Intelligence / Caregiver Pay
Caregiver Pay
What home health and personal care aides actually earn — official BLS wage data for every state and metro, plus what agencies are advertising right now.
Caregiver pay decides whether your schedule fills. This page is the official record of what home health and personal care aides earn — every state, every metro — plus a monthly read on what agencies are advertising to hire today.
Headline numbers
Typical hourly pay
$17.21/hras of May 2025
the median caregiver wage nationwide
Pay range
$13.00/hr – $21.65/hras of May 2025
entry-level to top-of-market
Caregivers employed
4,305,810as of May 2025
home health & personal care aides, nationwide
Metros tracked monthly
100
live job-posting analysis, expanding
HomecareHQ analysis of agency job ads
What this data is
The short version: the U.S. government's own wage survey, filtered to the one occupation that matters for home care.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics surveys employers nationwide and publishes what every occupation actually gets paid, area by area. We track its combined category for home health and personal care aides — across the nation, all 50 states + DC, and hundreds of metro areas.
One quirk worth knowing: BLS publishes home health aides and personal care aides as a single combined occupation. Separate numbers for the two don't exist in this survey — anyone quoting them is estimating.
Median wage by state
typical hourly pay$10.83/hr$22.95/hr
All states
| 01 | Washington | $22.95/hr | +33.4% | $21.45/hr – $23.38/hr | 103,260 |
| 02 | Oregon | $21.35/hr | +24.1% | $18.94/hr – $23.25/hr | 42,330 |
| 03 | Rhode Island | $21.00/hr | +22.0% | $18.50/hr – $21.96/hr | 7,490 |
| 04 | District of Columbia | $20.53/hr | +19.3% | $19.26/hr – $20.80/hr | 12,810 |
| 05 | Vermont | $20.00/hr | +16.2% | $17.37/hr – $22.31/hr | 7,700 |
| 06 | Massachusetts | $19.67/hr | +14.3% | $19.06/hr – $21.03/hr | 117,940 |
| 07 | Alaska | $19.11/hr | +11.0% | $17.62/hr – $21.32/hr | 6,530 |
| 08 | New York | $19.05/hr | +10.7% | $18.59/hr – $21.05/hr | 663,140 |
| 09 | North Dakota | $18.96/hr | +10.2% | $17.84/hr – $22.02/hr | 7,730 |
| 10 | Connecticut | $18.75/hr | +8.9% | $17.07/hr – $21.27/hr | 49,510 |
| 11 | New Hampshire | $18.64/hr | +8.3% | $17.40/hr – $21.76/hr | 9,440 |
| 12 | Maine | $18.55/hr | +7.8% | $17.59/hr – $20.99/hr | 18,630 |
| 13 | Colorado | $18.53/hr | +7.7% | $17.85/hr – $20.85/hr | 44,650 |
| 14 | Minnesota | $18.45/hr | +7.2% | $17.60/hr – $21.07/hr | 128,680 |
| 15 | Hawaii | $18.32/hr | +6.4% | $17.18/hr – $20.95/hr | 6,150 |
| 16 | Illinois | $18.30/hr | +6.3% | $17.70/hr – $18.61/hr | 134,100 |
| 17 | Maryland | $18.29/hr | +6.3% | $17.06/hr – $20.74/hr | 46,560 |
| 18 | South Dakota | $18.15/hr | +5.5% | $17.50/hr – $20.96/hr | 4,210 |
| 19 | New Jersey | $17.83/hr | +3.6% | $16.67/hr – $21.43/hr | 117,080 |
| 20 | Montana | $17.61/hr | +2.3% | $14.95/hr – $20.73/hr | 10,400 |
| 21 | Kentucky | $17.52/hr | +1.8% | $14.88/hr – $21.85/hr | 31,260 |
| 22 | Arizona | $17.51/hr | +1.7% | $16.14/hr – $18.57/hr | 74,540 |
| 23 | Wisconsin | $17.47/hr | +1.5% | $14.69/hr – $18.49/hr | 82,430 |
| 24 | Nebraska | $17.38/hr | +1.0% | $16.47/hr – $18.54/hr | 13,660 |
