How much does a Home Health Aide make in 2020?

03 Nov How much does a Home Health Aide make in 2020?

Wondering how much an HHA makes in salary, earnings, hourly pay, and benefits? We detail all that in our Home Health Aide pay guide below. We break down how much an HHA makes in the city of Philadelphia, the state of Pennsylvania, and across the United States. Plus, we discuss much more, including what an HHA does and the requirements. Finally, we discuss the paths for Home Health Aides to get their HHA certification and Philadelphia area resources.

Home Health Aides, also referred to as an HHA, are crucial positions in the medical field. We break down how much a Home Health Aide gets paid in our article below. This includes how much home health aides make per hour as well as per year as a United States average, across the state of Pennsylvania, as well as in the city of Philadelphia. Finally, we help answer common questions about Home Health Aides, including what they do, the work environment, educational requirements, and other prerequisites.

Plus, we also talk about what Home Health Aide certification and training is required, the job outlook for HHAs, and potential career paths that an HHA might take.

What does a Home Health Aide do?

Home health aides, also called HHAs, help individuals with hands-on care and support. Individuals they serve might have disabilities, chronic illnesses, or cognitive impairment. Home health aides assist them in their daily living activities. Also, the majority of clients that Home Health Aides serve are older adults and seniors.

In summary, the Home Health Aide will do the following:

• Assists in the personal care of the patient
• Perform basic patient care skills
• Provide household services in order to maintain a safe, clean environment
• Prepare and assist with the dietary requirements of the patient
• Assist the patient in maintaining their daily activities and quality of life style
• Other duties as assigned and within the scope of practice of the Home Health Aide role

What’s the work environment?

An HHA can work in a variety of settings. Fittingly, a majority of Home Health Aides work right in the client’s home under a home healthcare model. Home health aides can also be found in other healthcare settings as well. For example, you might find HHAs working in day services programs like adult day care, group homes, or other residential living or rehabilitative settings.

Do I need a high school diploma or GED to be a Home Health Aide?

Home Health Aides are not required to have a high school diploma or GED equivalent. This is true when looking for HHA certification and training programs as well as to get hired into the position. However, some companies may have varying requirements. Some organizations will require a high school diploma or GED as a prerequisite. Therefore, it will depend on the agency or healthcare setting that a Home Health Aide works in.

A Home Health Aide training program will also have its own admissions criteria. For example, CareBridge Academy’s home health aide program does not require a high school diploma or GED from its students. The individuals that do not possess a diploma or GED will need to pass a basic math skills examination as well as a reading exam. Individuals working in certified home health or hospice agencies must complete formal training and pass a standardized test, like that found at CareBridge Academy’s 75-hour program.

Is a Home Health Aide certification a requirement?

Yes. Prospective HHAs must go through a formal Home Health Aide training and certification in order to begin working in the medical field as an HHA. The federal requirements of an HHA program in Pennsylvania dictate that Home Health Aides must take a 75 hour course or more covering required topics. 16 of those hours must be in a clinical or lab setting. For example, in the CareBridge Academy HHA training program, those 16 hours are done in a simulated laboratory environment at the location’s school.

Can the HHA certification course be done online?

Mostly it can be, yes. For example, in the CareBridge Academy Home Health Aide certification course, the majority of the course (59 out of 75 hours) are completed remotely via instructor led distance learning. The rest are done at CareBridge Academy’s Philadelphia location. That means that students only need to be present in person for two full days of Home Health Aide Instruction.

How much does the Home Health Aide certification program cost?

The CareBridge Academy HHA certification program costs only $595. This is inclusive of all textbooks, training materials, and other offerings. Program graduates get Home Health Aide training and certification that is highly flexible. It is not restricted to just one home healthcare agency or one healthcare setting.

What are the other requirements of being an HHA?

For both entrance into a training program and a Home Health Aide job, the HHA will need to meet several additional requirements besides the high school diploma or GED possibility we previously mentioned. In the state of Pennsylvania, the Home Health Aide must also have:

• Evidence of a negative 2-Step Tuberculosis (TB) test. This is accomplished by going to a medical facility and having a small amount of tuberculin units injected between the layers of skin. This can be done at a wide variety of facilities as it is an extremely common and routine test, especially in healthcare settings. Within 48-72 hours, the individual will return for a skin evaluation. The medical professional will review the skin for an immune response. In the second step process, the individual will then return a total of 7 to 21 days after the initial test to get their skin read for an immune response. The tests must both be negative. Alternatively, a negative reading via chest x-ray within the previous 5 years is also acceptable for evidence of being negative of tuberculosis.
• National background check, ePatch, and Childline. The background check is to make sure that the individual is free of prohibited offenses that are listed here that would prevent someone from being able to work in the healthcare settings and population of a Home Health Aide.

Some healthcare settings may have additional requirements for HHAs that vary based on the organization, including possibly:

• Previous caregiver experience
• A valid driver’s license, insurance, and/or care
• CPR/ First Aid certification
• A high school diploma/GED

Salary, Benefits, Earnings, & Home Health Aide Hourly Pay 

What does a Home Health Aide make in salary and hourly pay in the United States?

