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The differences between personal care workers and home care attendants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a personal care worker has an average salary of $29,490, which is higher than the $26,059 average annual salary of a home care attendant.
The top three skills for a personal care worker include patients, home health and good communication. The most important skills for a home care attendant are patients, home health, and companionship.
| Personal Care Worker | Home Care Attendant | |
| Yearly salary | $29,490 | $26,059 |
| Hourly rate | $14.18 | $12.53 |
| Growth rate | 36% | 36% |
| Number of jobs | 129,522 | 235,912 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | 5 |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 36% | Bachelor's Degree, 33% |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A personal care worker is responsible for providing quality health care services for elders and disabled persons. Personal care workers are usually employed in a private household setting or a special healthcare institution, assisting patients with their daily activities, and monitoring their conditions. They update the patients' medical charts, administer medication from the physician's prescriptions, and manage their food intake. A personal care worker must be highly-organized, especially when attending to patients' needs, inquiries, and concerns.
A home care attendant is a health care worker whose primary job is to provide care and assistance to the elderly and people with disabilities. Your day-to-day duties will include monitoring and recording the condition of patients, performing housekeeping and laundry, and providing personal care services such as dressing and bathing. In addition, you will assist patients in caring for themselves by teaching them how to use a walker, cane, and personal hygiene equipment. As a home care attendant, you are also expected to adhere to asepsis procedures and standards to maintain a secure, healthy, and safe environment.
Personal care workers and home care attendants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Personal Care Worker | Home Care Attendant | |
| Average salary | $29,490 | $26,059 |
| Salary range | Between $22,000 And $38,000 | Between $17,000 And $38,000 |
| Highest paying City | Lynn, MA | Watertown Town, MA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Tyson Foods | Dignity Health |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Media |
There are a few differences between a personal care worker and a home care attendant in terms of educational background:
| Personal Care Worker | Home Care Attendant | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 36% | Bachelor's Degree, 33% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Nursing |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between personal care workers' and home care attendants' demographics:
| Personal Care Worker | Home Care Attendant | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 16.4% Female, 83.6% | Male, 13.1% Female, 86.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 12.5% Asian, 10.2% White, 63.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3% | Black or African American, 10.5% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 8.0% White, 57.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |