PCA stands for personal care attendant, or personal care aide. As a PCA, you work with patients needing long-term supportive care or specialized care while hospitalized. Some PCAs work in hospitals or medical care facilities, such as elderly care homes, while others visit patients at their homes. You help patients accomplish daily functions that may be hard for the patient to complete as well as simple medical tasks.

In a hospital setting, PCA duties include a variety of support functions for nurses and other health care practitioners. PCAs help patients bathe, eat, and dress. You also help nurses by taking vital signs, drawing blood, administering medications, and collecting samples to be sent to labs for analysis. You are closely involved with communicating patient needs to doctors as well as to children and other family members who may be helping to care for the patient.

High Paying PCA Jobs

List of the top 10 highest paying PCA positions in 2026, with salary ranges, according to ZipRecruiter.

Care Specialist
Salary range: $38,000 - $94,500
The majority of Care Specialist salaries across the United States currently range between $38,000 (25th percentile) and $94,500 (75th percentile) annually. This large range of salary potential suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay depending on skill level, location and years of experience. Based on recent job posting activity on ZipRecruiter, the Care Specialist job market in the United States is not very active as few companies are currently hiring for this role. You can try exploring related titles to find jobs with more active opportunities.
Personal Care Home Administrator
Salary range: $85,000 - $85,000
A personal care home administrator works with residents in a nursing home or assisted living facility. In this career, you work with staff to oversee both the clinical and administrative aspects of the facility. Your job duties include dealing with financial matters, monitoring basic needs such as food service and cleaning, making sure patients get their prescribed medications and treatments, and ensuring they follow exercise and activity guidelines set out by medical staff. Qualifications for this career include a bachelor’s or master’s degree in a healthcare-related field. You need management skills and the ability to delegate tasks.
Managed Care Specialist
Salary range: $48,500 - $75,500
A managed care specialist works with managed healthcare managers and third-party contractors. In this career, your responsibilities include negotiating agreements with payors, taking steps to monitor financial performance, and gathering information that you can then use to recommend changes to managed healthcare programs. You may also be involved in the decision-making process when it comes to both initial contracts with physicians or service providers and contract renewals for service providers. Other duties may include working to streamline communications between departments within your organization.
Care Coordination Specialist
Salary range: $42,000 - $75,000
The majority of Care Coordination Specialist salaries across the United States currently range between $42,000 (25th percentile) and $75,000 (75th percentile) annually. This large range of salary potential suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay depending on skill level, location and years of experience. Based on recent job posting activity on ZipRecruiter, the Care Coordination Specialist job market in the United States is not very active as few companies are currently hiring for this role. You can try exploring related titles to find jobs with more active opportunities.
Health Care Specialist
Salary range: $30,500 - $49,500
A health care specialist is a medical professional who works in the health care field in either a clinical or non-clinical setting. Clinical careers include nurses, combat medics, and other medical workers who are trained to work with a variety of medical and surgical equipment. Non-clinical jobs include health care speciality teachers, medical secretaries, and medical equipment repair technicians. The career qualifications for health care specialists vary significantly depending on the position and work environment. They may be as minimal as a high school diploma and on-the-job training for combat medics in the military, or as extensive as a doctorate degree, work experience, and certification for a health care speciality teacher.
Care Partner
Salary range: $38,000 - $46,000
A care partner provides support to a licensed nurse in caring for patients in a hospital, nursing home, or similar facility. In this role, you tend to the basic needs of the patient as directed by your attending nurse and help them with any additional tasks. The type of care that you provide to patients depends on the facility in which you work. As a care partner, your job duties include taking blood pressure measurements, checking body temperature, and monitoring pulse rates. You also assist patients with bathroom trips and recovery walks and administer medication.
Care Associate
Salary range: $40,000 - $45,500
The majority of Care Associate salaries across the United States currently range between $40,000 (25th percentile) and $45,500 (75th percentile) annually. Most people working in this role make similar salaries regardless of skill level, location and years of experience. Based on recent job posting activity on ZipRecruiter, the Care Associate job market in the United States is not very active as few companies are currently hiring for this role. You can try exploring related titles to find jobs with more active opportunities.
Care Worker
Salary range: $31,500 - $44,000
There are a variety of job titles under the broad category of care worker. This includes childcare workers who care for and teach children daily; patient care workers whose duties include working one-on-one with medical patients; and direct care workers whose responsibilities include assisting the sick, injured, or mentally disabled in their homes or care facilities. Overall, care workers focus on supporting the needs of their client and the client's family through activities, life coaching, creating a care plan, and personal development. A care worker is directly involved in the lives of their clients regardless of the type of care work they do.
