This research brief provides the latest annual snapshot of the U.S. home care workforce, including key demographics and a variety of wage and employment trends. This year’s research estimates there are 2.1 million U.S. home care workers who earn a median wage of $11.03 an hour and $15,100 a year. In turn, 20 percent of home care workers live in poverty, compared to 7 percent of all U.S. workers.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- There are more than 2.1 million home care workers in the United States.
- The home care workforce more than doubled in size over the past 10 years, from nearly 840,000 in 2007 to over two million in 2017.
- On average, home care workers’ wages have barely risen over the past 10 years: inflation-adjusted median hourly wages were $10.66 in 2007 and $11.03 in 2017.
Wages & Benefits
Improving compensation would help workers make ends meet, promote retention and improve care for consumers.
