Personal support worker demographics and statistics in the US
Personal support worker demographics research summary. Zippia estimates personal support worker demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our personal support worker estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about personal support workers after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 154,933 personal support workers currently employed in the United States.
- 71.3% of all personal support workers are women, while 28.7% are men.
- The average personal support worker age is 47 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of personal support workers is White (61.1%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (16.0%), Black or African American (9.2%) and Asian (8.3%).
- In 2022, women earned 97% of what men earned.
- 7% of all personal support workers are LGBT.
- Personal support workers are 63% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to public companies.
On this page
Personal support worker demographics by:
Personal support worker gender statistics
71.3% of personal support workers are women and 28.7% of personal support workers are men.
- Female, 71.3%
- Male, 28.7%
Personal support worker gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 71.3% |
| Male | 28.7% |
Personal support worker gender pay gap
Women earn 97¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$38,865
Female income
$37,885
Personal support worker gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in personal support worker positions over time. Currently, 71.3% of personal support workers are female.
Personal support worker gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 23.44% | 76.56% |
| 2011 | 24.19% | 75.81% |
| 2012 | 27.06% | 72.94% |
| 2013 | 25.85% | 74.15% |
| 2014 | 26.13% | 73.87% |
| 2015 | 26.19% | 73.81% |
| 2016 | 27.02% | 72.98% |
| 2017 | 27.80% | 72.20% |
| 2018 | 27.04% | 72.96% |
| 2019 | 27.81% | 72.19% |
| 2020 | 31.17% | 68.83% |
| 2021 | 28.71% | 71.29% |
Personal support worker related jobs gender ratio
We compared personal support workers with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, camp boss and valet have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Infant Childcare Provider | 3% | 97% |
| Daycare Owner | 4% | 96% |
| Professional Nanny | 5% | 95% |
| Personal Support Worker | 29% | 71% |
| Intramural Director | 82% | 18% |
| Valet | 85% | 15% |
| Camp Boss | 88% | 12% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Personal support worker demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among personal support workers is White, which makes up 61.1% of all personal support workers. Comparatively, 16.0% of personal support workers are Hispanic or Latino and 9.2% of personal support workers are Black or African American.
- White, 61.1%
- Hispanic or Latino, 16.0%
- Black or African American, 9.2%
- Asian, 8.3%
- Unknown, 4.3%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
Personal support worker race
| Personal support worker race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 61.1% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 16.0% |
| Black or African American | 9.2% |
| Asian | 8.3% |
| Unknown | 4.3% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.1% |
Personal support worker race and ethnicity over time
See how personal support worker racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Personal support worker race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 69.59% | 10.98% | 5.24% | 11.44% |
| 2011 | 66.69% | 11.98% | 5.91% | 12.04% |
| 2012 | 67.31% | 11.08% | 5.86% | 12.49% |
| 2013 | 67.57% | 10.67% | 6.07% | 12.52% |
| 2014 | 67.81% | 9.99% | 6.33% | 12.57% |
| 2015 | 67.11% | 10.19% | 6.25% | 13.48% |
| 2016 | 65.86% | 10.13% | 6.94% | 13.97% |
| 2017 | 65.50% | 9.09% | 7.81% | 14.13% |
| 2018 | 65.97% | 10.06% | 7.08% | 13.80% |
| 2019 | 67.84% | 8.93% | 6.89% | 13.42% |
| 2020 | 64.05% | 9.42% | 7.80% | 13.40% |
| 2021 | 61.12% | 9.16% | 8.33% | 16.01% |
Personal support worker wage gap by race
According to our data, black or african american personal support workers have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Unknown personal support workers have the lowest average salary at $37,848.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $37,848 |
| White | $38,663 |
| Black or African American | $39,698 |
| Asian | $39,091 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $39,048 |
Average personal support worker age
See how the average age of personal support workers varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Personal support worker age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 45 | 48 |
| Unknown | 37 | 47 |
| Asian | 56 | 54 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 41 | 49 |
| White | 47 | 51 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 45 | 47 |
Personal support worker age breakdown
The average age of personal support workers is 40+ years years old, representing 71% of the personal support worker population.
