16.19 | $33,670 | $26,400 | $36,600 | 17,940 | 11.56 | 0.42 |
| 35 | Wyoming profile | $15.96 | $33,190 | $27,700 | $47,000 | 3,410 | 12.14 | 0.44 |
| 36 | Missouri profile | $15.90 | $33,080 | $28,600 | $43,410 | 94,810 | 32.29 | 1.17 |
| 37 | Tennessee profile | $15.45 | $32,130 | $28,090 | $38,150 | 35,950 | 10.97 | 0.40 |
| 38 | Kansas profile | $15.03 | $31,260 | $27,090 | $38,350 | 25,350 | 17.63 | 0.64 |
| 39 | North Carolina profile | $15.02 | $31,240 | $24,690 | $38,680 | 58,880 | 11.91 | 0.43 |
| 40 | Virginia profile | $14.57 | $30,300 | $26,980 | $40,650 | 70,070 | 17.05 | 0.62 |
| 41 | South Carolina profile | $14.48 | $30,110 | $23,600 | $35,590 | 40,750 | 17.68 | 0.64 |
| 42 | Pennsylvania profile | $14.14 | $29,420 | $26,510 | $37,960 | 257,370 | 42.44 | 1.53 |
| 43 | Georgia profile | $14.07 | $29,270 | $23,720 | $39,710 | 50,870 | 10.41 | 0.38 |
| 44 | New Mexico profile | $13.71 | $28,520 | $26,400 | $36,440 | 38,910 | 44.67 | 1.61 |
| 45 | West Virginia profile | $13.47 | $28,010 | $22,430 | $32,590 | 18,890 | 26.92 | 0.97 |
| 46 | Alabama profile | $13.39 | $27,840 | $22,470 | $35,900 | 20,930 | 9.90 | 0.36 |
| 47 | Oklahoma profile | $13.32 | $27,710 | $22,940 | $35,150 | 20,310 | 11.90 | 0.43 |
| 48 | Arkansas profile | $13.30 | $27,660 | $23,940 | $31,680 | 19,840 | 15.22 | 0.55 |
| 49 | Texas profile | $11.65 | $24,230 | $21,980 | $31,560 | 329,590 | 23.42 | 0.85 |
| 50 | Mississippi profile | $11.47 | $23,860 | $21,870 | $29,620 | 21,800 | 18.74 | 0.68 |
| 51 | Louisiana profile | $10.83 | $22,520 | $19,190 | $32,130 | 45,060 | 23.29 | 0.84 |
Part of Healthcare Support Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 31-1120 Home Health and Personal Care Aides.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 31-1121, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 31-1122, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 31-1121.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.