| 25 | Iowa | $17.34/hr | +0.8% | $16.14/hr – $19.05/hr | 25,800 |
| 26 | Utah | $17.25/hr | +0.2% | $16.28/hr – $18.67/hr | 17,130 |
| 27 | Indiana | $16.86/hr | -2.0% | $14.92/hr – $17.63/hr | 57,050 |
| 28 | Michigan | $16.83/hr | -2.2% | $14.69/hr – $17.81/hr | 95,020 |
| 29 | Idaho | $16.72/hr | -2.8% | $14.11/hr – $17.88/hr | 20,770 |
| 30 | Ohio | $16.57/hr | -3.7% | $14.49/hr – $17.64/hr | 106,940 |
| 31 | California | $16.50/hr | -4.1% | $16.50/hr – $17.57/hr | 970,150 |
| 32 | Delaware | $16.50/hr | -4.1% | $15.00/hr – $17.96/hr | 11,820 |
| 33 | Florida | $16.25/hr | -5.6% | $15.16/hr – $17.25/hr | 90,170 |
| 34 | Nevada | $16.19/hr | -5.9% | $13.96/hr – $16.77/hr | 17,940 |
| 35 | Wyoming | $15.96/hr | -7.3% | $14.53/hr – $17.93/hr | 3,410 |
| 36 | Missouri | $15.90/hr | -7.6% | $13.75/hr – $17.82/hr | 94,810 |
| 37 | Tennessee | $15.45/hr | -10.2% | $14.39/hr – $16.96/hr | 35,950 |
| 38 | Kansas | $15.03/hr | -12.7% | $14.06/hr – $16.95/hr | 25,350 |
| 39 | North Carolina | $15.02/hr | -12.7% | $13.65/hr – $17.08/hr | 58,880 |
| 40 | Virginia | $14.57/hr | -15.3% | $13.66/hr – $17.24/hr | 70,070 |
| 41 | South Carolina | $14.48/hr | -15.9% | $13.44/hr – $16.33/hr | 40,750 |
| 42 | Pennsylvania | $14.14/hr | -17.8% | $13.65/hr – $16.55/hr | 257,370 |
| 43 | Georgia | $14.07/hr | -18.2% | $13.05/hr – $16.76/hr | 50,870 |
| 44 | New Mexico | $13.71/hr | -20.3% | $12.97/hr – $14.77/hr | 38,910 |
| 45 | West Virginia | $13.47/hr | -21.7% | $11.32/hr – $14.11/hr | 18,890 |
| 46 | Alabama | $13.39/hr | -22.2% | $12.59/hr – $14.51/hr | 20,930 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $13.32/hr | -22.6% | $12.38/hr – $14.55/hr | 20,310 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $13.30/hr | -22.7% | $12.61/hr – $14.06/hr | 19,840 |
| 49 | Texas | $11.65/hr | -32.3% | $10.97/hr – $13.23/hr | 329,590 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $11.47/hr | -33.4% | $11.09/hr – $13.12/hr | 21,800 |
| 51 | Louisiana | $10.83/hr | -37.1% | $10.00/hr – $13.03/hr | 45,060 |
Posted vs. paid
What agencies advertise today, against the latest official medians
Posting premium, tracked metros
+6.8%
Advertised caregiver pay is running +$1.12/hr ahead of the latest official medians in the metros we track. Postings lead official data by roughly 16 months — this is the early signal.
BLS · May 2025HCHQ postings · Sep 2026
Official median · May 2025Posted median · Sep 2026
Portland, OR−$1.74
Salem, OR−$2.79
Boston, MA+$0.58
New York, NY+$0.92
Bridgeport, CT+$0.68
Trenton, NJ+$2.35
Indianapolis, IN−$0.36
Philadelphia, PA+$1.67
$13$18$23
The Operator Signal
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Posted wages vs. paid wages
Two different questions, two different datasets — don't mix them.
- Paid wages (this page's core data) come from the official BLS survey: what employers actually pay, reported to the government. Authoritative, but published on a yearly cycle.
- Posted wages (the metro spotlights below) are HomecareHQ's monthly analysis of live caregiver job ads: what agencies are advertising to attract applicants this month. Fresher, but an estimate — we show the sample size behind every number.
