Health care assistant demographics and statistics in the US
Health care assistant demographics research summary. Zippia estimates health care assistant demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our health care assistant estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about health care assistants after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 74,932 health care assistants currently employed in the United States.
- 81.2% of all health care assistants are women, while 18.8% are men.
- The average health care assistant age is 49 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of health care assistants is White (35.6%), followed by Black or African American (24.0%), Hispanic or Latino (23.4%) and Asian (10.5%).
- Health care assistants are most in-demand in Salt Lake City, UT.
- The education industry is the highest-paying for health care assistants.
- 5% of all health care assistants are LGBT.
On this page
Health care assistant demographics by:
Health care assistant gender statistics
81.2% of health care assistants are women and 18.8% of health care assistants are men.
- Female, 81.2%
- Male, 18.8%
Health care assistant gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 81.2% |
| Male | 18.8% |
Health care assistant gender pay gap
Women earn 99¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$35,905
Female income
$35,686
Health care assistant gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in health care assistant positions over time. Currently, 81.2% of health care assistants are female.
Health care assistant gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 17.65% | 82.35% |
| 2011 | 18.81% | 81.19% |
| 2012 | 19.75% | 80.25% |
| 2013 | 20.57% | 79.43% |
| 2014 | 17.65% | 82.35% |
| 2015 | 18.10% | 81.90% |
| 2016 | 18.06% | 81.94% |
| 2017 | 18.24% | 81.76% |
| 2018 | 14.68% | 85.32% |
| 2019 | 15.21% | 84.79% |
| 2020 | 16.75% | 83.25% |
| 2021 | 18.84% | 81.16% |
Health care assistant related jobs gender ratio
We compared health care assistants with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, medical orderly and surgical orderly have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Hospice Aide | 9% | 91% |
| Patient Care Technician/Certified Nursing Assistant | 10% | 90% |
| Licensed Nursing Assistant | 10% | 90% |
| Health Care Assistant | 19% | 81% |
| Corpsman | 80% | 20% |
| Surgical Orderly | 82% | 18% |
| Medical Orderly | 89% | 11% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Health care assistant demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among health care assistants is White, which makes up 35.6% of all health care assistants. Comparatively, 24.0% of health care assistants are Black or African American and 23.4% of health care assistants are Hispanic or Latino.
- White, 35.6%
- Black or African American, 24.0%
- Hispanic or Latino, 23.4%
- Asian, 10.5%
- Unknown, 5.4%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
Health care assistant race
| Health care assistant race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 35.6% |
| Black or African American | 24.0% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 23.4% |
| Asian | 10.5% |
| Unknown | 5.4% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.1% |
Health care assistant race and ethnicity over time
See how health care assistant racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Health care assistant race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 53.92% | 27.38% | 4.22% | 11.65% |
| 2011 | 52.74% | 28.25% | 4.32% | 11.48% |
| 2012 | 52.83% | 27.46% | 4.48% | 12.00% |
| 2013 | 53.49% | 26.75% | 4.60% | 11.95% |
| 2014 | 51.14% | 28.28% | 4.84% | 12.41% |
| 2015 | 51.00% | 27.78% | 5.11% | 12.89% |
| 2016 | 50.16% | 27.81% | 5.10% | 13.43% |
| 2017 | 50.56% | 26.75% | 5.21% | 13.71% |
| 2018 | 42.69% | 25.97% | 6.59% | 20.45% |
| 2019 | 41.06% | 24.84% | 8.74% | 21.62% |
| 2020 | 38.88% | 24.06% | 9.23% | 21.79% |
| 2021 | 35.62% | 23.99% | 10.47% | 23.41% |
Health care assistant wage gap by race
According to our data, asian health care assistants have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Hispanic or latino health care assistants have the lowest average salary at $34,867.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $35,917 |
| White | $35,236 |
| Black or African American | $36,081 |
| Asian | $37,479 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $34,867 |
Average health care assistant age
See how the average age of health care assistants varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Health care assistant age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 49 | 51 |
| Unknown | 49 | 52 |
| Asian | 50 | 54 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 45 | 50 |
| White | 48 | 52 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 58 |
Health care assistant age breakdown
The average age of health care assistants is 40+ years years old, representing 78% of the health care assistant population.
