Your role in caregiving

Home care aides help people with the day-to-day activities.

  • Personal Care – Assists with bathing, dressing, grooming, hygiene, and toileting
  • Daily Support – Helps with meals, housekeeping, and mobility
  • