Personal care aides help clients with self-care and everyday tasks. They also provide social supports and assistance that enable clients to participate in their communities.
Personal care aides held about 1.8 million jobs in 2014. Most personal care aides work in clients' homes, small group homes, or larger care communities.
Most personal care aides are trained on the job. There are no formal education requirements for personal care aides, but most aides have a high school diploma.
The median annual wage for personal care aides was $20,980 in May 2015.
Employment of personal care aides is projected to grow 26 percent from 2014 to 2024, much faster than the average for all occupations. As the baby-boom population ages, there will be an increase in the number of clients requiring assistance.
Explore resources for employment and wages by state and area for personal care aides.
Compare the job duties, education, job growth, and pay of personal care aides with similar occupations.
Learn more about personal care aides by visiting additional resources, including O*NET, a source on key characteristics of workers and occupations.