Posted wages typically run ahead of paid wages: ads lead with the top of the range. Use paid wages to set budgets, posted wages to win this month's applicants.
Advertised pay, metro by metro
Benefits & hiring incentives live here →What agencies are offering applicants this month. Pay stats only count the ads that disclosed a wage.
100 of 100 metros
| Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL | — | — | — | 34.8% |
| Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR | — | — | — | 33.3% |
| Baton Rouge, LA | $13.50/hr | — | 5 of 10 ads | 22.2% |
| Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $17.00/hr | — | 6 of 19 ads | 47.1% |
| Oklahoma City, OK | $16.00/hr | — | 8 of 19 ads | 31.2% |
| Tulsa, OK | $16.00/hr | — | 9 of 47 ads | 31.0% |
| Las Cruces, NM | $14.50/hr | — | 10 of 33 ads | 8.3% |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC | $17.00/hr | — | 11 of 53 ads | 25.0% |
| Colorado Springs, CO | $18.00/hr | — | 12 of 34 ads | 37.0% |
| Yakima, WA | $21.22/hr | — | 12 of 17 ads | 23.1% |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $18.00/hr | — | 13 of 27 ads | 15.0% |
| Grand Island, NE | $19.50/hr | — | 15 of 37 ads | 32.3% |
| Birmingham-Hoover, AL | $18.70/hr | — | 16 of 38 ads | 21.7% |
| Grants Pass, OR | $18.69/hr | — | 16 of 45 ads | 26.5% |
| Sioux Falls, SD | $19.50/hr | — | 17 of 25 ads | 50.0% |
| El Paso, TX | $17.75/hr | — | 18 of 35 ads | 57.7% |
| Springfield, MA | $20.50/hr | — | 18 of 34 ads | 20.7% |
| Rochester, NY | $18.50/hr | — | 19 of 73 ads | 32.3% |
| Springfield, MO | $16.62/hr | — | 19 of 46 ads | 25.6% |
| Greensboro-High Point, NC | $15.63/hr | — | 20 of 50 ads | 45.0% |
| New Haven, CT | $18.56/hr | — | 20 of 51 ads | 27.5% |
| Salt Lake City, UT | $17.81/hr | — | 20 of 36 ads | 64.5% |
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $17.01/hr | — | 21 of 37 ads | 41.9% |
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $21.00/hr | — | 21 of 42 ads | 27.3% |
| Albuquerque, NM | $15.50/hr | — | 23 of 68 ads | 14.3% |
| Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA | $17.50/hr | — | 23 of 67 ads | 59.3% |
| Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH | $17.00/hr | $16.25/hr – $19.50/hr | 25 of 47 ads | 32.3% |
| Tucson, AZ | $18.00/hr | $17.73/hr – $18.75/hr | 25 of 55 ads | 26.0% |
| Columbus, OH | $17.50/hr | $15.75/hr – $18.25/hr | 26 of 49 ads | 23.8% |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | $17.91/hr | $17.50/hr – $18.71/hr | 26 of 39 ads | 23.1% |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $13.50/hr | $12.00/hr – $16.00/hr | 26 of 50 ads | 46.3% |
| Wichita, KS | $17.00/hr | $16.44/hr – $17.61/hr | 26 of 39 ads | 17.6% |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV | $17.50/hr | $16.00/hr – $18.88/hr | 27 of 41 ads | 34.3% |
| Madison, WI | $19.00/hr | $16.50/hr – $21.00/hr | 27 of 53 ads | 46.7% |
| New Orleans-Metairie, LA | $20.00/hr | $17.00/hr – $20.00/hr | 27 of 51 ads | 16.7% |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | $17.50/hr | $16.00/hr – $19.50/hr | 27 of 49 ads | 45.5% |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $19.50/hr | $16.75/hr – $22.00/hr | 27 of 49 ads | 44.7% |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $17.17/hr | $16.25/hr – $17.91/hr | 28 of 51 ads | 36.4% |
| Lincoln, NE | $19.50/hr | $16.56/hr – $20.80/hr | 28 of 72 ads | 34.6% |
| Fort Wayne, IN | $17.00/hr | $15.50/hr – $18.81/hr | 30 of 61 ads | 30.6% |
| Kansas City, MO-KS | $19.00/hr | $17.00/hr – $19.00/hr | 30 of 50 ads | 38.1% |
| Lafayette, LA | $16.75/hr | $15.75/hr – $18.59/hr | 30 of 63 ads | 16.4% |
| Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $16.00/hr | $14.50/hr – $18.25/hr | 30 of 74 ads | 43.4% |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL | $16.00/hr | $15.38/hr – $18.12/hr | 30 of 108 ads | 22.9% |
| Duluth, MN-WI | $20.00/hr | $18.00/hr – $21.00/hr | 31 of 44 ads | 46.9% |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | $21.50/hr | $21.00/hr – $22.00/hr | 32 of 59 ads | 34.0% |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $15.50/hr | $13.50/hr – $18.62/hr | 32 of 80 ads | 26.3% |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | $21.00/hr | $19.50/hr – $22.00/hr | 32 of 72 ads | 48.1% |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $19.00/hr | $18.25/hr – $21.50/hr | 33 of 60 ads | 42.9% |
| Akron, OH | $16.62/hr | $15.69/hr – $18.00/hr | 34 of 73 ads | 30.0% |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | $15.50/hr | $14.00/hr – $17.50/hr | 34 of 100 ads | 27.3% |
| Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | $15.00/hr | $13.38/hr – $19.50/hr | 34 of 110 ads | 34.5% |
| Richmond, VA | $16.50/hr | $13.38/hr – $18.62/hr | 34 of 88 ads | 29.2% |
| Jackson, MS | $15.68/hr | $13.00/hr – $18.05/hr | 35 of 80 ads | 36.5% |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX | $16.50/hr | $14.12/hr – $16.97/hr | 36 of 86 ads | 58.7% |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $18.00/hr | $17.44/hr – $19.50/hr | 37 of 97 ads | 28.2% |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $20.00/hr | $18.65/hr – $20.00/hr | 38 of 128 ads | 25.0% |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $16.75/hr | $15.50/hr – $18.00/hr | 38 of 95 ads | 32.8% |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $16.00/hr | $15.38/hr – $18.22/hr | 38 of 75 ads | 33.9% |
| Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO | $20.50/hr | $19.00/hr – $21.00/hr | 38 of 70 ads | 29.6% |
| Lexington-Fayette, KY | $16.88/hr | $14.94/hr – $18.62/hr | 38 of 57 ads | 34.8% |
| Knoxville, TN | $16.00/hr | $15.68/hr – $16.75/hr | 39 of 79 ads | 35.9% |
| Columbia, SC | $16.00/hr | $14.50/hr – $17.00/hr | 40 of 113 ads | 38.3% |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $16.00/hr | $14.50/hr – $16.50/hr | 41 of 133 ads | 37.0% |
| Cleveland, OH | $17.25/hr | $16.00/hr – $18.50/hr | 42 of 76 ads | 24.2% |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $17.00/hr | $15.00/hr – $19.00/hr | 42 of 121 ads | 48.1% |
| Greenville-Anderson, SC | $15.50/hr | $15.00/hr – $16.50/hr | 43 of 92 ads | 23.9% |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $17.00/hr | $15.25/hr – $18.00/hr | 43 of 98 ads | 50.0% |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, GA | $16.50/hr | $15.50/hr – $18.50/hr | 44 of 111 ads | 32.0% |
| Boise City, ID | $19.75/hr | $17.53/hr – $22.00/hr | 44 of 98 ads | 55.1% |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | $14.00/hr | $13.31/hr – $16.75/hr | 44 of 79 ads | 55.7% |
| Jacksonville, FL | $17.00/hr | $15.50/hr – $17.50/hr | 44 of 108 ads | 36.4% |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $18.00/hr | $16.34/hr – $21.00/hr | 44 of 71 ads | 37.5% |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $21.50/hr | $19.38/hr – $21.51/hr | 45 of 78 ads | 22.8% |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $16.94/hr | $16.00/hr – $19.50/hr | 45 of 106 ads | 30.1% |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $20.00/hr | $18.94/hr – $21.00/hr | 45 of 73 ads | 43.8% |
| Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | $16.50/hr | $15.50/hr – $16.50/hr | 46 of 89 ads | 64.3% |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $19.75/hr | $18.38/hr – $21.00/hr | 46 of 79 ads | 29.2% |
| Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA | $15.62/hr | $13.80/hr – $17.56/hr | 46 of 122 ads | 28.6% |
