Home care aide jobs: the big picture
Home care aide jobs cover a wide range of work: helping older adults and people with disabilities bathe, dress, eat, get around, take medications on time and keep up the house. The BLS groups these jobs as home health and personal care aides.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Median pay (May 2025) | $17.21 an hour; $35,800 a year |
| Jobs (2025) | 4,677,100 |
| Projected growth, 2025–35 | 18% — much faster than average |
| Openings each year | About 760,500 |
| Typical entry education | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Typical training | Short-term on-the-job training |
With that many openings, home care hiring rarely stops. Taking care of elderly jobs in particular are growing as the population ages.
Caregiver jobs for family members
The caregiver job you may not have thought of is the one you're already doing. Caregiver jobs for family members exist in all 50 states and DC through Medicaid: when a relative qualifies for home care, they can often hire you, and the program pays you an hourly wage or a daily stipend.
It's a real job — you enroll with a payroll agency, pass a background check and log your hours — and often faster to start than a job with strangers. Read how to become a paid caregiver for a family member, see pay rates by state, or check eligibility.
Some agencies also hire relatives as aides for their own family member. See home care agencies that hire family members.
Home health aide no experience: how to start
You can start as a home health aide no experience needed in many places. Non-medical home care agencies often hire people with no background in health care and train them on the job. The BLS lists short-term on-the-job training as typical.
The rules tighten at Medicare-certified home health agencies. Federal rules require their aides to complete at least 75 hours of classroom and supervised practical training (with at least 16 hours of supervised practical training) or pass a competency evaluation, plus 12 hours of in-service training each year. Many agencies run this training themselves and pay for it if you commit to working for them.
- Decide on non-medical or home health. Non-medical work is easier to start; home health needs formal training. See home health vs. home care.
- Ask agencies about paid training. Searches like "home health aide no experience near me" usually turn up agencies that will train you.
- Get CPR and first aid — many employers want it.
- Pass a background check. Nearly every job requires one.
Our home health aide guide explains the role in more depth.
Home care agency hiring: what to expect
Most caregiver employment runs through agencies. A home care agency hiring aides handles scheduling, clients, payroll and insurance. In return it keeps part of what clients pay — CareScout's 2025 survey puts the national median price families pay for non-medical in-home care at $35 an hour, while the median aide wage is about half that.
Home care assistance jobs at agencies usually offer steady hours, a W-2, and sometimes benefits. Questions to ask before you accept:
- What's the hourly rate, and are weekends, nights or live-in shifts paid more?
- Are travel time and mileage between clients paid?
- How many hours can I count on each week?
- Is training paid? Is there a raise after certification?
- How often is payroll — weekly or every two weeks?
For a sense of which agencies you'll meet, see our independent comparisons of Home Instead, Right at Home, Home Helpers and local home care agencies.
Home health care agencies that pay weekly
Pay frequency is set by each employer and by state pay-frequency laws, so home health care agencies that pay weekly exist alongside many that pay every two weeks. There's no public list; ask at the interview.
Some family caregiver programs also pay weekly — Georgia's Structured Family Caregiving stipend, for example, is reported as paid weekly. See Georgia caregiver pay.
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Caregiver staffing agency near me: how staffing works
A staffing agency for caregivers places you with facilities or home care agencies that are short-staffed, often for short assignments. It's a way to try different settings, but the hours can be less predictable than a direct agency job.
If you're searching "caregiver staffing agency near me," check that the agency is licensed where your state requires it, what it pays per shift and who covers your liability insurance. For home care specifically, working directly for a licensed home care agency usually means steadier clients.
Private home care jobs and finding private care clients
Private home care jobs — working directly for a family — can pay more than agency work because there's no agency in the middle. Private care for elderly at home jobs are common for live-in and overnight care. The trade-off: you're responsible for finding private home care clients, setting your rate and handling the business side.
