Home Health & Personal Care Aide
Home health and personal care aides monitor the condition of people with disabilities or chronic illnesses and help them with daily living activities.
What the job is
- The work
- Home health and personal care aides monitor the condition of people with disabilities or chronic illnesses and help them with daily living activities.
BLS
Home Health and Personal Care Aides — Summary (Quick Facts)U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)- Checked
- 20 Oct 2026
- 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.
BLS
Home Health and Personal Care Aides — Summary (Quick Facts)U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)- Checked
- 20 Oct 2026
- Good fit for
- People who want to start working in care quickly, are patient and dependable, and are comfortable with physical work such as lifting or turning clients.
- Career cluster
- Healthcare & Human Services
Key numbers
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, pay for May 2025 (home health and personal care aides).
- Median pay
- $35,800 a year ($17.21 an hour)
BLS
Home Health and Personal Care Aides — Summary (Quick Facts)U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)- Checked
- 20 Oct 2026
- Jobs in 2025
- 4,677,100
- Typical entry
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Training after hire
- Short-term on-the-job training
Job outlook, 2025–35
- Projected growth
- +18%, which BLS calls "much faster than average"
BLS
Home Health and Personal Care Aides — Summary (Quick Facts)U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)- Checked
- 20 Oct 2026
- Jobs added
- +847,300 over 2025–35
- All U.S. jobs
- 3.5% over the same period, for comparison
How to become one
- The usual route
- 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.
BLS
Home Health and Personal Care Aides — Summary (Quick Facts)U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)- Checked
- 20 Oct 2026
- In short
- Most aides start with a high school diploma (some jobs need none) and learn on the job. Aides in home health or hospice agencies paid by Medicare must finish at least 75 hours of training and a competency evaluation.
- License
- Some states. Home health aide rules vary by state: some states license or certify aides. Ask your state board of health, and ask the agency whether it is Medicare-certified (then the federal 75-hour rule applies).
- By state
- State rules on the roadmap
- Paying for it
- File the FAFSA (opens by October 1) for grants, work-study and federal loans; a Pell Grant pays up to $7,395 a year (2026–27). Average public four-year tuition and fees: $11,950 in-state vs $31,880 out-of-state (2025–26). Residency rules and regional discounts · Save with 2+2 transfer
- Your state
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StateChoose a state
- AlabamaState guide
- AlaskaState guide
- ArizonaState guide
- ArkansasState guide
- CaliforniaState guide
- ColoradoState guide
- ConnecticutState guide
- DelawareState guide
- District of ColumbiaState guide
- FloridaState guide
- GeorgiaState guide
- HawaiiState guide
- IdahoState guide
- IllinoisState guide
- IndianaState guide
- IowaState guide
- KansasState guide
- KentuckyState guide
- LouisianaState guide
- MaineState guide
- MarylandState guide
- MassachusettsState guide
- MichiganState guide
- MinnesotaState guide
- MississippiState guide
- MissouriState guide
- MontanaState guide
- NebraskaState guide
- NevadaState guide
- New HampshireState guide
- New JerseyState guide
- New MexicoState guide
- New YorkState guide
- North CarolinaState guide
- North DakotaState guide
- OhioState guide
- OklahomaState guide
- OregonState guide
- PennsylvaniaState guide
- Rhode IslandState guide
- South CarolinaState guide
- South DakotaState guide
- TennesseeState guide
- TexasState guide
- UtahState guide
- VermontState guide
- VirginiaState guide
- WashingtonState guide
- West VirginiaState guide
- WisconsinState guide
- WyomingState guide
Step-by-step roadmap
The routes step by step, the exam gates and the state license step are on one page.
Home health or personal care aide: training to first job
See the roadmap
Route 1: Certified home health or hospice agency · Route 2: Personal care aide with a private agency or family
More careers in Healthcare & Human Services
Open the cluster hubEvery career page in this cluster, with entry, license, pay and outlook side by side.
Every number links to the BLS page it came from, checked 20 Oct 2026. Education Margdarshan does not recommend paid courses.