Home Health Aide Salary, 2024 Job Outlook & More
There are many benefits to having a home health aide, but their pay is not one of them.
Low HHA Pay
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics data from 2022, there were approximately 3,504,230 Home Health and Personal Care Aides employed in the United States.
On average, they earn an hourly wage of $14.87, which amounts to an annual wage of $30,930. See more about salaries for a home health aide.
| Industry | Hourly Mean Wage | Annual Mean Wage |
|---|---|---|
| Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities | $26.89 | $55,940 |
| Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities | $19.78 | $41,150 |
| State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $19.56 | $40,680 |
| Educational Support Services | $19.30 | $40,150 |
| Other Investment Pools and Funds | $18.27 | $38,000 |
Over the past decade, home care workers have seen a very modest increase in their median hourly wages. Wages grew from $12.26 in 2012 to $14.50 in 2022. This recent rise in wages was significantly influenced by temporary funding measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, as these measures have phased out, there’s a noticeable slowdown in wage growth. In fact, the inflation-adjusted median hourly wages for home care workers decreased from $15.22 in 2021 to $14.50 in 2022, indicating a potential reversal in the trend.
The median salary falls just below that guideline with an average wage between $22,000-$24,999 annually making up about 50% in this category earning anywhere from around $9-11 hourly rates on top of receiving some form of public assistance such as Medicaid or food stamps.
In fact, 10%, which equates out to over two million people who have these jobs nationwide according to BLS and fill vital roles within our healthcare system by assisting patients during recovery periods can’t even earn more than $22,000 per year.
Home Care Workers Unemployment
The unemployment rate for HHAs is also significantly higher than the national average as it hovers around 13% according to BLS statistics and grows proportionately with every level of education attained above a high school diploma.
This may be due to many HHA programs who require one-year internships while other states have no formalized training requirements making it difficult for some people to get their foot through the door into this competitive field.
Boosting Your HHA Pay
Like any field of work, a person’s earning potential as a home health aide can vary widely based on where in the country they’re working. This means that depending on whether you live somewhere like Florida or California, your salary could be drastically different from someone who lives elsewhere.
Who their employer is also plays an important role when deciding how much money one might make; for example, being employed by the government typically pays better than if you were to take care of patients independently and charge them per visit or hour-rate basis?
Your previous education level will likely affect just how high your pay grade could potentially go up to – people with specialized degrees such as nursing or certified nursing assistants might have access to more advanced positions which offer higher salaries while those without certain degrees might have to settle for jobs that offer less pay.
HHA Job Outlook
The job outlook for home health aides largely depends on how well the health care system is doing overall – if there are more people requiring home-based assistance, then HHA salaries will increase in comparison.
If not, enough people require such services to be provided at their homes, any HHA salary could take a hit and it’s likely they’ll only find work through agencies or other institutions rather than private settings like nursing homes and hospitals which would usually rely heavily on HHA’s as part of their team.
There is also the added challenge of HHA’s being hugely under-staffed, meaning that people are often overworked and HHA salaries will likely be lower as a result. This in turn means that those without certain degrees might have to settle for jobs that offer less pay or work solely through agencies.
Summary
If you or someone you know is interested in becoming a home health aide, there are many reasons to pursue this career path.
However, the compensation for HHAs may not be one of them. The unemployment rate for HHAs is much higher than the national average and grows proportionately with every level of education attained above a high school diploma.
The benefits that come from being an HHA far outweigh anything else though-including their pay. It’s important to carefully consider all aspects before making your decision on whether to become an HHA as they can have long lasting impacts on your life!