How to find private care clients
Ways caregivers find private care clients and private clients for home care:
- State registries and matching services. Oregon's Home Care Commission supports Carina, an online service that matches people who need in-home services with homecare workers. California keeps a Home Care Aide Registry of background-checked aides. See caregiver apps and websites.
- Word of mouth through churches, senior centers, doctors' offices and past clients.
- Online caregiver sites, where clients looking for caregivers post jobs.
- Medicaid self-directed programs. People who self-direct their care hire their own aides — they're private care clients whose pay comes from Medicaid. See consumer-directed care.
Private pay clients for home care usually expect references, a background check and proof of insurance. To find home care clients consistently, many caregivers keep a short profile with their experience, availability and rate.
Caregiver jobs Illinois: an example state
Every state is different, but Illinois shows how programs shape pay. For caregiver jobs Illinois offers two main tracks:
- Home Services Program: individual providers are hired directly by the customer and paid $19.50 an hour from January 2026, rising to $20.00 in July 2026 under the union contract, with seniority add-ons.
- Community Care Program: aides are hired by contracted in-home services agencies, reported at about $18–$20 an hour.
See Illinois caregiver pay, the Illinois caregiver program and Cook County. Other states: New York, Washington, Oregon.
Caregivers looking for work: where the openings are
Caregivers looking for work will find openings almost everywhere, but a few settings are worth knowing:
| Setting | What the work is | Read more |
|---|---|---|
| Non-medical home care | Personal care and household help | Non-medical home care |
| Home health agencies | Aide visits alongside nurses and therapists | Home health aide |
| Live-in and 24-hour care | Staying with a client for days at a time | Live-in caregiver |
| Respite | Short-term relief for family caregivers | Respite care |
| Self-directed programs | Hired directly by the person receiving care | CDPAP, IHSS |
Anyone searching for caregivers job openings in a specific area can also start from a county page, such as Harris County, Texas or Maricopa County, Arizona, to see which programs operate there.
Hiring a caregiver for an elderly parent (the other side)
Some readers are on the other side of the table. If you're hiring a caregiver for elderly parent needs, you can use an agency, hire privately or — often best — let your parent's Medicaid program pay a caregiver they choose, which may be you.
Hiring in home care for elderly relatives through an agency is simplest; hiring privately costs less per hour but makes you an employer. Start with how to choose a home care agency, what in-home care costs and caring for aging parents.
Where a caregiver job can lead
Caregiving is a starting point for many health careers. Aides go on to become certified nursing assistants, medication aides, nurses and care coordinators. Some open their own business — see how to start a home care agency.
Whatever your path, the work matters: the person you care for gets to stay at home.
Where to go next
Frequently asked questions
How much do caregivers make an hour?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median of $17.21 an hour for home health and personal care aides in May 2025. Pay varies by state, employer and program.
Can I get a caregiver job with no experience?
Yes. Many non-medical home care agencies hire people with no experience and train them on the job. Medicare-certified home health agencies require at least 75 hours of aide training, which some agencies provide.
Can I get paid as a caregiver for my own family member?
Often, yes. Medicaid programs in every state can pay a relative to provide home care if the family member qualifies and chooses them as their caregiver.
Are caregiver jobs in demand?
Yes. The BLS projects 18 percent growth for home health and personal care aides from 2025 to 2035, with about 760,500 openings a year.
How do I find private clients for home care?
Through state registries and matching services, word of mouth, online caregiver sites and people who self-direct their Medicaid care. Private clients usually expect references, a background check and insurance.
Do home care agencies pay weekly?
Some do and some pay every two weeks. It depends on the employer and your state's pay-frequency law, so ask at the interview.
Sources: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: home health and personal care aides · 42 CFR 484.80 — home health aide training requirements · CareScout 2025 Cost of Care Survey (press release) · Oregon Home Care Commission: Carina · IRS Publication 926: Household Employer's Tax Guide. Program rules and rates change — always confirm with the program. Reviewed September 30, 2026.