Personal Care Aides

Pay and outlook

Median annual wage, May 2025

$35,800

Half earn more, half earn less

Middle half earn

$31,920 – $39,470

25th to 75th percentile

People employed, May 2025

4,305,810

Wage and salary jobs (OEWS)

Projected change, 2025–35

+18.1%

Growing at twice the all-jobs rate or more (7%+)

Openings a year (projected)

760,500

New jobs plus replacing people who leave

Typical education to enter

High school diploma or equivalent

BLS

BLS publishes one wage and employment figure for home health and personal care aides combined (code 31-1120). The pay and employment figures above are for that whole group, not for personal care aides alone. So is the projection.

• All figures are for the United States as a whole. Pay varies a lot by state and city.
• Wages are for everyone working in the occupation in May 2025, at every career stage. They are not starting salaries or figures for new graduates.
• Growth and openings are BLS projections for 2025–35. They are estimates, not promises. Openings include jobs that open up when people retire or change occupation, not just new jobs.

What the work involves

Provide personalized assistance to individuals with disabilities or illness who require help with personal care and activities of daily living support (e.g., feeding, bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting, and ambulation). May also provide help with tasks such as preparing meals, doing light housekeeping, and doing laundry. Work is performed in various settings depending on the needs of the care recipient and may include locations such as their home, place of work, out in the community, or at a daytime nonresidential facility.

Main tasks

• Prepare and maintain records of client progress and services performed, reporting changes in client condition to manager or supervisor.
• Administer bedside or personal care, such as ambulation or personal hygiene assistance.
• Perform healthcare-related tasks, such as monitoring vital signs and medication, under the direction of registered nurses or physiotherapists.
• Participate in case reviews, consulting with the team caring for the client, to evaluate the client's needs and plan for continuing services.
• Instruct or advise clients on issues, such as household cleanliness, utilities, hygiene, nutrition, or infant care.
• Care for individuals or families during periods of incapacitation, family disruption, or convalescence, providing companionship, personal care, or help in adjusting to new lifestyles.
• Perform housekeeping duties, such as cooking, cleaning, washing clothes or dishes, or running errands.
• Provide clients with communication assistance, typing their correspondence or obtaining information for them.

Description and tasks from the O*NET® 31.0 Database.

Getting in

Typical education to enter (BLS)

High school diploma or equivalent

Training once hired: short-term on-the-job training

O*NET Job Zone 1–2

Little to some preparation

Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.

Fields of study that lead here

From the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk, which links 1 programme to this occupation. A link means the programme prepares people for this kind of work. It doesn't mean the programme is required, or that it's the only route.

Related careers

Related occupations from the O*NET database, in its order.

• Home Health Aides

  $35,800 median · +18.1% projected

• Nursing Assistants

  $42,260 median · +2.6% projected

• Child, Family, and School Social Workers

  $59,550 median · +4.4% projected

• Social and Human Service Assistants

  $45,930 median · +7.4% projected

• Psychiatric Aides

  $44,910 median · +1.9% projected

• Occupational Therapy Aides

  $39,160 median · +3.6% projected