Home Health and Personal Care Aides Salary
In Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV, home health and personal care aides earn $38,530 at the median, or about $18.52 an hour. The range runs from $31K at the entry level to $46K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 108.88), so that salary is closer to $35,388 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,246/month, about 84.4% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $39K get you in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Washington-Arlington-Alexandria’s Regional Price Parity (108.88). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About home health and personal care aides
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What this looks like in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria
Home health and personal care aides pay in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria tracks closely to the national median, $39K locally vs. $36K nationwide, a 8% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,246/month, which is 84.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 9% above the national average (BEA RPP 108.88), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for home health and personal care aides in metros near Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson | $38K | $36K |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk | $28K | $29K |
| Richmond | $29K | $30K |
| Roanoke | $28K | $29K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
Entry-level home health and personal care aides (10th percentile) start around $31K. Mid-career wages sit at $39K. Top earners bring in $46K or more, a $15K spread from bottom to top.
Home Health and Personal Care Aides pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Home Health and Personal Care Aides salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $48K | +33% | 103,260 |
| Oregon | $44K | +24% | 42,330 |
| Rhode Island | $44K | +22% | 7,490 |
| District of Columbia | $43K | +19% | 12,810 |
| Vermont | $42K | +16% | 7,700 |
| Massachusetts | $41K | +14% | 117,940 |
| Alaska | $40K | +11% | 6,530 |
| New York | $40K | +11% | 663,140 |
| North Dakota | $39K | +10% | 7,730 |
| Connecticut | $39K | +9% | 49,510 |
| New Hampshire | $39K | +8% | 9,440 |
| Maine | $39K | +8% | 18,630 |
| Colorado | $39K | +8% | 44,650 |
| Minnesota | $38K | +7% | 128,680 |
| Hawaii | $38K | +6% | 6,150 |
| Illinois | $38K | +6% | 134,100 |
| Maryland | $38K | +6% | 46,560 |
| South Dakota | $38K | +5% | 4,210 |
| New Jersey | $37K | +4% | 117,080 |
| Montana | $37K | +2% | 10,400 |
| Kentucky | $36K | +2% | 31,260 |
| Arizona | $36K | +2% | 74,540 |
| Wisconsin | $36K | +2% | 82,430 |
| Nebraska | $36K | +1% | 13,660 |
| Iowa | $36K | +1% | 25,800 |
| Utah | $36K | +0% | 17,130 |
| Indiana | $35K | -2% | 57,050 |
| Michigan | $35K | -2% | 95,020 |
| Idaho | $35K | -3% | 20,770 |
| Ohio | $34K | -4% | 106,940 |
| Delaware | $34K | -4% | 11,820 |
| California | $34K | -4% | 970,150 |
| Florida | $34K | -6% | 90,170 |
| Nevada | $34K | -6% | 17,940 |
| Wyoming | $33K | -7% | 3,410 |
| Missouri | $33K | -8% | 94,810 |
| Tennessee | $32K | -10% | 35,950 |
| Kansas | $31K | -13% | 25,350 |
| North Carolina | $31K | -13% | 58,880 |
| Virginia | $30K | -15% | 70,070 |
| South Carolina | $30K | -16% | 40,750 |
| Pennsylvania | $29K | -18% | 257,370 |
| Georgia | $29K | -18% | 50,870 |
| New Mexico | $29K | -20% | 38,910 |
| West Virginia | $28K | -22% | 18,890 |
| Alabama | $28K | -22% | 20,930 |
| Oklahoma | $28K | -23% | 20,310 |
| Arkansas | $28K | -23% | 19,840 |
| Texas | $24K | -32% | 329,590 |
| Mississippi | $24K | -33% | 21,800 |
| Louisiana | $23K | -37% | 45,060 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
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Frequently asked questions
Can a home health and personal care aide afford a 2BR apartment alone in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $39K, rent takes 84.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,246/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/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-Arlington-Alexandria?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new home health and personal care aides typically earn — is $31K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,840/month. At HUD’s $2,246/month FMR, rent would take 122% 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-Arlington-Alexandria?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $39K locally vs. $36K nationally, a 8% difference.
How does Washington-Arlington-Alexandria compare to the national average for home health and personal care aides?
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria pays $39K median vs. the U.S. average of $36K — that’s +8%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 108.88), the purchasing-power equivalent is $35K — below the national median.
How much do home health and personal care aides make in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
The median is $38,530 a year, that works out to about $19 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $30,670, and experienced home health and personal care aides can clear $46,080. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $39K enough to live in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,647/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,246/month, which eats 84.9% 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-Arlington-Alexandria?
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria has a Regional Price Parity of 108.88 (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 $35,388 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.