Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between personal care assistants and companions can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a companion has an average salary of $29,246, which is higher than the $26,643 average annual salary of a personal care assistant.
The top three skills for a personal care assistant include patients, CPR and home health. The most important skills for a companion are companionship, patients, and home health.
| Personal Care Assistant | Companion | |
| Yearly salary | $26,643 | $29,246 |
| Hourly rate | $12.81 | $14.06 |
| Growth rate | 36% | 36% |
| Number of jobs | 256,869 | 75,753 |
| Job satisfaction | 4.67 | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 31% | High School Diploma, 28% |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
Personal care assistants are employed to help individuals who may need special attention or assistance. They are usually trained to care for individuals with specific conditions, whether physically or mentally. Personal care assistants manage their meal plans, medicine intake, daily schedule, and therapy, among others. They help their clients move, eat, bathe, and dress. They also run errands and provide any other assistance that their clients may need. Personal care assistants also provide emotional and moral support to their clients. They are also in touch with medical professionals and provide updates on the health of their clients.
A companion is responsible for assisting sick and recovered patients, as well as the elderly. Companions perform housekeeping duties, ensuring that a facility is well-maintained and safe for the use of the patients. They also monitor the patients' medication, prepare their meals based on a medical professional's prescription, support them on their daily activities, respond to the patients' needs and special requests as allowed, and report any developments to their family or guardians. A companion must be compassionate enough to extend physical and emotional support, depending on the client's condition.
Personal care assistants and companions have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Personal Care Assistant | Companion | |
| Average salary | $26,643 | $29,246 |
| Salary range | Between $18,000 And $37,000 | Between $22,000 And $38,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Washington |
| Best paying company | Massachusetts General Hospital | Merck |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Non Profits |
There are a few differences between a personal care assistant and a companion in terms of educational background:
| Personal Care Assistant | Companion | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 31% | High School Diploma, 28% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Nursing |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between personal care assistants' and companions' demographics:
| Personal Care Assistant | Companion | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 15.0% Female, 85.0% | Male, 12.1% Female, 87.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 8.7% White, 59.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% | Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 18.9% Asian, 7.7% White, 57.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |