Pay, demand and where to work, from BLS data with the year on every table.
low → high: location quotient
Click a state. States: Alabama · Alaska · Arizona · Arkansas · California · Colorado · Connecticut · Delaware · District of Columbia · Florida · Georgia · Hawaii · Idaho · Illinois · Indiana · Iowa · Kansas · Kentucky · Louisiana · Maine · Maryland · Massachusetts · Michigan · Minnesota · Mississippi · Missouri · Montana · Nebraska · Nevada · New Hampshire · New Jersey · New Mexico · New York · North Carolina · North Dakota · Ohio · Oklahoma · Oregon · Pennsylvania · Rhode Island · South Carolina · South Dakota · Tennessee · Texas · Utah · Vermont · Virginia · Washington · West Virginia · Wisconsin · Wyoming.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Home health and personal care aides (SOC 31-1120) employed 4,305,810 people in May 2025. The median pay is $35,800 a year ($17.21 an hour); the lowest-paid 10% earn under $27,040 and the highest-paid 10% more than $45,040. BLS projects its employment to change by +18.1% between 2025 and 2035 (about 760,500 openings a year including replacements). The typical way in: High school diploma or equivalent.
Highest median pay: Washington ($47,730), Oregon ($44,410), Rhode Island ($43,680). Most jobs: California (970,150), New York (663,140), Texas (329,590).
| Measure ⇅ | Annual ⇅ | Hourly equivalent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $27,040 | $13.00 |
| 25th percentile | $31,920 | $15.35 |
| Median | $35,800 | $17.21 |
| Mean | $36,120 | $17.37 |
| 75th percentile | $39,470 | $18.98 |
| 90th percentile (experienced) | $45,040 | $21.65 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
Hourly equivalents divide by 2,080 hours. Pay above $239,200 is shown as "≥ $239,200" (BLS top code).
| Measure ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Jobs 2025 | 4,677,100 |
| Jobs 2035 (projected) | 5,524,400 |
| Change in jobs | 847,300 |
| Percent change | +18.1% |
| Openings a year (growth + replacements) | 760,500 |
| Self-employed share | 3.0% |
| Typical entry education | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Work experience in a related occupation | None |
| Typical on-the-job training | Short-term on-the-job training |
Licences and certifications are set by states and employers; the education shown is the usual entry requirement, not a legal one.
| State ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ | Yearly rent as % of median pay ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 20,930 | 0.36 | $27,840 | $22,470 | $35,900 | -22% | 46% |
| Alaska | 6,530 | 0.72 | $39,740 | $30,710 | $46,740 | +11% | 44% |
| Arizona | 74,540 | 0.83 | $36,420 | $30,990 | $40,660 | +2% | 55% |
| Arkansas | 19,840 | 0.55 | $27,660 | $23,940 | $31,680 | -23% | 43% |
| California | 970,150 | 1.92 | $34,320 | $34,320 | $39,260 | -4% | 74% |
| Colorado | 44,650 | 0.56 | $38,540 | $35,420 | $46,630 | +8% | 57% |
| Connecticut | 49,510 | 1.05 | $38,990 | $34,010 | $45,150 | +9% | 48% |
| Delaware | 11,820 | 0.88 | $34,320 | $31,200 | $40,430 | -4% | 53% |
| District of Columbia | 12,810 | 0.66 | $42,700 | $38,290 | $45,840 | +19% | 54% |
| Florida | 90,170 | 0.33 | $33,800 | $30,660 | $38,310 | -6% | 64% |
| Georgia | 50,870 | 0.38 | $29,270 | $23,720 | $39,710 | -18% | 62% |
| Hawaii | 6,150 | 0.35 | $38,110 | $31,200 | $45,720 | +6% | 61% |
| Idaho | 20,770 | 0.87 | $34,790 | $28,010 | $41,600 | -3% | 48% |
| Illinois | 134,100 | 0.79 | $38,060 | $34,200 | $42,500 | +6% | 42% |
| Indiana | 57,050 | 0.64 | $35,060 | $29,390 | $39,480 | -2% | 38% |
| Iowa | 25,800 | 0.60 | $36,080 | $30,420 | $45,490 | +1% | 33% |
| Kansas | 25,350 | 0.64 | $31,260 | $27,090 | $38,350 | -13% | 41% |
| Kentucky | 31,260 | 0.56 | $36,440 | $28,110 | $49,080 | +2% | 33% |
| Louisiana | 45,060 | 0.84 | $22,520 | $19,190 | $32,130 | -37% | 57% |
| Maine | 18,630 | 1.05 | $38,580 | $35,130 | $46,860 | +8% | 38% |
| Maryland | 46,560 | 0.61 | $38,040 | $31,540 | $46,880 | +6% | 54% |
| Massachusetts | 117,940 | 1.17 | $40,910 | $36,960 | $46,700 | +14% | 54% |
| Michigan | 95,020 | 0.78 | $35,000 | $27,880 | $42,790 | -2% | 40% |
| Minnesota | 128,680 | 1.58 | $38,370 | $33,000 | $46,650 | +7% | 40% |
| Mississippi | 21,800 | 0.68 | $23,860 | $21,870 | $29,620 | -33% | 50% |
| Missouri | 94,810 | 1.17 | $33,080 | $28,600 | $43,410 | -8% | 39% |
| Montana | 10,400 | 0.73 | $36,630 | $29,370 | $44,740 | +2% | 39% |
| Nebraska | 13,660 | 0.48 | $36,150 | $30,670 | $43,680 | +1% | 37% |
| Nevada | 17,940 | 0.42 | $33,670 | $26,400 | $36,600 | -6% | 61% |
| New Hampshire | 9,440 | 0.50 | $38,760 | $31,950 | $47,770 | +8% | 48% |
| New Jersey | 117,080 | 0.99 | $37,090 | $32,220 | $48,180 | +4% | 58% |
| New Mexico | 38,910 | 1.61 | $28,520 | $26,400 | $36,440 | -20% | 47% |
| New York | 663,140 | 2.47 | $39,620 | $36,960 | $46,690 | +11% | 49% |
| North Carolina | 58,880 | 0.43 | $31,240 | $24,690 | $38,680 | -13% | 51% |
| North Dakota | 7,730 | 0.65 | $39,440 | $36,220 | $49,190 | +10% | 30% |
| Ohio | 106,940 | 0.70 | $34,460 | $28,370 | $39,530 | -4% | 38% |
| Oklahoma | 20,310 | 0.43 | $27,710 | $22,940 | $35,150 | -23% | 45% |
| Oregon | 42,330 | 0.78 | $44,410 | $37,650 | $53,120 | +24% | 43% |
| Pennsylvania | 257,370 | 1.53 | $29,420 | $26,510 | $37,960 | -18% | 51% |
| Rhode Island | 7,490 | 0.54 | $43,680 | $31,860 | $46,700 | +22% | 39% |
| South Carolina | 40,750 | 0.64 | $30,110 | $23,600 | $35,590 | -16% | 51% |
| South Dakota | 4,210 | 0.33 | $37,740 | $32,500 | $47,320 | +5% | 32% |
| Tennessee | 35,950 | 0.40 | $32,130 | $28,090 | $38,150 | -10% | 48% |
| Texas | 329,590 | 0.85 | $24,230 | $21,980 | $31,560 | -32% | 73% |
| Utah | 17,130 | 0.36 | $35,880 | $30,730 | $45,250 | +0% | 53% |
| Vermont | 7,700 | 0.92 | $41,600 | $31,310 | $48,040 | +16% | 38% |
| Virginia | 70,070 | 0.62 | $30,300 | $26,980 | $40,650 | -15% | 65% |
| Washington | 103,260 | 1.05 | $47,730 | $40,130 | $54,980 | +33% | 46% |
| West Virginia | 18,890 | 0.97 | $28,010 | $22,430 | $32,590 | -22% | 38% |
| Wisconsin | 82,430 | 1.01 | $36,340 | $28,030 | $42,820 | +2% | 38% |
| Wyoming | 3,410 | 0.44 | $33,190 | $27,700 | $47,000 | -7% | 36% |
Location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in the state than in the nation. "n/a" means BLS suppressed the figure. Rent uses the state median gross rent (ACS).
The 60 highest-paying metropolitan areas among those with at least 300 jobs in this occupation.