In the United States, the median annual wages (salary plus other cash compensation) for home health aides is $24,060 per year. This comes out to $11.57 per hour that a Home Health Aide makes.

What do they make in salary and hourly pay in Pennsylvania?

Across the state of Pennsylvania, Home Health Aides see a higher average salary than the nationwide average. In the state, HHAs average $25,810 per year. Reflected as an hourly rate, this comes to $12.41 per hour in earnings and payment that an HHA makes.

What do they make in salary and earnings right here in Philadelphia?

In the greater Philadelphia region (including the tri-state area such as parts of Delaware and New Jersey), the average annual salary for HHAs is $26,220. For each hour worked, that comes to $12.61 per hour in payment and salary. As you can see, Home Health Aides make more in Philadelphia than they do in the state of Pennsylvania or in the United States as a whole. See our below graph for a full comparison on what Home Health Aides make.

Job Outlook for HHAs And Career Growth

The job growth and outlook for home health aides is excellent. Employment of home health aides will skyrocket 37 percent through 2028. This rate is over seven times faster than the average for all occupations, which comes to 5 percent. As the millions of baby boomers get older and the senior population increases, the demand for the services of home health aides will keep jumping.

Home Health Aide Job Growth in Philadelphia and Pennsylvania state

The following figures by the LTCC Blueprint for Strengthening Pennsylvania’s Direct Care Workforce outlines how large the direct care workforce is now in Pennsylvania and points to a robust future for employees in this field. Overall, the direct care workforce includes home health aides, certified nurse aides, and personal care aides, among others. Consider the following statistics:

• At present, there are 219,000 direct care workers across Pennsylvania and in Philadelphia
• Overall, the top direct care worker roles include HHAs and home health aides, personal care aides, and nursing assistants
• By the year 2026, an additional 37,000 direct care workers, including Home Health Aides, will be needed across the state of Pennsylvania
• Pennsylvania is an aging state. It has the fifth oldest population in the nation. Seniors and older adults are most likely to utilize home healthcare services such as home health aides, which is a major factor in the healthcare industry’s growth
• By 2030, the population of seniors and older adults in Pennsylvania will increase by 26 percent
• Pennsylvania has a relatively high number of disabled residents. For example, around one in seven individuals in Pennsylvania has a disability. Disabled individuals are also more likely to use home health aides and home care services as well.
• Overall, Pennsylvania has the fifth largest percentage of disabled residents (14 percent of the state population) in the nation.

In just the greater Philadelphia area alone, there are 93,550 home health aides. With a very high number of HHAs in the area, the quantity of aides isn’t just higher than the state, but so is the per capita amount of home health aides.

Career Path Options for HHAs

Considering all of the factors we have mentioned, the demand for HHAs will only continue to jump. An aging America is creating millions of new healthcare positions, including those such as HHAs. Additionally, a population that includes a high number of seniors and disabled individuals means that Pennsylvania is especially promising for Home Health Aides locally.

The current and projected demand in careers for HHAs means that opportunities for those that get into the field will be plentiful for years to come. This means stable earnings and salary. Plus, it means advancement opportunities that bring greater pay and benefits in the future for those that are interested.

Many recent graduates have discovered that the medical field has opened up new career opportunities for them. Home Health Aides have a variety of career path options that they can take. These come with varying skills and education required and salaries paid. Some Home Health Aides end up in leadership roles. Other HHAs find a career track through educational opportunities that they take to pursue nursing, physician, or therapist roles. Plus, other Home Health Aides gain exposure to new care settings that expand beyond the home care environment. Examples include individual and family settings, vocational rehabilitation services, or working in mental health or substance abuse facilities, plus more. Starting salaries and hourly pay rates can vary widely for these, in addition to training and licensure required. Read our comprehensive article about Home Health Aide career path options in depth.

Get started as a Home Health Aide today

Overall, an HHA is a healthcare career that is desirable for many reasons. It is a great career choice not just now but for many years to come too. Home health aides usually find their roles to be rewarding, stable, satisfying, and not boring. Additionally, there’s no college degree or high school diploma required. That means you can start earning a salary right away after a quick HHA certification program. With a wide range of career paths, your earnings and pay potential might be limitless.

Start your HHA training and get Home Health Aide certified in as little as two weeks! Find out all about what you’ll learn in the program. When you’re ready, you can begin your application into the program. Begin your registration today, and take a leap towards a brighter future tomorrow.

CareBridge Academy is a Philadelphia school that offers a premier home health aide certification and training program. Based in central Philadelphia, CareBridge Academy commenced it’s HHA program because it found a lack of affordable, flexible, and innovative HHA certification programs. In addition, it saw an opportunity to offer a program that was also high quality and with superior educational standards. Finally, they offer high-caliber HHA instruction under the supervision of highly experienced nurse instructors through our hybrid online and in person program.

Find out more about CareBridge Academy and our other course offerings. Contact us today to learn more!