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Job outlook for home health cares in the United States
Home health care job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected home health care job growth rate is 36% from 2018-2028.
About 1,185,800 new jobs for home health cares are projected over the next decade.
Home health care salaries have increased 8% for home health cares in the last 5 years.
There are over 458,952 home health cares currently employed in the United States.
There are 184,582 active home health care job openings in the US.
The average home health care salary is $37,683.
Are home health care jobs in demand?
Home health care job and salary trends over time
Home health care jobs over time
Home health care job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 458,952 | 0.14% |
| 2020 | 138,417 | 0.04% |
| 2019 | 842,749 | 0.25% |
| 2018 | 1,003,198 | 0.30% |
| 2017 | 1,011,349 | 0.31% |
Average home health care salary over time
Home health care salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $37,683 | $18.12 | +5.2% |
| 2024 | $35,809 | $17.22 | --4.3% |
| 2023 | $37,406 | $17.98 | +4.3% |
| 2022 | $35,876 | $17.25 | +2.7% |
| 2021 | $34,933 | $16.79 | +3.1% |
Home health care jobs by state
Most common states for home health cares
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 287 | 41% |
| 2 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 4,961 | 39% |
| 3 | Vermont | 623,657 | 238 | 38% |
| 4 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 2,055 | 37% |
| 5 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 1,161 | 37% |
| 6 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 2,492 | 36% |
| 7 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 3,475 | 34% |
| 8 | Delaware | 961,939 | 305 | 32% |
| 9 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 243 | 32% |
| 10 | Missouri | 6,113,532 | 1,876 | 31% |
| 11 | Ohio | 11,658,609 | 3,471 | 30% |
| 12 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 1,237 | 30% |
| 13 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 401 | 30% |
| 14 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 319 | 30% |
| 15 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 259 | 30% |
| 16 | Michigan | 9,962,311 | 2,912 | 29% |
| 17 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 170 | 29% |
| 18 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 2,348 | 28% |
| 19 | South Carolina | 5,024,369 | 1,411 | 28% |
| 20 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 1,571 | 27% |
Most common cities for home health cares
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pensacola | 2 | 4% | $23,496 |
| 2 | Elmira | 1 | 4% | $41,903 |
| 3 | Jackson | 1 | 3% | $33,735 |
| 4 | Kennesaw | 1 | 3% | $25,155 |
| 5 | Wheat Ridge | 1 | 3% | $29,266 |
| 6 | Casa Grande | 1 | 2% | $27,014 |
| 7 | Ceres | 1 | 2% | $40,887 |
| 8 | Pittsfield | 1 | 2% | $43,561 |
| 9 | Tuckahoe | 1 | 2% | $31,719 |
| 10 | Flint | 1 | 1% | $34,481 |
| 11 | West Palm Beach | 1 | 1% | $23,240 |
| 12 | Los Angeles | 2 | 0% | $35,848 |
| 13 | Kansas City | 1 | 0% | $28,044 |
| 14 | Omaha | 1 | 0% | $28,520 |
| 15 | San Diego | 1 | 0% | $34,663 |
Home Health Care job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of home health care experts
Texas State University
Florida International University
Medical University of South Carolina
Oklahoma State University - Oklahoma City
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
Springfield College
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
The University of Arizona
Merrimack College
Bellevue College
Georgia Southern University
Cambridge College
Marywood University
Rollins College
The University of Alabama at Birmingham
Healthcare Technology Management
MGMA
IHRSA, The International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association
Joseph Topinka JD, LLM, MBA, MHA, FACHE, FHFMA
Clinical Associate Professor of PracticeTexas State University
Health And Medical Administrative Services
What general advice would you give to a Home Health Care?
Joseph Topinka JD, LLM, MBA, MHA, FACHE, FHFMA: Bringing together different clinical specialties and types of personnel with varying perspectives, training, and experiences is a challenge for Healthcare Administrators. They are responsible for making them all work together as a team, similar to high school or college coaches.
What Home Health Care skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Joseph Topinka JD, LLM, MBA, MHA, FACHE, FHFMA: Healthcare Administrators lead clinical and non-clinical personnel in a medical organization. They harmonize patients, resources, and service to ensure safety and quality patient care. They compare a healthcare administrator to a ship’s captain, ensuring that everyone has a role to play in meeting the organization's goals.
What Home Health Care skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Ms. Cristina Rodriguez MBA: Emphasize the significance of networking: Establish connections within the industry by engaging with professional organizations, alumni networks, and conferences. Networking can significantly impact your career, opening doors to job opportunities and mentorship. Underline the importance of diverse experience: In the early stages of your career, actively seek roles that expose you to various aspects of health services administration, such as operations, finance, or quality improvement. This diverse experience can greatly contribute to your professional growth. Stress the necessity of staying updated: In this dynamic field, it's crucial to stay abreast of industry trends, policy changes, and technological advancements. Continuous learning and adaptation are key to your success. Develop leadership skills: Aim to cultivate strong leadership qualities, as administrative roles often require managing teams and driving organizational change. Pursue further education if needed: Consider pursuing advanced degrees or certifications (e.g., MHA, MBA, or Six Sigma) to enhance your qualifications and career prospects.
What will help Home Health Cares increase their earning potential?
Ms. Cristina Rodriguez MBA: To maximize your salary potential in health services administration, you should research industry standards, acquire relevant education and certifications, gain practical experience, develop in-demand skills, network, and consider geographic factors. You should also negotiate effectively, demonstrate value and performance, and seek advancement opportunities. Remember that continuous effort and strategic planning are essential for salary negotiation and career progression.
What Home Health Care skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Zahi Jurdi DHA: Early careerists may work on high-impact process improvement or strategic expansion projects such as enhancing clinic flow, expanding radiology network market share; or they may work in a clinic as a supervisor/manager focusing on operational management of the clinic to include supervising direct reports, overseeing the supply chain process (medical supplies, office supplies, etc.), charge capture, provider scheduling, staff scheduling, operational and capital budget, etc.
What will help Home Health Cares increase their earning potential?
Elizabeth Wood: Even though you just graduated, you have to keep learning and challenging yourself. Your knowledge and skills are the assets that will follow you everywhere you go in your career, and they are worth investing in. Continue to set new goals and make plans for how to achieve them and pay attention to whether your organization supports you in those goals. A healthy organization should support employee development and growth.
What general advice would you give to a Home Health Care?
Dr. Lisa Benz Scott PhD: The field of Healthcare Administration requires advanced graduate level training, be sure to do your homework to find a Masters of Health Administration (MHA) program that is nationally accredited by CAHME. There are lots of programs out in the world, but only the highest quality programs have achieved the standards for excellence in education that is reviewed by the Council. The field requires a combination of knowledge and skills that only a MHA program can provide, combined with hands-on experience through internships, practicums, and other experiential learning in a variety of healthcare settings (hospitals, ambulatory and specialty clinics, home health care, behavioral health care, long-term care, palliative care, to name a few).
Penny Ridenour
Dean of School of Health SciencesOklahoma State University - Oklahoma City
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences
What general advice would you give to a Home Health Care?
Penny Ridenour: In order to maximize your earnings, flexibility is key to fit the niche the employer needs. Intentionally accept assignments that will allow growth in a specialization. If possible, ask to shadow other professionals proficient in the specialization you desire.
What Home Health Care skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Penny Ridenour: To differentiate yourself from the other new professionals entering healthcare after graduation, pay attention to the soft skills employers are looking for. Listening, empathy, and communication skills polish professional persona. Also, developing skills in resiliency will equip new professionals for a growing career in healthcare.
What will help Home Health Cares increase their earning potential?
Penny Ridenour: It is important to be committed to lifelong learning as healthcare is innovative and dynamic. Technological proficiency will be vital in adapting to any new changes in the field.
Rachel Ellison Ph.D.
Associate ProfessorUniversity of Louisiana at Lafayette
Health And Medical Administrative Services
What will help Home Health Cares increase their earning potential?
Rachel Ellison Ph.D.: New graduates need to capitalize on all the skills and experiences they have had. Many skills are transferable and should be mentioned on the resume. Highlight everything that can maximize the potential. A great first impression and confidence during the interview process will be remembered.
Megan Harvey Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Health ScienceSpringfield College
School of Health Sciences
What skills stand out on Home Health Care resumes?
Megan Harvey Ph.D.: Students who plan to go into the health care field need to have both determination and thick skin and the ability to be empathic and understand their patients. We've seen the way health care professionals are being treated change, even just in the past 5 years. It can be a hard balance to walk for health care professionals, to be both firm about evidence-based practice and empathetic and kind to their patients, but it's really the only way to achieve the best possible patient outcomes. I imagine that showing that you have worked in challenging health care situations is one way to show that you're developing this skill on your resume.
What soft skills should all Home Health Cares possess?
Megan Harvey Ph.D.: Problem-solving is such an important skill. We need health care providers who think for themselves and attempt to answer their own questions, AND - that know how to balance that with asking for help when they need it.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Home Health Cares?
Megan Harvey Ph.D.: Understanding documentation and electronic medical records are a must-have in health care these days!
What skills will help Home Health Cares earn the most?
Megan Harvey Ph.D.: The highest earners are probably those who know how to set themselves apart from their peers and who are warm and approachable to their patients. You can't fake being a good health care provider, and you won't be a high earner in this field unless you're good at what you do. There's no shortcut for putting the time and effort in that it takes to truly care about getting the best outcome possible for your patient.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Home Health Cares?
Kurt Houser: This depends on your field. If you're a generalist, you need to know a little about every administrative subject, but typically you enter a technical field before you rise to a generalist/operations job, manager, or C-Suite position. Therefore, the technical skills needed depend on your desired field. Certainly, every administrator should understand data, performance improvement, and basic financial data, but if you are, for example, in finance, you should be working for credentials that show you are an expert in finance, budgeting, or accounting.
What skills will help Home Health Cares earn the most?
Kurt Houser: Early on in your career, one should focus on mastering their technical work. If you can be a trusted subject matter expert, you'll need to develop the soft skills to lead people. As you rise in leadership positions, soft skills are by far the most important. A 2015 Carnegie Foundation Study showed that "85% of your financial success depends on your soft skills". I've found that to be clearly true.
What general advice would you give to a Home Health Care?
Kurt Houser: Nearly 10% of all jobs in America are in Healthcare. There are so many opportunities for administrators. About 2 decades ago the primary career goal was to be in the c-suite of a short term acute care hospital. Today, there are scores of excellent career jobs in a variety of organizations; not just hospitals, but nursing homes, insurance/payers, home health, mental health, niche healthcare, consulting, IT specialty, etc.
Amanda Sokan Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of PracticeThe University of Arizona
Phoenix Campus Department
What skills stand out on Home Health Care resumes?
Amanda Sokan Ph.D.: Further to my statement above - it will likely depend on the particular position. Perhaps generally - leadership, business skills/acumen for operations/business administration, & finance management, data analysis and management, quality assurance/control, skills that indicate prowess in relevant technical, technological, or digital skills. May also reflect current trends or industry needs, e.g., Population Health & Value-based Contract, Predictive Analytics: Big data in healthcare, Digital Health - The business of telemedicine/ the barriers of disseminating telemedicine, Data Analytics
What soft skills should all Home Health Cares possess?
Amanda Sokan Ph.D.: A long list! In no particular order:
Communication (in its various forms - written, spoken, inter-personal and includes the art of listening); relationship management -teamwork (and associated skills like patience, responsibility, and accountability, self-management/control); leadership, mentoring, networking; problem-solving, critical thinking, diplomacy and tact, flexibility; decision- making - conflict resolution, negotiation skills; planning - time management, innovation, and creativity, self-motivation and work ethic; ethics - ethical judgment/managerial and professional non-verbal; cultural humility/commitment to diversity, inclusion, equity, and access; emotional intelligence, empathy, and humor, etc.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Home Health Cares?
Amanda Sokan Ph.D.: Healthcare technology! Data analytics, digital technology, quality assurance/control, project management, personnel management, finance/accounting, etc.
What skills will help Home Health Cares earn the most?
Amanda Sokan Ph.D.: That said, I think it will depend on many factors (demand, specialization required, location, experience, etc. see statement above). Also, new areas of interest emerge as the industry evolves. See again question one and statement regarding industry trends and needs.
Areas of interest to me - population aging, health technology assessment, digital health technology, precision health, data analytics, human resource management for competitive advantage, diversity and culture and health advocacy, population health.
Comora Sarah
Assistant Clinical ProfessorMerrimack College
Nursing Department
What skills stand out on Home Health Care resumes?
Comora Sarah: Experience in the industry, Dementia training, BLS certification
What hard/technical skills are most important for Home Health Cares?
Marina Orobinskaia: There are no more or less important skills. You need to learn all of them to excellence and what is most important - use your critical thinking when you do them.
Joey Crosby Ph.D.
Professor of Health Sciences, Program Director - Master of Health Administration (MHA)Georgia Southern University
Department of Health Sciences and Kinesiology
What soft skills should all Home Health Cares possess?
Joey Crosby Ph.D.: Communications, emotional intelligence
What hard/technical skills are most important for Home Health Cares?
Joey Crosby Ph.D.: Critical thinking/problem solving
What skills will help Home Health Cares earn the most?
Joey Crosby Ph.D.: A mix of soft and hard skills.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Home Health Care job market given the pandemic?
Dr. Felisa Albert: Since this pandemic has shined a light on this country's history of racism and racial health disparities, I believe there will be an increase in the job market as it relates to health care, public service, and DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion). As society continues to become more diverse based on race and ethnicity and with racism no longer being ignored but instead called out, we are seeing an emergence of leaders of color not only in the health professions but also various businesses, organizations, and institutions that are committed to developing policies and practices rooted in racial and social justice.
What Home Health Care skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Felisa Albert: If a graduate in the field of healthcare administration and other health professions wants to take a gap year, I would suggest he or she work on cultural awareness and sensitivity. Unquestionably, this is a skill set that is important across all areas of professions, but more importantly when working with people.
Cultural awareness encourages a person to learn about other cultures, practices, languages, traditions, and beliefs. When people are seeking to learn about other cultures, it creates the space for them to be open to those differences by learning and understanding at the level of both hearts and minds. Having this awareness will increase cultural sensitivity, which is only evident based on actions that are respectful, inclusive, and empowering for all.
Learning how to work with people is not learned by reading a book or passing a test. The only way to strengthen these interpersonal and cross-cultural skills is to practice outside of one's comfort zone and spend purposeful and meaningful time within different cultures. Also, one must be courageous enough to ask him or herself these questions:
-Why do I believe what I believe?
-Where do my biases come from?
-What has influenced my thinking about this thing?
-Why do I react the way I do when this happens?
When cultural awareness and sensitivity are viewed as part of social responsibility - intentional and practiced - it creates the space for intellectual diversity or, in other words, deepened conversations of exploration and learning of oneself. People can then share diverse ideas, thoughts, and perceptions about the ways intellectual diversity has informed, shaped, and changed their worldviews over time.
What general advice would you give to a Home Health Care?
Dr. Felisa Albert: I would like graduates beginning their career to understand that their journey is not a race but a self-discovery journey. One might start off on one track and later on realize that path is no longer the one they want to pursue. If that happens, please remember: be patient, and believe in yourself and the process in order to clear the mind of self-doubt. The number one goal is to find what one is passionate about, what gives one energy, and what makes the soul happy.
Because everyone has gifts for the world, a person should take action steps to find out what those are by journaling, creating a vision board, meditating, praying, or brainstorming with those who one is familiar with and, more importantly, who can support the exploratory process in that moment. One must remember to always set goals, reach goals, make new goals, and repeat.
College gives the foundation, but now the real world is going to give the test. Embrace the challenge. Stay current and knowledgeable about the professions of choice. One shouldn't be afraid to ask questions and for help, so find a mentor or coach to help guide in the process. The world owes you nothing; therefore, understand there will be obstacles, so creating action plans are necessary to stay focused and to keep moving with a vision in place.
What experience really stands out on Home Health Care resumes?
Dr. Alice Elaine McDonnell: Primarily, their internship experience as well as any other project or applied assignments completed as a contribution to the community.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Home Health Cares?
Dr. Alice Elaine McDonnell: As the field of public health presents new challenges/issues, professionals will be needed for wellness education and research. New leadership is needed for reinventing and strengthening our public health systems. Therefore, our graduates are going to be in demand to enhance progress and share a new vision for public health. Our graduates will need to respond more quickly to these challenges.
Shan- Estelle Brown
Assistant Professor Co-Coordinator, Global Health MinorRollins College
Department of Anthropology
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Home Health Cares in the next 3-5 years?
Shan- Estelle Brown: Ultimately, technologies to help people connect and stay connected to each other are going to continue to be terribly important, during and after the pandemic, but I also think tools to help us think about the novel and creative solutions to problems will also grow in popularity. I certainly want to advocate here for ethnography as a research method that requires active listening and observation, participant observation, and interacting with people in order to deeply understand them. This method is particularly useful for understanding beliefs and behaviors in any local context.
Will there be an increase or decrease in demand for Home Health Cares in the next 5 years?
Shan- Estelle Brown: I see an increase in demand for Anthropology graduates, but the onus is still going to be on the graduates to translate their knowledge and skills to their future careers. Anthropology students know quite a bit about the big problems facing humanity and know a lot about the need for empathy. It's empathy, critical thinking, and knowledge of the culture that anthropology students use and understand that will be really important in the next five years for contributing to community resilience in the years post-COVID-19, especially since another pandemic will come.
Will there be an increase or decrease in demand for Home Health Cares in the next 5 years?
Trenton Cleghern: You would expect an increase in demand in the next five years due to the aging population. As the population ages, you see more cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, macular degeneration, and other eye diseases.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Home Health Cares in the next 3-5 years?
Danielle C. McGeary: It's a really exciting time to consider a career as a BMET since COVID-19 has really redefined how healthcare system's deliver care. With the growth of existing telehealth programs and the emphasis of "Hospital at Home", BMETs will be at the forefront of implementing and supporting these technologies. The term medical equipment repairer, greatly underscores all that these highly skilled professionals do for hospitals. Medical devices are no longer stand-alone; they are now all part of networked systems that talk to one another. This is how your health information gets from a medical device to an app on your phone. BMETs work hand-in-hand with hospital IT departments to ensure this all works. And as technology continues to expand outside hospital walls, BMETs are essential to the future state of telemedicine as a permanent fixture of the U.S. healthcare system. BMETs will also play a large role in supporting other emerging technologies in healthcare such as virtual reality (VR), artificial intelligence (AI), surgical robots, and 3D printing.
Will there be an increase or decrease in demand for Home Health Cares in the next 5 years?
Danielle C. McGeary: The Medical Device industry is currently valued at $173 billion in the United States and is projected to grow to $208 billion by 2023 causing the need for BMETs to also grow. Technology that hospitals depend on is always changing and expanding and; therefore, there is always a steady demand for BMETs. If you choose this career path, you WILL get a job. Additionally, the BMET field is also facing the threat of an aging workforce as 60% of BMETs are over the age of 50. When you combine the aging workforce with the continuous changes and growth in health technologies, the need for BMETs in the next 5 year is astronomical.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Home Health Care job market given the pandemic?
Andrew Hajde: The pandemic in 2020 has caused many employers to tighten their belts. This will mean fewer new healthcare practices, locations, and therefore, job opportunities. There will also temporarily be more competition for any management level openings due to some workers being displaced from their current jobs because of personal or work related circumstances. A similar situation happened during the 2008 financial crisis in which there was an influx of applicants for open positions, which in some cases favored those with higher levels of education, certifications, and experience.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Home Health Cares in the next 3-5 years?
Andrew Hajde: If I had to pick one I would probably say virtual visits and monitoring, but likely all of the below.
-A continued increase of technologies to meet face-to-face virtually via Zoom, Teams, Duo or other methods will become the norm with less travel for meetings that don't require someone being present in person.
-Telehealth is also here to stay and patients will expect care where and when they need it, this will become even more prevalent over the next few years.
-There will also be an increase of remote monitoring, wearable, and home-based technologies so patients and doctors can keep close tabs on patients, even without them being seen in person.
-I would also expect new advancements in the ability to diagnose and treat patients through the use of A.I. and other evolving technologies.
-Patient portals and quick and easy access to schedule appointments, complete paperwork, check in, pay outstanding bills, the ability to quickly view test results and medical records will be expected, in addition to increased interoperability between different health systems and providers.
Meredith Poppler
Vice President, CommunicationsIHRSA, The International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association
What type of skills will young Home Health Cares need?
Meredith Poppler: People skills are most important. How to manage a gym or teach a class can be taught, but you must show engagement in members and a love of exercise. You might be the best at knowing how the physical body moves, but if you're not able to connect with club members or clients, that won't matter. Many clubs train fitness professionals in how they want their trainers to train and instructors to teach, but certifications are still very important. Being knowledgeable about how to connect both in person as well as online will be important as we emerge from lockdowns.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Home Health Cares to find work opportunities?
Meredith Poppler: Before the crisis, clubs were growing and expanding everywhere across the country. So, once the crisis is behind us, they will begin to grow and hire again. States where fitness programming can be expanded outdoors might need more people sooner.