Home health and personal care aides
Salary, job outlook, AI risk & career information
Home health and personal care aides in the United States earn a median salary of $35,800 per year — about $17 per hour, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Roughly 4.3M people work in this occupation nationwide, with projected employment growth of +17%.
AI & Automation Risk
The core duties of this occupation are fundamentally physical and interpersonal, involving manual tasks like bathing, dressing, and lifting patients in unpredictable home environments. While AI may assist with peripheral administrative tasks like scheduling or monitoring vital signs, it cannot replace the essential human presence and physical labor required for personal care.
Salary by City — What You Actually Take Home
Real purchasing power = salary adjusted for cost of living. Higher = more money in your pocket.
| City | Local Salary | Cost of Living | Real Purchasing Power |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grants Pass, ORBEST VALUE | $53,120 | Average (100.7) | $52,763 |
| Walla Walla, WA | $47,700 | Average (97.9) | $48,710 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | $47,810 | Average (98.9) | $48,349 |
| Longview-Kelso, WA | $47,840 | Average (99.3) | $48,172 |
| Grand Forks, ND-MN | $41,080 | Below avg (85.9) | $47,818 |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | $47,410 | Average (100.9) | $46,975 |
| Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA | $47,730 | Average (101.9) | $46,837 |
| Yakima, WA | $44,490 | Average (97.9) | $45,443 |
| Salem, OR | $45,200 | Average (102.5) | $44,115 |
| Boulder, CO | $44,150 | Average (100.6) | $43,881 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $46,980 | Above avg (107.4) | $43,735 |
| Burlington-South Burlington, VT | $43,960 | Average (100.8) | $43,631 |
| Bismarck, ND | $38,850 | Below avg (89.4) | $43,479 |
| Medford, OR | $44,950 | Above avg (103.4) | $43,457 |
| Pittsfield, MA | $40,160 | Below avg (93.5) | $42,945 |