Connecticut home health and personal care aides make slightly more than the national hourly mean wage.
On April 9, Becker’s Hospital Review released a comparative survey of the mean annual salaries and hourly wages of home health and personal care aides. This survey compared the wages of aides in 49 states and Washington, D.C. Becker’s Hospital Review did not include information from Colorado, due to concerns about the quality of data.
There were 40,890 home health and personal care aides in Connecticut in May, 2024, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Becker’s Hospital Review found that the mean wages for personal care aides in Connecticut $39,160 a year and $18.83 an hour. This is higher than the statewide minimum wage of $16.35.
Nationally, the mean age for aides is $34,990 per year and is $16.82 per hour.
However, when adjusted for the cost of living, the numbers change slightly: home health and personal care aides in Connecticut have a mean hourly wage of $16.77. Based on an analysis of the numbers in the report, the national mean hourly wage is $16.08.
Connecticut has a lower hourly wage than New York and Massachusetts when comparing total salaries.
In New York, the yearly mean wage of home health and personal care aides is $39,660, while the hourly wage is $19.07 per hour, or $16.64 when adjusted for the cost of living. In Massachusetts, the yearly mean wage is $40,450 for personal care aides, and the mean hourly wage is $19, which is the equivalent of $17.39 when adjusted for the cost of living.
While the overall mean salaries and hourly wages in New Jersey are lower for personal care aides—$38,070 and $18.30, respectively – when adjusted for the cost of living, personal ages have a mean hourly wage of $18.07.
According to the MIT Living Wage Calculator, a living wage for a single adult living alone in Connecticut is $25.28. This assumes the person works full-time, or 2080 hours a year, which translates to making $52,582 annually.
The mean salary for all healthcare support occupations, which includes home health and personal care aides, is $43,470 a year and $20.85 an hour, according to the BLS.
There are 87,630 people working in health care support throughout the state. This includes nursing assistants, of which there are 21,390 in the state, according to the BLS.
Right now, the state of Connecticut is renegotiating a union contract with Service Employees International Union 1199NE, state’s largest healthcare union. Many nursing home workers—including many nursing assistants—have been working under an expired contract for weeks now, while these negotiations are being made.
Around 75% of nursing home residents in Connecticut are recipients of Medicaid. The uncertainty over the future funding of Medicaid is playing a role in negotiations.
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.
This article provides valuable insights into the wages of home health aides in Connecticut, highlighting the disparities when adjusted for the cost of living. It’s crucial to prioritize fair compensation for these essential workers, especially in light of ongoing union negotiations. Thank you for shedding light on this pressing issue—it’s a reminder of the broader challenges facing healthcare support staff.