How much does a personal care worker make?
Answer: A typical personal care worker in the United States makes $41,600 a year (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
Line up 100 people; this is the one in the middle (median). about 60,000 people work in this job. About the same as the US-wide typical pay ($50,980).
If 100 people had this job
Lowest at bottom-left, highest at top-rightHover over a person to see their yearly pay
Personal care worker pay in the United States (May 2025, median and spread)
| Lower earner (10th from bottom) | Typical person (median) | Higher earner (10th from top) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|---|
| $27,480 | $41,600 | $48,910 | about 60,000 |
| State | Typical person (median) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|
| Oregon | $41,600 | about 23,000 |
| Washington | $41,020 | about 670 |
| New York | $40,720 | about 1,000 |
| California | $39,860 | about 5,000 |
| Colorado | $37,930 | about 1,000 |
Why does pay differ?
In the U.S., pay in this catch-all varies with the specific job, experience, useful training or credentials, employer, location, duties, and hours or shifts. Some roles need special credentials, so the same broad job label can cover very different pay situations.
What if you lived in a different state?
Pay varies a lot by state in the USTop 5 and bottom 3 states, typical (median) yearly pay.
What does a personal care worker do?
All personal care and service workers not listed separately.
What's a typical day like?
This catch-all has no single routine; a doula, for example, may coach breathing and movement during labor. After the baby arrives, a postpartum doula may help care for the baby, prepare food, or do laundry.
How to get this job
In the U.S., this catch-all usually calls for a high school diploma or equivalent and short on-the-job training, but has no single route. Choose a specific job and check state and employer rules; some need a course or credential, others do not.
Did you know?
Surprise: In the wider U.S. personal care and service group, over 8 in 10 workers need on-the-job training.
What about Japan?
Nearly the same jobThe US figure is the median and the Japan figure is the average, so it's not a perfect comparison. Prices differ too.
Earn more in the same field
Personal Care and Service jobs that pay a bit moreSources and data
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (bls.gov); descriptions and related jobs from O*NET 31.0. Figures as of May 2025, full-time yearly pay (hourly × 2,080 hours). bls.gov/oes · O*NET OnLine
Pages used for the text
- www.bls.gov/emp/tables/education-and-training-by-occupation.htm
- www.onetonline.org/link/summary/39-9099.00
- www.bls.gov/ors/factsheet/personal-care-and-service-occupations.htm
- www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2015/article/wage-differences.htm
- my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/23075-doula
- healthlaw.org/doula-medicaid-training-and-certification-requirements-summary-of-
Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY