Skip to content
AffordMap
Salary comparison

Psychiatric Aides vs. Home Health and Personal Care Aides: Who Earns More?

Psychiatric Aidess out-earn Home Health and Personal Care Aidess by $9K a year at the national median, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Psychiatric Aidess land at $44,910 and Home Health and Personal Care Aidess at $35,800. The education gap is real: psychiatric aide programs typically require postsecondary nondegree award, while home health and personal care aide programs require high school diploma or equivalent. Top-paying state for Psychiatric Aidess is Minnesota ($55,040); for Home Health and Personal Care Aidess it's Washington ($47,730).

Psychiatric Aides
Home Health and Personal Care Aides
Median salary
$44,910
$35,800
Hourly rate
$21.59/hr
$17.21/hr
Entry level (10th %)
$32,090
$27,040
Senior level (90th %)
$60,440
$45,040
Education required
Postsecondary nondegree award
High school diploma or equivalent
U.S. employment
35,520
4,305,810
Job growth (10-year)
N/A
17%
Category
Healthcare Support
Healthcare Support
Top-paying state
Minnesota
Washington

Pay by state

States where both occupations have BLS data, sorted by Psychiatric Aides median pay.

State
Psychiatric Aides
Home Health and Personal Care Aides
Minnesota
$55,040
$38,370
Washington
$52,570
$47,730
Hawaii
$52,310
$38,110
Maryland
$51,440
$38,040
Rhode Island
$51,100
$43,680
New York
$50,220
$39,620
Alaska
$49,300
$39,740
Illinois
$48,670
$38,060
Oregon
$48,300
$44,410
Vermont
$47,860
$41,600
Maine
$46,720
$38,580
Colorado
$46,130
$38,540
New Jersey
$45,780
$37,090
Massachusetts
$45,300
$40,910
Connecticut
$44,660
$38,990

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025. Highlighted value is higher in each row.

Common questions

Who earns more, Psychiatric Aidess or Home Health and Personal Care Aidess?

Psychiatric Aidess earn more nationally. The median is $44,910 for Psychiatric Aidess versus $35,800 for Home Health and Personal Care Aidess, a difference of $9K. Per BLS OEWS May 2025.

Which has better job growth, Psychiatric Aides or Home Health and Personal Care Aides?

BLS Employment Projections data is not available for one or both occupations. Check the individual career pages for current outlook figures.

Which requires more education, Psychiatric Aides or Home Health and Personal Care Aides?

Psychiatric Aides typically requires postsecondary nondegree award. Home Health and Personal Care Aides requires high school diploma or equivalent. Education requirements vary by employer and state licensing board.

Where do Psychiatric Aidess get paid the most?

Minnesota is the top-paying state for Psychiatric Aidess at $55,040/year, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Major metro areas within that state typically pay even more than the state average.

How does Psychiatric Aides vs. Home Health and Personal Care Aides pay differ by state?

The gap varies significantly by state. In Minnesota, Psychiatric Aidess earn $55,040 vs. $38,370 for Home Health and Personal Care Aidess. See the state comparison table on this page for the full picture.

Full Psychiatric Aides salary breakdownView →Full Home Health and Personal Care Aides salary breakdownView →Best cities for Psychiatric Aidess by take-home payExplore →Best cities for Home Health and Personal Care Aidess by take-home payExplore →How to become a psychiatric aidesGuide →How to become a home health and personal care aidesGuide →