As the baby boomer generation enters retirement, the need for personal caregivers who provide services like housekeeping and meal preparation to the elderly and disabled is stronger than ever, as of 2012. The number of jobs for caregivers is expected to increase 70 percent between 2010 and 2020, a rate that far outpaces most other occupations, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The job of caregiver generally does not require a formal education, and it is possible to become one without a high school diploma. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the average annual income of personal care aides was $20,560 in May 2011 and that workers in the occupation earned an average $9.88. The median income of caregivers was $19,730, which means that half of workers made less than $19,730 and half earned more.
Workers with more experience, education and specialized skills often earn more than peers working in the same job field. The top 10 percent of caregivers in terms of annual income made more than $26,590 in May 2011, while those in the bottom 10 percent earned less than $16,240, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Fifty percent of all workers in the occupation earned between $17,590 and $22,850 a year.
Many types of companies and organizations hire personal care aides, and income can vary from one industry to the next. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says that caregivers engaged in individual and family services made an annual average of $20,650 in May 2011, while workers engaged in home health care services earned $19,190. Workers involved in vocational rehabilitation earned $21,690; those employed by elementary and secondary schools earned $27,090; and workers employed by state governments earned $30,540.
Alaska was the top paying state for caregivers in May 2011, with workers earning an average annual salary of $28,770. Workers employed in New Jersey, Massachusetts, North Dakota and the District of Columbia earned at least $24,650. Texas employed the most personal care aides of any state, and workers in the state earned $17,640, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics surveys.
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