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What is a house parent and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
2 min read
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a house parent. For example, did you know that they make an average of $16.73 an hour? That's $34,797 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 36% and produce 1,185,800 job opportunities across the U.S.
ScoreHouse ParentUS Average
Salary
2.7

Avg. Salary $34,797

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
8.4

Growth rate 36%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
2.1
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.81%

Asian 6.72%

Black or African American 16.53%

Hispanic or Latino 13.75%

Unknown 5.44%

White 56.75%

Gender

female 66.07%

male 33.93%

Age - 21
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 21
Stress level
8.4

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
6.4

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance
6.4

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

House parent career paths

Key steps to become a house parent

  1. Explore house parent education requirements

    Most common house parent degrees

    Bachelor's

    48.6 %

    High School Diploma

    17.0 %

    Associate

    16.2 %
  2. Start to develop specific house parent skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Crisis Intervention12.14%
    Foster Care8.97%
    Direct Care8.80%
    CPR8.79%
    Child Care7.13%
  3. Complete relevant house parent training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New house parents learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a house parent based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real house parent resumes.
  4. Research house parent duties and responsibilities

    • Lead support groups with an emphasis on recovery and strength base techniques, DBT, CBT, self-care and coping skills.
    • Attend multiple trainings on child development, wellness action plans, as well as CPR certification.
    • Demonstrate proficiency in administering medications, assisting with ADL's.
    • Promote continuity of care by accurately and completely communicating to other caregivers the status of patients for which care is provided.
  5. Prepare your house parent resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your house parent resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a house parent resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable house parent resume templates

    Build a professional house parent resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your house parent resume.
    House Parent Resume
    House Parent Resume
    House Parent Resume
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    House Parent Resume
    House Parent Resume
    House Parent Resume
  6. Apply for house parent jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a house parent job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first house parent job

Zippi

Are you a house parent?

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Average house parent salary

The average house parent salary in the United States is $34,797 per year or $17 per hour. House parent salaries range between $24,000 and $49,000 per year.

Average house parent salary
$34,797 Yearly
$16.73 hourly

What am I worth?

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How do house parents rate their job?

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House parent reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2019
Pros

To help most people out of their respective concern.

Cons

I don't like people perishing, especially the teenagers.


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2019
Pros

Working as a Direct Care Professional, * I like most helping others with different disabilities. * I like most seeing each individual achieve their highest level of achievement. * I like most listing and learning different things from each individual. * I like most hearing the individuals say when they TRUST you, “ hey momma “ * I like most seeing each individual including staff happy; however, if not working together as a team in a positive way to improve the current situation to create a happier and healthier work environment.


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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