Patient care assistant demographics and statistics in the US
Patient care assistant demographics research summary. Zippia estimates patient care assistant demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our patient 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 patient care assistants after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 175,879 patient care assistants currently employed in the United States.
- 85.6% of all patient care assistants are women, while 14.4% are men.
- The average patient care assistant age is 41 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of patient care assistants is White (61.3%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (15.3%), Black or African American (10.4%) and Asian (7.3%).
- Patient care assistants are most in-demand in New York, NY.
- San Diego, CA pays an annual average wage of $35,323, the highest in the US.
- In 2022, women patient care assistants earned 95% of what men earned.
- Washington is the best state for patient care assistants to live.
- Patient care assistants are 88% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to public companies.
On this page
Patient care assistant demographics by:
Patient care assistant gender statistics
85.6% of patient care assistants are women and 14.4% of patient care assistants are men.
- Female, 85.6%
- Male, 14.4%
Patient care assistant gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 85.6% |
| Male | 14.4% |
Patient care assistant gender pay gap
Women earn 95¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$35,429
Female income
$33,825
Patient care assistant gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in patient care assistant positions over time. Currently, 85.6% of patient care assistants are female.
Patient care assistant gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 15.15% | 84.85% |
| 2011 | 16.18% | 83.82% |
| 2012 | 17.01% | 82.99% |
| 2013 | 17.75% | 82.25% |
| 2014 | 15.15% | 84.85% |
| 2015 | 15.55% | 84.45% |
| 2016 | 15.52% | 84.48% |
| 2017 | 15.67% | 84.33% |
| 2018 | 14.35% | 85.65% |
| 2019 | 13.56% | 86.44% |
| 2020 | 13.24% | 86.76% |
| 2021 | 14.36% | 85.64% |
Patient care assistant related jobs gender ratio
We compared patient 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% |
| Patient Care Assistant | 14% | 86% |
| Corpsman | 80% | 20% |
| Surgical Orderly | 82% | 18% |
| Medical Orderly | 89% | 11% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Patient care assistant demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among patient care assistants is White, which makes up 61.3% of all patient care assistants. Comparatively, 15.3% of patient care assistants are Hispanic or Latino and 10.4% of patient care assistants are Black or African American.
- White, 61.3%
- Hispanic or Latino, 15.3%
- Black or African American, 10.4%
- Asian, 7.3%
- Unknown, 4.9%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
Patient care assistant race
| Patient care assistant race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 61.3% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 15.3% |
| Black or African American | 10.4% |
| Asian | 7.3% |
| Unknown | 4.9% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.8% |
Patient care assistant race and ethnicity over time
See how patient care assistant racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Patient care assistant race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 65.46% | 12.15% | 5.40% | 14.18% |
| 2011 | 64.27% | 13.02% | 5.49% | 14.02% |
| 2012 | 64.36% | 12.23% | 5.66% | 14.54% |
| 2013 | 65.03% | 11.51% | 5.78% | 14.48% |
| 2014 | 62.67% | 13.04% | 6.02% | 14.94% |
| 2015 | 62.53% | 12.55% | 6.29% | 15.42% |
| 2016 | 61.69% | 12.58% | 6.28% | 15.96% |
| 2017 | 62.09% | 11.52% | 6.39% | 16.25% |
| 2018 | 65.86% | 9.35% | 6.71% | 14.86% |
| 2019 | 65.04% | 10.21% | 6.69% | 14.71% |
| 2020 | 63.55% | 8.65% | 7.15% | 14.89% |
| 2021 | 61.30% | 10.41% | 7.26% | 15.28% |
Patient care assistant wage gap by race
According to our data, asian patient care assistants have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. White patient care assistants have the lowest average salary at $34,644.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $34,830 |
| White | $34,644 |
| Black or African American | $35,254 |
| Asian | $37,415 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $35,072 |
Average patient care assistant age
See how the average age of patient care assistants varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Patient care assistant age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 42 | 45 |
| Unknown | 35.5 | 38 |
| Asian | 43 | 47 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 37 | 39 |
| White | 32 | 39 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 36 |
Patient care assistant age breakdown
The average age of patient care assistants is 40+ years years old, representing 53% of the patient care assistant population.