| Chattanooga, TN-GA | $15.50/hr | $15.00/hr – $16.50/hr | 47 of 95 ads | 36.6% |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $22.00/hr | $20.75/hr – $23.50/hr | 47 of 76 ads | 22.6% |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $18.00/hr | $16.50/hr – $20.00/hr | 49 of 83 ads | 39.3% |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | $19.50/hr | $18.02/hr – $19.50/hr | 49 of 63 ads | 25.0% |
| Portland-South Portland, ME | $18.88/hr | $16.50/hr – $21.00/hr | 49 of 109 ads | 40.0% |
| Worcester, MA | $21.00/hr | $20.00/hr – $22.00/hr | 49 of 126 ads | 27.2% |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $19.00/hr | $17.50/hr – $20.09/hr | 50 of 135 ads | 23.8% |
| North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, FL | $18.00/hr | $17.50/hr – $18.00/hr | 51 of 98 ads | 34.8% |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $18.50/hr | $17.00/hr – $19.00/hr | 51 of 85 ads | 33.8% |
| Monroe, LA | $17.50/hr | $16.00/hr – $19.39/hr | 52 of 103 ads | 21.1% |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $16.50/hr | $15.25/hr – $17.50/hr | 54 of 130 ads | 35.2% |
| Toledo, OH | $20.00/hr | $17.00/hr – $22.00/hr | 55 of 74 ads | 28.6% |
| Salem, OR | $18.94/hr | $16.50/hr – $20.19/hr | 60 of 161 ads | 28.3% |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $22.00/hr | $21.00/hr – $24.00/hr | 61 of 106 ads | 28.4% |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $20.17/hr | $17.99/hr – $22.00/hr | 62 of 145 ads | 35.2% |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | $16.50/hr | $16.50/hr – $17.50/hr | 65 of 96 ads | 60.7% |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $20.25/hr | $19.50/hr – $22.00/hr | 65 of 131 ads | 32.6% |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN | $16.50/hr | $16.00/hr – $18.00/hr | 67 of 169 ads | 31.7% |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $21.50/hr | $21.00/hr – $21.50/hr | 69 of 90 ads | 23.5% |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $20.50/hr | $19.00/hr – $22.00/hr | 79 of 168 ads | 34.7% |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $20.00/hr | $20.00/hr – $21.09/hr | 86 of 151 ads | 15.8% |
How to read the numbers
- "Typical" means the middle. We lead with the median — the wage of the caregiver right in the middle of the market — because averages get skewed by a few outliers.
- The ranges are your pay bands. The low end is what entry offers look like, "most pay between" is the realistic band for most roles, and the top of the range is what it takes to poach experienced caregivers.
- State vs. metro levels don't mix. A state number blends its metros and rural areas. Compare metros to metros, states to states.
- Suppressed areas are missing, not zero. BLS withholds numbers it can't estimate reliably; a small area with no row simply wasn't published.
Every figure on this page carries its citation, its data vintage, and — where it's our own analysis — the method and sample size. Details in the methodology.
The market at a glance
- The national median caregiver wage is $17.21/hr†.
- Entry-level pay is $13.00/hr†; top-of-market pay is $21.65/hr†. That spread — roughly $8.65/hr between the floor and the ceiling — is the negotiating room in most markets.
- The middle half of the market pays between $15.35/hr† and $18.98/hr†.
- 4,305,810† people work in this occupation nationwide — one of the largest and fastest-growing job categories in the country.
- As an annual salary, the median works out to $35,800/yr†.
Why it matters: if your offer sits below your market's median, you're not competing for caregivers — you're recruiting the people other agencies passed on.
Put this data to work
from the makersBenchmarks tell you where the market is. The HomecareHQ app tells you where you are against it: wage positioning for your county, alerts when your market moves, and Ask HQ answers grounded in the same rows on this page — same data, cited the same way. See how it works.
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