Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Personal Care Aide

Find Schools Near

What You Need to Know About Personal Care Aide

Occupation Description 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.

List of Personal Care Aide Job Duties

  • Participate in case reviews, consulting with the team caring for the client, to evaluate the client’s needs and plan for continuing services.
  • Care for individuals or families during periods of incapacitation, family disruption, or convalescence, providing companionship, personal care, or help in adjusting to new lifestyles.
  • Administer bedside or personal care, such as ambulation or personal hygiene assistance.
  • Provide clients with communication assistance, typing their correspondence or obtaining information for them.
  • Prepare and maintain records of client progress and services performed, reporting changes in client condition to manager or supervisor.
  • Instruct or advise clients on issues such as household cleanliness, utilities, hygiene, nutrition, or infant care.

Personal Care Aide Needed Skills

Below is a list of the skills most Personal Care Aides say are important on the job.

Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.

Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.

Other Personal Care Aide Job Titles

  • Home Care Attendant
  • Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)
  • Convalescent Sitter
  • Medication Aide
  • State Tested Nursing Assistant (STNA)

Is There Going to be Demand for Personal Care Aides?

There were about 2,016,100 jobs for Personal Care Aide in 2016 (in the United States). New jobs are being produced at a rate of 38.6% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 777,700 new jobs for Personal Care Aide by 2026. The BLS estimates 414,300 yearly job openings in this field.

undefined

The states with the most job growth for Personal Care Aide are Virginia, Arizona, and Utah. Watch out if you plan on working in Maine, Maryland, or Pennsylvania. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

Do Personal Care Aides Make A Lot Of Money?

Personal Care Aides make between $18,740 and $31,650 a year.

undefined

Personal Care Aides who work in Alaska, North Dakota, or District of Columbia, make the highest salaries.

How much do Personal Care Aides make in each U.S. state?

State Annual Mean Salary
Alabama $19,250
Alaska $33,840
Arizona $24,440
Arkansas $21,390
California $27,210
Colorado $26,410
Connecticut $27,300
Delaware $23,840
District of Columbia $30,440
Florida $23,390
Georgia $22,540
Hawaii $27,530
Idaho $22,970
Illinois $24,600
Indiana $22,830
Iowa $25,050
Kansas $21,920
Kentucky $25,740
Louisiana $19,300
Maine $25,490
Maryland $26,910
Massachusetts $29,080
Michigan $24,230
Minnesota $26,260
Mississippi $20,800
Missouri $23,020
Montana $24,250
Nebraska $26,230
Nevada $23,580
New Hampshire $26,900
New Jersey $29,890
New Mexico $21,020
New York $27,640
North Carolina $21,660
North Dakota $32,890
Ohio $23,530
Oklahoma $20,270
Oregon $26,980
Pennsylvania $24,880
Rhode Island $27,190
South Carolina $20,990
South Dakota $24,400
Tennessee $21,060
Texas $19,960
Utah $25,740
Vermont $30,750
Virginia $21,240
Washington $29,140
West Virginia $20,760
Wisconsin $24,250
Wyoming $26,780

Tools & Technologies Used by Personal Care Aides

Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Personal Care Aides:

  • Email software
  • Word processing software
  • Spreadsheet software
  • MEDITECH software

How to Become a Personal Care Aide

What education or degrees do I need to become a Personal Care Aide?

undefined

What work experience do I need to become a Personal Care Aide?

undefined

Where Personal Care Aides Are Employed

undefined

Personal Care Aides work in the following industries:

undefined

You May Also Be Interested In…

Those thinking about becoming a Personal Care Aide might also be interested in the following careers:

Those who work as a Personal Care Aide sometimes switch careers to one of these choices:

References:

Image Credit: Sgt. Courtney Richardson, 4th Fighter Wing Public Affairs via Public domain

More about our data sources and methodologies.

Featured Schools

Find Schools Near You

Our free school finder matches students with accredited colleges across the U.S.