How to Become a Home Health Aide
Responsibilities, Requirements, Certifications, Job Outlook, and Salary
After you’ve earned your Medical Assistant (MA) certification, several career options are available to you that build on the knowledge and skills you gained during your studies. One of the most challenging and satisfying alternative career paths available for MAs is that of a Home Health Aide. Becoming a Home Health Aide can provide a rewarding new vocation that builds on your skills and allows you to help patients manage their conditions at home with their families.
Continue reading this career guide for an in-depth look at the skills involved in being a Home Health Aide, along with the educational requirements, salary*, and job outlook for this critical position.
Not sure if becoming a home health aide is right for you? Click here to see the other careers featured on our list of top alternative jobs for medical assistants.
Home Health Aide Definition
What is a Home Health Aide?
Home Health Aides dedicate their professional time and talent to care for the elderly, those suffering from chronic illnesses, those with disabilities, and those in need of continuous care. They usually work within their patients’ homes but can also provide care in facilities outside the home. Home Health Aides often form close relationships with those under their care. They pay close attention to the evolving condition of patients and report their findings to the physicians responsible for their medical care.
Home Health Aide: Job Description
What Does a Home Health Aide Do?
Home Health Aides help patients who need continuous care live independently by assisting them with daily activities, including routine healthcare needs and personal tasks. By helping provide for the patient’s overall well-being, you’ll play a critical role in maintaining a quality of life that isn’t available from facilities outside the home.
Being a Home Health Aide can be a demanding job. You will likely spend a great deal of time with the same patient and become a trusted companion during a challenging time in that patient’s life. Home Health Aides must be compassionate, responsible people who can be relied upon to provide excellent patient care. As a Home Health Aide, you’ll be keeping a close eye on the physical and emotional well-being of the patient, reporting any meaningful changes in condition to the family and the doctors and nurses in charge of the patient.
Home Health Aide Duties
Some of the day-to-day responsibilities of Home Health Aides include:
- Administering medications
- Taking and monitoring vital signs
- Providing first aid for minor injuries
- Reporting the patient’s condition to the physician
- Assisting the patient with exercises
- Preparing patient meals
- Dressing the patient
- Bathing the patient
- Assisting with toilet use
- Joining patients during doctor’s visits
- Performing light housekeeping duties
- Accompanying the patient during trips outside of the home
Where Do Home Health Aides Work?
As the name implies, Home Health Aides work primarily in their clients’ homes but occasionally work in nursing homes, hospices, and assisted-care communities. Their employers are usually not the patient’s family but staffing agencies, hospice facilities, and home health agencies.
Home Health Aide Schooling & Certification
How Long Does It Take to Become a Home Health Aide?
What Degree Do You Need to Be a Home Health Aide?
Medical Assistants who seek to expand their career opportunities will find that their skills will serve them well as a Home Health Aide. While becoming a Home Health Aide does not require a college degree, it usually requires a high school diploma or equivalent. It’s also typical for Home Health Aides to receive on-the-job training after obtaining employment. Still, some states require formal training that can amount to 75 hours of instruction in certain essential aspects of the position, including hygiene, CPR, and basic nutrition. In addition, some states conduct background checks on applicants before granting them certification.
Why is Home Health Aide a Great Alternative Career Path for Medical Assistants?
Home Health Aides perform meaningful work that makes a genuine, positive difference to their patients and families. If you hold a Medical Assistant diploma, you are already an excellent candidate for a Home Health Aide position.
Your MA diploma shows you have the education and training necessary for the position. It also shows you have the compassion and desire to help those in need. When the time comes for a prospective employer to choose which candidate gets the position, your MA expertise will give you a distinct advantage over candidates without that valued training.
Being a Home Health Aide is a great alternative career path for medical assistants due to its bright job outlook, opportunities for advancement, and the widespread availability of positions.
Home Health Aide Salary
How Much Do Home Health Aides Make?
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the average annual salary* for a Home Health Aide is just above $29,000, which is about $14 per hour. However, annual salaries for Home Health Aides in the 90th percentile can reach as high as $37,000 or more.
Highest Paying Industries for Home Health Aides
According to the BLS, these are the industries where you’re most likely to find the top-paying jobs for Home Health Aides:
| Industry | Average Hourly Pay | Average Salary |
| Grantmaking and giving services | $21.44 | $44,600 |
| Educational support services | $21.19 | $44,080 |
| State government | $18.95 | $39,420 |
| Scientific research and development services | $18.67 | $38,830 |
| Other investment pools and funds | $17.94 | $37,320 |
Highest Paying States for Home Health Aides
According to the BLS, Home Health Aides earn the highest average wages in these states:
| State | Average Hourly Pay | Average Salary |
| Washington | $17.36 | $36,120 |
| Vermont | $17.06 | $35,490 |
| Massachusetts | $16.82 | $34,990 |
| Alaska | $16.78 | $34,900 |
| North Dakota | $16.42 | $34,150 |
Highest Paying Cities for Home Health Aides
According to the BLS, Home Health Aides earn the highest average annual wage in these cities:
| City | Average Hourly Pay | Average Salary |
| Albany, GA | $18.98 | $39,480 |
| Seattle, WA | $18.34 | $38,150 |
| New Bedford, MA | $17.04 | $35,450 |
| San Francisco, CA | $16.97 | $35,290 |
| Fairbanks, AK | $16.86 | $35,080 |
| Boston, MA | $16.85 | $35,050 |
| California, MD | $16.79 | $34,930 |
| Worcester, MA | $16.71 | $34,760 |
| Barnstable Town, MA | $16.70 | $34,730 |
| Springfield, MA | $16.66 | $34,650 |
Home Health Aide Job Outlook
What is the Job Outlook for Home Health Aides?
The BLS estimates that the overall employment for Home Health Aides will grow an impressive 25% by 2031, a rate much faster than the average growth rate across all other jobs during the same period. As the population of America’s Baby Boomers ages, it is expected that the need for Home Health Aides will be high for some time to come.
Start Your Career by Earning Your Medical Assistant Diploma
For those seeking a rewarding career with enduring levels of demand that build on your Medical Assistant diploma, becoming a Home Health Aide could be a great career path for you.
If you’re ready to take the next step towards becoming a Home Health Aide, you can earn your Medical Assistant diploma in as little as ten months at Eagle Gate College.
Click here to learn more about our Medical Assistant program.
