Home Health and Personal Care Aides Salary
In Washington, home health and personal care aides earn $47,730 at the median, or about $22.95 an hour. The range runs from $40K at the entry level to $55K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 102.01), that's roughly $46,790 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,830/month, about 53.3% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Washington. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $48K get you in Washington?
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What this looks like in Washington
Washington sits well above the national pay line for home health and personal care aides, local pay runs about 33% higher than the U.S. median of $36K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,830/month, which is 54.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 102.01) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Washington
Entry-level home health and personal care aides (10th percentile) start around $40K. Mid-career wages sit at $48K. Top earners bring in $55K or more, a $15K spread from bottom to top.
Home Health and Personal Care Aides salary by metro in Washington
11 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue | $48K | +1% | 54,670 |
| Longview-Kelso | $48K | +0% | 1,780 |
| Kennewick-Richland | $48K | +0% | 4,800 |
| Wenatchee-East Wenatchee | $48K | +0% | 1,120 |
| Walla Walla | $48K | -0% | 1,160 |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley | $47K | -1% | 10,580 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard | $47K | -2% | 2,130 |
| Yakima | $44K | -7% | 4,770 |
| Bellingham | $44K | -8% | 2,350 |
| Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater | $44K | -8% | 3,370 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes | $43K | -11% | 1,200 |
Showing 1–10 of 11 metros
Compare to other states
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BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Washington numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a home health and personal care aide afford a 2BR apartment alone in Washington?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $48K, rent takes 54.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,830/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/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 Washington?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new home health and personal care aides typically earn — is $40K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,408/month. At HUD’s $1,830/month FMR, rent would take 76% 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 Washington?
Local pay is 33% above the national median — $48K here vs. $36K nationally.
How does Washington compare to the national average for home health and personal care aides?
Washington pays $48K median vs. the U.S. average of $36K — that’s +33%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 102.01), the purchasing-power equivalent is $47K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do home health and personal care aides make in Washington?
The median is $47,730 a year, that works out to about $23 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $40,130, and experienced home health and personal care aides can clear $54,980. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $48K enough to live in Washington?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,366/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,830/month, which eats 54.4% 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 Washington?
Washington has a Regional Price Parity of 102.01 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median home health and personal care aides salary is worth about $46,790 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.