How many home care workers are there in the US?

Research highlights: Home health and personal care aides are the single largest occupation in the United States, with about 4.3 million workers. The broader direct care workforce numbers nearly 5.4 million.

The field is projected to grow 17% from 2024 to 2034, adding about 739,800 jobs over the decade. Yet the work is hard to staff: caregiver turnover sits near 75%, and 36% of direct care workers live in or near poverty.

Related research: How much do home health aides make? | How much does in-home care cost? | How many seniors need long-term care? | Does Medicaid pay for home care?

How many home health and personal care aides are there in the US?

Home health and personal care aides are the largest single occupation in the country, with roughly 4.3 million workers. That puts caregivers ahead of retail salespeople and fast food workers.

The count depends on how you define the job. One narrower definition of home care workers includes those serving people in private homes and community settings, a group of nearly 3.2 million that more than doubled over the past decade.

Zoom out to the full direct care workforce, which adds nursing assistants in nursing homes and residential care aides, and the total reaches nearly 5.4 million. Whichever lens you use, this is one of the most essential and fastest-growing labor forces in the US.

Workforce definition	Approx. size
Home health and personal care aides (occupation)	~4.3 million
Home care workers (private homes and community)	~3.2 million
Direct care workers (all settings)	~5.4 million

How fast is the home care workforce growing, and how many new jobs are coming?

Demand is surging. Employment of home health and personal care aides is projected to grow 17% from 2024 to 2034, much faster than the average for all occupations. The aging of the population is the main engine behind that climb.

In raw numbers, the home care workforce alone is projected to add over 681,000 new jobs this decade, while the full direct care workforce is projected to add more than 772,000 jobs.

The projection window is now 2024 to 2034, replacing the older 2022 to 2032 cycle.

Annual hiring need is even bigger once you count workers who quit or retire. Aides are expected to see about 765,800 openings each year, while the full direct care workforce is projected to see 9.7 million total direct care openings from 2024 to 2034.

That is a relentless recruiting treadmill for agencies.

Growth metric (2024 to 2034)	Figure
Projected growth rate (aides)	17%
New home care jobs (PHI)	681,000+
New direct care jobs (PHI)	772,000+
Annual openings, aides (BLS)	~765,800 per year
Total direct care openings (PHI)	9.7 million

What is the caregiver turnover rate in home care?

Turnover is the industry’s defining headache. The median caregiver turnover rate was 75% in 2024. That was actually an improvement, down from a recent peak of 79.2%.

Even at 75%, the churn is brutal. A rate that high means annual separations equal roughly three-quarters of the average caregiver workforce, depending on how an agency calculates it.

Much of that loss happens fast: nearly four out of five caregivers who leave do so within their first 100 days on the job.

The instability is not only a staffing problem; it disrupts care continuity for clients. On a brighter note, client turnover also fell, to a seven-year low of 45.5% in 2024, suggesting retention efforts are starting to pay off.

Home care turnover	Rate
Caregiver turnover (2024)	75%
Caregiver turnover (2023, recent peak)	79.2%
Caregivers who leave within first 100 days	~4 in 5
Client turnover (2024)	45.5%

Who are home care workers? Gender, immigrant status and age

The home care workforce has a distinct profile. It is overwhelmingly female: 85% of home care workers are women. It is also racially diverse, with people of color making up about 67% of the home care workforce.

Immigrants are a cornerstone of the field. They account for 33% of home care workers, well above their roughly 19% share of the overall US labor force. That reliance is why immigration policy weighs so heavily on the future supply of caregivers.

The workforce also skews older than many expect. The median age of a direct care worker is 47, and more than a third are 55 or older. That aging profile adds urgency, since many current caregivers will themselves retire within the coming decade.

Home care worker profile	Share
Women	85%
People of color	67%
Immigrants	33%
Median age (direct care workforce)	47 years

How many direct care workers live in or near poverty?

Despite essential work, many caregivers struggle financially. 36% of direct care workers live in or near poverty, defined as a household income below 200% of the federal poverty level. Nearly half, 49%, rely on public assistance like Medicaid or SNAP.

The root cause is pay and hours. The median wage for direct care workers was $17.36 an hour in 2024, and because so much of the work is part-time, median annual earnings land at just under $26,000.

For deeper wage detail, see our breakdown of home health aide and caregiver pay.

This economic fragility feeds directly into the turnover problem above. When lower-strain jobs offer similar pay, retention becomes an uphill battle. Much of caregiver pay is closely tied to state Medicaid rates, which we cover in our Medicaid home care guide.

Economic security (direct care workers)	Figure
Live in or near poverty (under 200% of poverty line)	36%
Rely on public assistance	49%
Median hourly wage (2024)	$17.36
Median annual earnings	~$26,000

Sources & additional resources

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Home Health and Personal Care Aides.” Occupational Outlook Handbook.
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Occupational Employment and Wages Summary.” BLS.gov.
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Foreign-Born Workers: Labor Force Characteristics.” BLS.gov.
• PHI. “Understanding the Direct Care Workforce.” PHI National.
• PHI. “PHI Report Highlights Record Growth in Direct Care Workforce.” PHI National.
• McKnight’s Home Care. “Home Care Revenues Rise as Client, Caregiver Turnover Rates Drop.” McKnight’s Home Care.
• Center for Retirement Research. “Report Paints Picture of Care Workers in the United States.” Boston College.

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