Personal support worker age breakdown
| Personal Support Worker Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 71% |
| 30-40 years | 16% |
| 20-30 years | 13% |
Personal support worker educational attainment
The most common degree for personal support workers is bachelor's degree, with 46% of personal support workers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 17% and associate degree degree at 17%.
- Bachelor's, 46%
- Associate, 17%
- High School Diploma, 17%
- Diploma, 8%
- Other Degrees, 12%
Personal support workers by degree level
| Personal support worker degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 46% |
| Associate | 17% |
| High School Diploma | 17% |
| Diploma | 8% |
| Other Degrees | 12% |
Personal support worker jobs you might like
Personal support worker wage gap by degree level
According to the data, personal support workers with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $40,271 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, personal support workers earn a median annual income of $39,584 compared to $39,139 for personal support workers with an Associate degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $40,271 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $37,975 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $39,584 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $39,139 |
Personal support worker employment statistics
Most personal support workers work for a private in the health care industry.
Company size where personal support workers work
Below, you can see the size of companies where personal support workers work.
Personal support worker jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 9% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 19% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 31% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 13% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 16% |
| > 10,000 employees | 12% |
Personal support worker jobs by company type
Employees with the personal support worker job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most personal support workers prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Personal support worker jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 7% |
| Public | 16% |
| Private | 63% |
| Government | 13% |
Personal support worker jobs by industry
The most common industries for personal support workers are health care, professional and government.
Personal support worker industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Health Care | 24% |
| Professional | 11% |
| Government | 9% |
| Non Profits | 8% |
| Manufacturing | 7% |
| Fortune 500 | 7% |
| Education | 6% |
| Retail | 5% |
| Finance | 4% |
| Technology | 4% |
| Hospitality | 3% |
| Media | 2% |
| Transportation | 2% |
| Pharmaceutical | 1% |
| Automotive | 1% |
| Utilities | 1% |
| Telecommunication | 1% |
| Start-up | 1% |
| Insurance | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
Personal support worker turnover and employment statistics
Personal support worker unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for personal support workers between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Personal support worker unemployment rate by year
| Year | Personal support worker unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 10.10% |
| 2011 | 11.06% |
| 2012 | 9.90% |
| 2013 | 8.83% |
| 2014 | 7.61% |
| 2015 | 6.51% |
| 2016 | 5.54% |
| 2017 | 5.18% |
| 2018 | 4.93% |
| 2019 | 4.32% |
| 2020 | 5.81% |
| 2021 | 7.35% |
Average personal support worker tenure
The average personal support worker stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 1,770 personal support workers resumes in Zippia's database.
Personal support worker tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 24% |
| 1-2 years | 28% |
| 3-4 years | 15% |
| 5-7 years | 18% |
| 8-10 years | 6% |
| 11+ years | 9% |
Personal support worker LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of personal support workers 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Child Care Worker | 4.43% | 136,963 |
| Valet | 5.80% | 3,361 |
| Personal Support Worker | 6.73% | - |
| Camp Boss | 8.12% | 3,094 |
| Cottage Parent | 12.72% | 1,255 |
| Water Aerobics Instructor | 13.13% | 29,227 |
Similar personal support worker jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Child Care Worker | 4.43% | 136,963 |
| Valet | 5.80% | 3,361 |
| Camp Boss | 8.12% | 3,094 |
| Cottage Parent | 12.72% | 1,255 |
| Water Aerobics Instructor | 13.13% | 29,227 |
Foreign languages spoken by personal support workers
The most common foreign language among personal support workers is Spanish at 64.4%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 6.7% and German is the third-most popular at 4.4%.
- Spanish, 64.4%
- French, 6.7%
- German, 4.4%
- Hindi, 4.4%
- Arabic, 4.4%
- Other, 15.7%
Personal support worker languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 64.4% |
| French | 6.7% |
| German | 4.4% |
| Hindi | 4.4% |
| Arabic | 4.4% |
| Other | 15.7% |
