What is a patient care assistant and how to become one

Q: How long does it take to become a Patient Care Assistant?

It takes 3 years of professional experience to become a patient care assistant. That is the time it takes to learn specific patient care assistant skills, but does not account for time spent in formal education.

Q: How much do patient care assistants make?

Patient care assistant makes $38,694 a year. However, there is some range and how much a patient care assistant can make. This can start as low as $16,000 a year to as high as $49,000 a year. Factors such as location, company and years of experience can impact how much a patient care assistant can make.

Q: How much does a PCA earn?

A PCA earns $13.22 an hour. The range in how much a patient care assistant (PCA) can earn ranges from $9.84 an hour to $17.91 an hour. Factors such as years of experience and location impact how much a PCA can earn.

Q: What is the difference between a patient care assistant and a CNA?

The difference between a patient care assistant and a CNA is that a CNA's job requires training and certification and deals more with medically oriented tasks rather than patient comfort. CNAs do three things that PCAs can not do -- set up medical equipment, assist in medical procedures, and take and record vital signs.

Q: What qualifications do I need to be a health care assistant?

The qualifications needed for a health care assistant include a high school diploma and the willingness to learn. In most cases, employers may require a one or two years vocational / associate's degree. For some entry-level positions, employers require no experience and provide on-the-job training.

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Penny Ridenour

A patient care assistant provides basic care to patients in hospitals, clinics, and other medical facilities. They work under the supervision of nurses and doctors to ensure that patients receive the necessary care and support they need. Patient care assistants typically assist with daily tasks such as bathing, dressing, feeding, and monitoring vital signs. They also provide emotional support to patients and help them maintain their independence as much as possible.

What general advice would you give to a patient care assistant?

Penny Ridenour

Dean of School of Health Sciences, Oklahoma State University - Oklahoma City

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.

ScorePatient Care AssistantUS Average

Salary

2.6

Avg. Salary $32,799

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.5

Growth rate 9%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

10.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.88%

Asian 7.26%

Black or African American 10.41%

Hispanic or Latino 15.28%

Unknown 4.88%

White 61.30%

Gender

female 85.64%

male 14.36%

Age - 41

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 - 41

Stress level

8.5

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.5

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

10.0

Work life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a patient care assistant?

Pros

Opportunities for career advancement and specialized training
Competitive salaries and benefits packages
Hands-on experience in healthcare
Opportunity to work in a team environment and build strong relationships with colleagues
Job stability due to the growing demand for healthcare workers

Cons

Exposure to contagious illnesses and diseases
Emotionally taxing work due to dealing with patients who are in pain or distress
Limited opportunities for advancement without additional education or certification
Lack of control over patient assignments or workload, leading to potential burnout
Dealing with difficult or uncooperative patients or family members can be challenging

Key steps to become a patient care assistant

Explore patient care assistant education requirements

Most common patient care assistant degrees

High School Diploma

26.3 %

Bachelor's

22.4 %

Associate

21.7 %

Start to develop specific patient care assistant skills

Skills	Percentages
Patients	23.34%
Vital Signs	8.55%
PCA	7.80%
CPR	7.10%
Home Health	6.30%

Complete relevant patient care assistant training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New patient care assistants 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 patient care assistant based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real patient care assistant resumes.

Obtain the necessary licensing

Becoming a licensed patient care assistant usually doesn't require a college degree. However, you need to pass an exam to become a licensed patient care assistant in most of states. 25 states require patient care assistants to have license for their work. You can see the list of states below.

State	Education	Exam	License url
Alaska	Degree required	Third-party exam required	Nurse Aide
Arkansas	Specific course required	Both state and third-party exams required	Nursing Assistant (Certified)
California	Specific course required	State exam required	Certified Nurse Assistant
Colorado	Specific course required	State exam required	Nurse Aide
Connecticut	Specific course required	State exam required	Nurses Aide

Gain additional patient care assistant certifications

Patient care assistant certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific patient care assistant certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for patient care assistants include Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) and Medical Assistant.

More About Certifications

Research patient care assistant duties and responsibilities

Conduct and facilitate PCA lead group activities as scheduled
Assist patients in achieving independence and increase functional ability.
Manage ventilator settings, suction tracheostomy, tube-feeding assistance.
Answer call lights, vital signs, EKG'S, transporting patients to other areas, keep rooms clean and orderly.

Prepare your patient care assistant resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your patient care assistant 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 patient care assistant resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable patient care assistant resume templates

Build a professional patient care assistant 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 patient care assistant resume.

Apply for patient care assistant jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a patient care assistant job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

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

How do patient care assistants rate their job?

5/5

Based on 1 ratings

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Patient care assistant reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2023

Pros

Very fulfilling and rewarding

Cons

Hard work, not enough staff, mandated a lot. Under appreciated!

A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2022

Pros

I like the Patient care part of the job. Seeing the patients get better and go home

Cons

Nothing

A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2022

Pros

taking care of people love it been doing it for 34 years and getting patient back home and be able to return to there daily activities

Cons

patient who are real sick and not able to return home it make me sad but i make sure there stay is the best care when they are in hospital this is the only hospital they want to come to and they tell other about the best care they got

What is a patient care assistant and how to become one

What general advice would you give to a patient care assistant?

What are the pros and cons of being a patient care assistant?

Patient care assistant career paths

Key steps to become a patient care assistant

Explore patient care assistant education requirements

Most common patient care assistant degrees

Start to develop specific patient care assistant skills

Complete relevant patient care assistant training and internships

Obtain the necessary licensing

Gain additional patient care assistant certifications

Research patient care assistant duties and responsibilities

Prepare your patient care assistant resume

Choose from 10+ customizable patient care assistant resume templates

Apply for patient care assistant jobs

How did you land your first patient care assistant job

Average patient care assistant salary

How do patient care assistants rate their job?

Patient care assistant reviews

Patient care assistant FAQs

How long does it take to become a Patient Care Assistant?

How much do patient care assistants make?

How much does a PCA earn?

What is the difference between a patient care assistant and a CNA?

What qualifications do I need to be a health care assistant?

Search for patient care assistant jobs

Patient care assistant jobs by state