Personal Care Aides: Salary, Job Description, How To Become One, and Quiz

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Personal Care Aides

Personal Care Aides assist the elderly, convalescents, or persons with disabilities with daily living activities at the person's home or in a care facility. Duties performed at a place of residence may include keeping house (making beds, doing laundry, washing dishes) and preparing meals. May provide assistance at non-residential care facilities. May advise families, the elderly, convalescents, and persons with disabilities regarding such things as nutrition, cleanliness, and household activities.

Salary
$28060
Becoming One
Easy
Education
No degree required
Job Satisfaction
Job Growth

Personality



Job description

Personal Care Aides assist the elderly, convalescents, or persons with disabilities with daily living activities at the person’s home or in a care facility. Duties performed at a place of residence may include keeping house (making beds, doing laundry, washing dishes) and preparing meals. May provide assistance at non-residential care facilities. May advise families, the elderly, convalescents, and persons with disabilities regarding such things as nutrition, cleanliness, and household activities.

  • Administer bedside or personal care, such as ambulation or personal hygiene assistance.
  • Prepare and maintain records of client progress and services performed, reporting changes in client condition to manager or supervisor.
  • 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.
Read more about what does a Personal Care Aide really do at work and what is it like being and working as one.



Salary

Average salary
$25090 per year

Average hourly wage
$12 per hour


Personal Care Aides with little to no experience tend to make between $18740 and $21810 while the more experienced ones can earn over $27490 per year.

Top 5 paying states Hourly Annual
AK $16 $33,840
ND $16 $32,890
VT $15 $30,750
DC $15 $30,440
NJ $14 $29,890

One of the easiest ways to increase your salary as a Personal Care Aide is to move to a higher paying state like AK. Right now, the highest paying states for Personal Care Aides are AK, ND, VT, DC and NJ.

However, a higher pay at AK doesn’t guarantee that you will make more because the living expenses at AK might be twice as high than where you are currently at now.

Three other factors that can increase your salary as a Personal Care Aide is the degree you hold, the industry you work in, and lastly the company you work for.


Requirements

Recommended degree level
No degree required

We asked other Personal Care Aides what degree they had when they got the job and most of them said they had a High School Diploma followed by less than a High School Diploma.

Other than that, we also asked them what did they major in and here are the most popular majors that came up.

Home Health Aide/Home Attendant
Read more about how to become a Personal Care Aide and the degree, training and education you need.

Pros and Cons

Here are some of the pros and cons of being a Personal Care Aide.

PROS
Suitable for people who likes to help and teach others
Suitable for people who values relationships between co-workers and customers and wants to work in a friendly non-competitive environment
It is easy to get into this career. Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required to get started.
One of the fastest growing careers
CONS
Not suitable for people who likes to work with designs
One of the lowest paying jobs

What is the job like

Job satisfaction
69%

Is this job meaningful
60%


69% of Personal Care Aides said they were satisfied with their job and 60% said they feel like their job is making other people’s lives better.


Is this right for me

Best personality for this career
The Helpers and The Builders

You can read more about these career personality types here.

People who are suitable for this job tends to like working with, communicating with, and teaching people. They like helping or providing service to others..

They also like work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They like working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery.



Learn more about Personal Care Aides

Summary (You are here)
Job Description
Salary
Requirements
Quiz

Related career information

Personal Care Aides job description, Personal Care Aides salary, Personal Care Aides information, what is the job of a Personal Care Aide like, pros and cons about Personal Care Aides, colleges and universities for Personal Care Aides, is Personal Care Aides the right career for me, careers in Personal Care and Service

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Blind Aide, Blind Escort, Care Manager, Care Provider, Care Taker, Caregiver, Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), Companion, Convalescent Sitter, Direct Care Staffer

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