Care Connector
Salary range: $43,500 - $44,000
The majority of Care Connector salaries across the United States currently range between $43,500 (25th percentile) and $44,000 (75th percentile) annually. Most people working in this role make similar salaries regardless of skill level, location and years of experience. Based on recent job posting activity on ZipRecruiter, the Care Connector job market in the United States is not very active as few companies are currently hiring for this role. You can try exploring related titles to find jobs with more active opportunities.
Health Care Assistant
Salary range: $34,000 - $43,000
As a health care assistant, patient care is your primary responsibility. Other job duties include conducting patient intake interviews, recording medical data into patient charts, processing health insurance, sterilizing and maintaining exam room equipment, and prepping exam rooms in between patient visits. You are an important part of the health care team in a medical practice. Strong teamwork and interpersonal skills are essential for working well with your colleagues and helping patients feel like they are in good hands.
Resident Care Assistant
Salary range: $30,500 - $38,000
A resident care assistant is a health aide who provides care for the elderly or hospice patients. As a resident care assistant, you work in assisted living facilities or nursing homes under the supervision of a nurse. You feed and groom patients, monitor patient fluid intake and vital signs, and remind them to take medication. Other responsibilities may include lifting patients on and off their beds or mobile equipment, recording observations, and light housekeeping. Most resident care aides obtain first aid certification and licenses to practice in their state.
Resident Care Associate
Salary range: $30,000 - $36,000
A resident care associate works in assisted living facilities or nursing homes; they provide care and support to residents. In this career, your job duties include aiding residents with daily tasks like bathing, cleaning, and cooking. You may also assist them in social activities and residential outings and events. Educational qualifications usually include a high school diploma, although employers may require additional certification or experience for more-specialized caregiving tasks. You need strong communications skills, a sense of empathy, and patience to work as a resident care associate.
PCA Assisted Living
Salary range: $24,500 - $36,000
As an assisted living personal care assistant, your duties and responsibilities are to assist the chronically ill or disabled living at an assisted living facility with daily living activities and routines. You help your client with whatever tasks they cannot perform on their own. For example, a PCA may help their clients dress or shower, prepare meals, or accompany them on exercise activities or appointments. As a PCA you may live with the resident or travel to the assisted living facility. This will depend on the level of assistance required by each patient.
Personal Care Worker
Salary range: $27,000 - $34,500
A personal care worker looks after the daily needs of people who cannot move or act independently. Job duties often include shopping, preparing food, house cleaning, and assisting with day-to-day activities like showering or eating. They may also be responsible for the administration of medicine and communicating to other caregivers about the patient’s progress and needs. Career qualifications for a personal care worker or aide is a high school diploma and on the job training. Certifications are available, and formal training may be required to work for an employer that bills Medicare or Medicaid.
Care Aide
Salary range: $28,000 - $34,500
A care aide provides personal care to clients in a retirement home or homebound patients. In this career, you are called upon to be an assistant for family members that are unable to provide the needed care on their own. You typically work with elderly patients or patients that are dealing with a debilitating disease or injury. Your job duties include assisting patients with basic hygiene, changing the sheets on beds, and emptying out bedpans when necessary. Additional responsibilities depend on whether you work in home health or at an assisted living facility. As a care aide, you are also responsible for taking blood pressure measurements, checking body temperature, and monitoring pulse rates.
Personal Care Provider
Salary range: $28,000 - $33,500
The majority of Personal Care Provider salaries across the United States currently range between $28,000 (25th percentile) and $33,500 (75th percentile) annually. This moderate range of salaries suggests pay in this role will be consistent, regardless skill level, location and years of experience, though some advancement is possible. Based on recent job posting activity on ZipRecruiter, the Personal Care Provider job market in the United States is not very active as few companies are currently hiring for this role. You can try exploring related titles to find jobs with more active opportunities.
Care Team Assistant
Salary range: $30,000 - $31,000
The majority of Care Team Assistant salaries across the United States currently range between $30,000 (25th percentile) and $31,000 (75th percentile) annually. Most people working in this role make similar salaries regardless of skill level, location and years of experience. Based on recent job posting activity on ZipRecruiter, the Care Team Assistant job market in the United States is not very active as few companies are currently hiring for this role. You can try exploring related titles to find jobs with more active opportunities.
Care Patron
Salary range: $26,000 - $28,000
The majority of Care Patron salaries across the United States currently range between $26,000 (25th percentile) and $28,000 (75th percentile) annually. Most people working in this role make similar salaries regardless of skill level, location and years of experience. Based on recent job posting activity on ZipRecruiter, the Care Patron job market in the United States is not very active as few companies are currently hiring for this role. You can try exploring related titles to find jobs with more active opportunities.

All Jobs PCA Jobs 18 Highest Paying PCA Jobs in 2026