Health care assistant age breakdown
| Health Care Assistant Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 78% |
| 30-40 years | 16% |
| 20-30 years | 6% |
Health care assistant educational attainment
The most common degree for health care assistants is bachelor's degree, with 37% of health care assistants earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 20% and associate degree degree at 17%.
- Bachelor's, 37%
- Associate, 20%
- High School Diploma, 17%
- Diploma, 11%
- Other Degrees, 15%
Health care assistants by degree level
| Health care assistant degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 37% |
| Associate | 20% |
| High School Diploma | 17% |
| Diploma | 11% |
| Other Degrees | 15% |
Health care assistant jobs you might like
Health care assistant wage gap by degree level
According to the data, health care assistants with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $37,266 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, health care assistants earn a median annual income of $36,965 compared to $35,618 for health care assistants with an Associate degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $37,266 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $34,885 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $36,965 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $35,618 |
Health care assistant employment statistics
Most health care assistants work for a private in the health care industry.
Company size where health care assistants work
Below, you can see the size of companies where health care assistants work.
Health care assistant jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 7% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 19% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 23% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 11% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 26% |
| > 10,000 employees | 13% |
Health care assistant jobs by company type
Employees with the health care assistant job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most health care assistants prefer to work at private companies over education companies.
Health care assistant jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 9% |
| Public | 8% |
| Private | 74% |
| Government | 9% |
Health care assistant jobs by industry
The most common industries for health care assistants are health care, education and government.
Health care assistant industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Health Care | 52% |
| Education | 8% |
| Government | 7% |
| Professional | 7% |
| Non Profits | 6% |
| Technology | 4% |
| Retail | 3% |
| Fortune 500 | 2% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
| Internet | 1% |
| Media | 1% |
| Manufacturing | 1% |
| Utilities | 1% |
| Construction | 1% |
| Hospitality | 1% |
| Insurance | 1% |
Health care assistant turnover and employment statistics
Health care assistant unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for health care assistants between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Health care assistant unemployment rate by year
| Year | Health care assistant unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 8.70% |
| 2011 | 8.87% |
| 2012 | 7.91% |
| 2013 | 7.47% |
| 2014 | 6.57% |
| 2015 | 5.67% |
| 2016 | 4.90% |
| 2017 | 4.21% |
| 2018 | 5.56% |
| 2019 | 4.89% |
| 2020 | 6.11% |
| 2021 | 7.92% |
Average health care assistant tenure
The average health care assistant stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 3,369 health care assistants resumes in Zippia's database.
Health care assistant tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 25% |
| 1-2 years | 35% |
| 3-4 years | 13% |
| 5-7 years | 15% |
| 8-10 years | 5% |
| 11+ years | 7% |
Health care assistant LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of health care assistants that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Laboratory Animal Caretaker | 3.36% | 45,979 |
| Nurse Technician | 4.62% | 195,553 |
| Health Care Assistant | 4.84% | - |
| Phlebotomist | 5.28% | 11,707 |
| Therapy Aide | 7.18% | 50,598 |
| Sterile Processing Technician | 7.30% | 21,592 |
| Emergency Room Orderly | 10.58% | 48,782 |
Similar health care assistant jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Laboratory Animal Caretaker | 3.36% | 45,979 |
| Nurse Technician | 4.62% | 195,553 |
| Phlebotomist | 5.28% | 11,707 |
| Therapy Aide | 7.18% | 50,598 |
| Sterile Processing Technician | 7.30% | 21,592 |
| Emergency Room Orderly | 10.58% | 48,782 |
Foreign languages spoken by health care assistants
The most common foreign language among health care assistants is Spanish at 65.3%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 8.1% and Hindi is the third-most popular at 4.0%.
- Spanish, 65.3%
- French, 8.1%
- Hindi, 4.0%
- Portuguese, 2.4%
- Chinese, 2.4%
- Other, 17.8%
Health care assistant languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 65.3% |
| French | 8.1% |
| Hindi | 4.0% |
| Portuguese | 2.4% |
| Chinese | 2.4% |
| Other | 17.8% |
