Home Health and Personal Care Aides Salary
In Ohio, home health and personal care aides earn $34,460 at the median, or about $16.57 an hour. The range runs from $28K at the entry level to $40K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.45), which stretches that salary to about $37,682 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,188/month, about 50.5% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Ohio. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $34K get you in Ohio?
About home health and personal care aides
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What this looks like in Ohio
Home health and personal care aides pay in Ohio tracks closely to the national median, $34K locally vs. $36K nationwide, a 4% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,188/month, which is 48.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.45 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 9% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Ohio
Entry-level home health and personal care aides (10th percentile) start around $28K. Mid-career wages sit at $34K. Top earners bring in $40K or more, a $11K spread from bottom to top.
Home Health and Personal Care Aides salary by metro in Ohio
12 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sandusky | $35K | +3% | 850 |
| Cincinnati | $35K | +2% | 16,470 |
| Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek | $35K | +2% | 7,070 |
| Columbus | $35K | +1% | 27,580 |
| Springfield | $35K | +1% | 630 |
| Toledo | $35K | +0% | 5,430 |
| Cleveland | $35K | +0% | 19,400 |
| Akron | $34K | -0% | 6,310 |
| Lima | $32K | -7% | 810 |
| Canton-Massillon | $32K | -8% | 4,580 |
| Youngstown-Warren | $31K | -9% | 3,840 |
| Mansfield | $30K | -12% | 880 |
Showing 1–10 of 12 metros
Compare to other states
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BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Ohio numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a home health and personal care aide afford a 2BR apartment alone in Ohio?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $34K, rent takes 48.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,188/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $700/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for home health and personal care aides in Ohio?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new home health and personal care aides typically earn — is $28K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,702/month. At HUD’s $1,188/month FMR, rent would take 70% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is home health and personal care aide a high-paying job in Ohio?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $34K locally vs. $36K nationally, a 4% difference.
How does Ohio compare to the national average for home health and personal care aides?
Ohio pays $34K median vs. the U.S. average of $36K — that’s -4%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.45), the purchasing-power equivalent is $38K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do home health and personal care aides make in Ohio?
The median is $34,460 a year, that works out to about $17 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $28,370, and experienced home health and personal care aides can clear $39,530. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $34K enough to live in Ohio?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,458/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,188/month, which eats 48.3% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a home health and personal care aides salary go in Ohio?
Ohio has a Regional Price Parity of 91.45 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median home health and personal care aides salary is worth about $37,682 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do home health and personal care aides get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.