Patient care assistant age breakdown
| Patient Care Assistant Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 53% |
| 30-40 years | 22% |
| 20-30 years | 23% |
Patient care assistant educational attainment
The most common degree for patient care assistants is high school diploma, with 26% of patient care assistants earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 22% and bachelor's degree degree at 22%.
- High School Diploma, 26%
- Bachelor's, 22%
- Associate, 22%
- Diploma, 13%
- Other Degrees, 17%
Patient care assistants by degree level
| Patient care assistant degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma | 26% |
| Bachelor's | 22% |
| Associate | 22% |
| Diploma | 13% |
| Other Degrees | 17% |
Patient care assistant jobs you might like
Patient care assistant wage gap by degree level
According to the data, patient care assistants with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $38,188 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, patient care assistants earn a median annual income of $36,677 compared to $35,303 for patient care assistants with an Associate degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $38,188 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $34,362 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $36,677 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $35,303 |
Patient care assistant employment statistics
Most patient care assistants work for a private in the health care industry.
Company size where patient care assistants work
Below, you can see the size of companies where patient care assistants work.
Patient care assistant jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 5% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 16% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 16% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 13% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 35% |
| > 10,000 employees | 15% |
Patient care assistant jobs by company type
Employees with the patient care assistant job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most patient care assistants prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Patient care assistant jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 2% |
| Public | 8% |
| Private | 88% |
| Government | 2% |
Patient care assistant jobs by industry
The most common industries for patient care assistants are health care, professional and non profits.
Patient care assistant industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Health Care | 75% |
| Professional | 5% |
| Non Profits | 4% |
| Fortune 500 | 3% |
| Government | 2% |
| Hospitality | 2% |
| Pharmaceutical | 1% |
| Media | 1% |
| Finance | 1% |
| Construction | 1% |
| Manufacturing | 1% |
| Retail | 1% |
| Insurance | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
| Education | 1% |
| Technology | 1% |
| Start-up | 1% |
Patient care assistant turnover and employment statistics
Patient care assistant unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for patient care assistants between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Patient care assistant unemployment rate by year
| Year | Patient 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 | 3.63% |
| 2019 | 3.40% |
| 2020 | 4.16% |
| 2021 | 5.25% |
Average patient care assistant tenure
The average patient care assistant stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 44,818 patient care assistants resumes in Zippia's database.
Patient care assistant tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 24% |
| 1-2 years | 32% |
| 3-4 years | 14% |
| 5-7 years | 18% |
| 8-10 years | 6% |
| 11+ years | 7% |
Patient care assistant LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of patient 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 |
| Phlebotomist | 5.28% | 11,707 |
| Group Home Worker | 6.05% | 88,906 |
| Patient Care Assistant | 7.07% | - |
| Occupational Therapy Assistant | 7.18% | 39,881 |
| Speech Pathologist Assistant | 7.30% | 22,793 |
| Surgical Orderly | 10.58% | 24,309 |
Similar patient care assistant jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Laboratory Animal Caretaker | 3.36% | 45,979 |
| Phlebotomist | 5.28% | 11,707 |
| Group Home Worker | 6.05% | 88,906 |
| Occupational Therapy Assistant | 7.18% | 39,881 |
| Speech Pathologist Assistant | 7.30% | 22,793 |
| Surgical Orderly | 10.58% | 24,309 |
Foreign languages spoken by patient care assistants
The most common foreign language among patient care assistants is Spanish at 70.6%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 7.2% and Hmong is the third-most popular at 2.4%.
- Spanish, 70.6%
- French, 7.2%
- Hmong, 2.4%
- Portuguese, 2.3%
- Russian, 2.1%
- Other, 15.4%
Patient care assistant languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 70.6% |
| French | 7.2% |
| Hmong | 2.4% |
| Portuguese | 2.3% |
| Russian | 2.1% |
| Other | 15.4% |