| Metropolitan area ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Median pay ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grants Pass, OR | 4,640 | $53,120 | $42,610 | $55,120 | 5.48 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 54,670 | $48,210 | $44,190 | $54,980 | 0.95 |
| Longview-Kelso, WA | 1,780 | $47,840 | $39,580 | $48,040 | 1.57 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | 4,800 | $47,810 | $38,610 | $48,170 | 1.34 |
| Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA | 1,120 | $47,730 | $39,360 | $48,380 | 0.79 |
| Walla Walla, WA | 1,160 | $47,700 | $37,750 | $47,700 | 1.61 |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | 10,580 | $47,410 | $38,670 | $48,630 | 1.49 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | 2,130 | $46,980 | $42,560 | $49,250 | 0.82 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 22,860 | $45,570 | $39,120 | $52,900 | 0.68 |
| Salem, OR | 7,040 | $45,200 | $37,320 | $48,340 | 1.35 |
| Medford, OR | 3,000 | $44,950 | $37,800 | $50,460 | 1.22 |
| Yakima, WA | 4,770 | $44,490 | $38,170 | $45,070 | 1.77 |
| Boulder, CO | 1,700 | $44,150 | $38,440 | $48,470 | 0.32 |
| Bellingham, WA | 2,350 | $44,080 | $38,240 | $48,080 | 0.93 |
| Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | 3,370 | $44,060 | $37,840 | $47,480 | 0.93 |
| Burlington-South Burlington, VT | 1,230 | $43,960 | $37,790 | $48,220 | 0.37 |
| Bend, OR | 1,400 | $43,140 | $38,380 | $50,010 | 0.47 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | 1,200 | $42,690 | $36,390 | $50,630 | 0.82 |
| Fairbanks-College, AK | 590 | $42,550 | $36,510 | $50,390 | 0.59 |
| Barnstable Town, MA | 2,300 | $42,520 | $37,840 | $46,830 | 0.88 |
| Albany, OR | 1,460 | $42,120 | $36,890 | $48,720 | 1.11 |
| Amherst Town-Northampton, MA | 2,350 | $41,700 | $37,470 | $47,560 | 1.29 |
| Grand Forks, ND-MN | 1,350 | $41,080 | $34,140 | $46,150 | 0.93 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 72,420 | $40,910 | $36,810 | $47,410 | 0.97 |
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | 15,670 | $40,890 | $35,960 | $46,620 | 0.79 |
| Worcester, MA | 14,720 | $40,870 | $37,010 | $47,740 | 1.52 |
| Springfield, MA | 15,840 | $40,860 | $36,840 | $44,340 | 2.84 |
| Corvallis, OR | 670 | $40,800 | $36,920 | $48,470 | 0.63 |
| Eugene-Springfield, OR | 3,630 | $40,690 | $36,890 | $45,810 | 0.83 |
| Pittsfield, MA | 2,540 | $40,160 | $36,990 | $45,390 | 1.61 |
| Lexington Park, MD | 430 | $40,070 | $31,270 | $45,890 | 0.22 |
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | 580 | $39,780 | $33,640 | $48,140 | 0.28 |
| New Haven, CT | 7,370 | $39,720 | $34,600 | $45,090 | 0.95 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 644,700 | $39,680 | $36,960 | $46,570 | 2.45 |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | 19,230 | $39,620 | $34,700 | $44,720 | 1.16 |
| Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT | 2,920 | $39,570 | $34,010 | $44,600 | 0.83 |
| Bozeman, MT | 710 | $39,280 | $35,280 | $47,060 | 0.35 |
| Rochester, MN | 4,260 | $39,270 | $35,550 | $46,280 | 1.25 |
| Ithaca, NY | 780 | $39,220 | $35,260 | $48,880 | 0.59 |
| Manchester-Nashua, NH | 3,000 | $39,190 | $31,520 | $46,820 | 0.54 |
| Anchorage, AK | 4,440 | $39,140 | $29,660 | $45,310 | 0.91 |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | 10,750 | $39,040 | $34,180 | $50,890 | 1.44 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 26,130 | $38,900 | $37,160 | $46,220 | 0.59 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 93,560 | $38,860 | $33,760 | $46,860 | 1.73 |
| Bismarck, ND | 1,680 | $38,850 | $36,820 | $49,940 | 0.85 |
| Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | 2,230 | $38,650 | $36,400 | $45,180 | 0.48 |
| Glens Falls, NY | 1,090 | $38,650 | $35,440 | $50,870 | 0.78 |
| Portland-South Portland, ME | 8,150 | $38,580 | $35,790 | $46,940 | 1.02 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 50,450 | $38,530 | $30,670 | $46,080 | 0.58 |
| Greeley, CO | 1,460 | $38,410 | $35,420 | $47,680 | 0.44 |
| Goldsboro, NC | 1,190 | $38,300 | $26,770 | $38,300 | 1.06 |
| Lewiston-Auburn, ME | 1,870 | $38,240 | $35,130 | $45,180 | 1.42 |
| Binghamton, NY | 2,690 | $38,210 | $33,910 | $50,870 | 1.00 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 108,520 | $38,180 | $35,030 | $42,500 | 0.87 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | 10,850 | $38,110 | $34,110 | $46,020 | 0.97 |
| Dubuque, IA | 1,020 | $38,090 | $32,220 | $46,220 | 0.63 |
| Sioux Falls, SD-MN | 1,660 | $38,060 | $33,550 | $47,860 | 0.33 |
| Missoula, MT | 1,950 | $38,050 | $29,490 | $44,560 | 1.05 |
| Fargo, ND-MN | 3,130 | $37,910 | $35,110 | $49,190 | 0.76 |
| Bangor, ME | 2,290 | $37,900 | $34,160 | $44,900 | 1.14 |
The median is $35,800 a year ($17.21 an hour); the lowest-paid tenth earn under $27,040 and the highest-paid tenth over $45,040 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
4,305,810 in May 2025, and BLS projects +18.1% growth to 2035.
The typical entry education is: High school diploma or equivalent (BLS).
Washington, with a median of $47,730 (among states with published figures).