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.
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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.

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.

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?

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

Where Personal Care Aides Are Employed

Personal Care Aides work in the following industries:

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.
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