Jetted FoxCareers · Nursing & patient care
Home health and personal care aides
You help older adults, people who are ill and people with disabilities with daily tasks in their homes. No college degree needed.
Start now · no experience needed
Starting pay ranges from about $10/hr in Louisiana to $21.45/hr in Washington.
Pay in every state
| State | Start | 2 years |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $10.81–12.59/hr | $13.39/hr |
| Alaska | $14.77–17.62/hr | $19.11/hr |
| Arizona | $14.90–16.14/hr | $17.51/hr |
| Arkansas | $11.51–12.61/hr | $13.30/hr |
| California | $16.50/hr | $16.50/hr |
| Colorado | $17.03–17.85/hr | $18.53/hr |
| Connecticut | $16.35–17.07/hr | $18.75/hr |
| Delaware | $15/hr | $16.50/hr |
| Florida | $14.74–15.16/hr | $16.25/hr |
| Georgia | $11.40–13.05/hr | $14.07/hr |
| Hawaii | $15–17.18/hr | $18.32/hr |
| Idaho | $13.47–14.11/hr | $16.72/hr |
| Illinois | $16.44–17.70/hr | $18.30/hr |
| Indiana | $14.13–14.92/hr | $16.86/hr |
| Iowa | $14.63–16.14/hr | $17.34/hr |
| Kansas | $13.02–14.06/hr | $15.03/hr |
| Kentucky | $13.52–14.88/hr | $17.52/hr |
| Louisiana | $9.22–10/hr | $10.83/hr |
| Maine | $16.89–17.59/hr | $18.55/hr |
| Maryland | $15.16–17.06/hr | $18.29/hr |
| Massachusetts | $17.77–19.06/hr | $19.67/hr |
| Michigan | $13.40–14.69/hr | $16.83/hr |
| Minnesota | $15.87–17.60/hr | $18.45/hr |
| Mississippi | $10.52–11.09/hr | $11.47/hr |
| Missouri | $13.75/hr | $15.90/hr |
| Montana | $14.12–14.95/hr | $17.61/hr |
| Nebraska | $14.74–16.47/hr | $17.38/hr |
| Nevada | $12.69–13.96/hr | $16.19/hr |
| New Hampshire | $15.36–17.40/hr | $18.64/hr |
| New Jersey | $15.49–16.67/hr | $17.83/hr |
| New Mexico | $12.69–12.97/hr | $13.71/hr |
| New York | $17.77–18.59/hr | $19.05/hr |
| North Carolina | $11.87–13.65/hr | $15.02/hr |
| North Dakota | $17.41–17.84/hr | $18.96/hr |
| Ohio | $13.64–14.49/hr | $16.57/hr |
| Oklahoma | $11.03–12.38/hr | $13.32/hr |
| Oregon | $18.10–18.94/hr | $21.35/hr |
| Pennsylvania | $12.75–13.65/hr | $14.14/hr |
| Rhode Island | $15.32–18.50/hr | $21/hr |
| South Carolina | $11.35–13.44/hr | $14.48/hr |
| South Dakota | $15.62–17.50/hr | $18.15/hr |
| Tennessee | $13.50–14.39/hr | $15.45/hr |
| Texas | $10.57–10.97/hr | $11.65/hr |
| Utah | $14.78–16.28/hr | $17.25/hr |
| Vermont | $15.05–17.37/hr | $20/hr |
| Virginia | $12.97–13.66/hr | $14.57/hr |
| Washington | $19.29–21.45/hr | $22.95/hr |
| Washington, DC | $18.41–19.26/hr | $20.53/hr |
| West Virginia | $10.78–11.32/hr | $13.47/hr |
| Wisconsin | $13.47–14.69/hr | $17.47/hr |
| Wyoming | $13.32–14.53/hr | $15.96/hr |
Estimates, May 2025. Start = what the lowest-paid 10–25% earn; 2 years = the median. US Bureau of Labor Statistics
What it takes
Before you're hired
Once you're hired
Home health aide training and competency evaluation (Medicare rule): a federal requirement. It lets you work as a home health aide for a Medicare-certified home health agency. Rules differ by state; check your state's licensing board.
Other way in: Medicare home health aide.
A normal day
You drive to clients' homes and help them bathe, dress, eat, take medicines and get around. You cook simple meals, do light cleaning and keep them company. Some days you see one client all day; others you visit several.
The good parts
Huge number of openings everywhere. Fast to start, often within weeks. A first step into nursing.
The hard parts
Low pay compared with most jobs. Toileting, bathing and lifting clients. Hours can be uneven and clients sometimes pass away.
Where it leads
on its own pay stays low, but many use it as a step to CNA, LPN or RN.
Quick answers
Do home health and personal care aides need a college degree?
No. You can start now: no experience needed.
How long is the training for home health and personal care aides?
1–4 weeks of training.
How much do home health and personal care aides make?
About $13–15.35 an hour to start and $17.21 an hour at the median across the US (May 2025).
Is it a fit for you?
Answer a few questions and see your paths. Free, about 7 minutes.
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Last updated October 13, 2026. Pay: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Jobs: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35. Training, costs and requirements: Jetted Fox research (estimates). This site includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Jetted Fox has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Facts, not advice.