Healthcare Support · Holland code SCR
Personal Care Aides
Provide personalized assistance to individuals with disabilities or illness who require help with personal care and activities of daily living support (e.g., feeding, bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting, and ambulation). May also provide help with tasks such as preparing meals, doing light housekeeping, and doing laundry. Work is performed in various settings depending on the needs of the care recipient and may include locations such as their home, place of work, out in the community, or at a daytime nonresidential facility.
Also called: Caregiver, Home Care Aide, Personal Care Aide, Personal Care Attendant (PCA), Care Provider, Direct Care Worker, Medication Aide, Personal Care Assistant (PCA).
O*NET 31-1122.00
At a glance
- Most common education
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
- 48% of workers surveyed by O*NET report this level.
- Preparation needed
- Job Zone 2 of 5
- Some preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.
What the work involves
The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.
- Prepare and maintain records of client progress and services performed, reporting changes in client condition to manager or supervisor.
- Administer bedside or personal care, such as ambulation or personal hygiene assistance.
- Train family members to provide bedside care.
- Perform healthcare-related tasks, such as monitoring vital signs and medication, under the direction of registered nurses or physiotherapists.
- Participate in case reviews, consulting with the team caring for the client, to evaluate the client's needs and plan for continuing services.
- Instruct or advise clients on issues, such as household cleanliness, utilities, hygiene, nutrition, or infant care.
- Care for individuals or families during periods of incapacitation, family disruption, or convalescence, providing companionship, personal care, or help in adjusting to new lifestyles.
- Perform housekeeping duties, such as cooking, cleaning, washing clothes or dishes, or running errands.
Skills and knowledge it leans on
Skills
- Active Listening3.4 / 5
- Critical Thinking3.3 / 5
- Monitoring3.3 / 5
- Speaking3.0 / 5
- Reading Comprehension2.9 / 5
- Writing2.9 / 5
Knowledge areas
- English Language3.6 / 5
- Transportation3.4 / 5
- Customer and Personal Service3.4 / 5
- Psychology3.4 / 5
- Education and Training3.4 / 5
- Public Safety and Security3.2 / 5
Importance ratings on O*NET’s 1 to 5 scale. Higher means the occupation depends on it more.
Who tends to enjoy it
How strongly this occupation draws on each of the six Holland interest types, which is the same profile the career interests test compares you against.
- Realistic42
- Investigative13
- Artistic13
- Social87
- Enterprising26
- Conventional49
The same work abroad
Other countries classify jobs differently, so these are the closest matches through the international ISCO-08 standard, not exact equivalents.
European occupation titles (ESCO)
- palliative care social worker · DE Sozialarbeiter im Bereich Palliativversorgung/Sozialarbeiterin im Bereich Palliativversorgung · FR assistant de service social dans une unité de soins palliatifs/assistante de service social dans une unité de soins palliatifs
- adult community care worker · DE Sozialbetreuer für Erwachsene/Sozialbetreuerin für Erwachsene · FR auxiliaire de vie en structure d’hébergement pour adultes
- care at home worker · DE Sozialbetreuer häusliche Betreuung/Sozialbetreuerin häusliche Betreuung · FR assistant de vie dépendance/assistante de vie dépendance
- disability support worker · DE Sozialbetreuer Behindertenbetreuung/Sozialbetreuerin Behindertenbetreuung · FR assistant de vie auprès de personnes handicapées/assistante de vie auprès de personnes handicapées
- companion · DE Gesellschafter/Gesellschafterin · FR aide à domicile
- escort · DE Escort · FR escort boy/escort girl
Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)
- Housing officers (3223)57,900 employed
- Social workers (2461)139,800 employed
- Probation officers (2462)11,900 employed
Employment is the UK Annual Population Survey for April 2025 to March 2026, all workers in the group, which can be broader than this one occupation.
Pay across Europe, for the whole group
Median annual earnings of all employees in “Technicians and associate professionals”. This is the broad ISCO group this occupation falls in, not the occupation itself, so treat it as context for the wage level, not as a salary for this job.
| Country | Median pay |
|---|---|
| Belgium | €50,992 |
| Austria | €46,986 |
| Germany | €44,473 |
| Netherlands | €42,448 |
| Ireland | €41,613 |
| Sweden | €41,155 |
| Italy | €34,882 |
| France | €34,816 |
| Spain | €29,757 |
| Portugal | €18,080 |
| Poland | €12,108 |
Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey, businesses with ten or more employees outside public administration, in euro and not adjusted for the cost of living. Reference years differ between sources: the US, Japan and Europe figures on this page come from different survey years, so compare them as rough levels, not to the euro or yen.
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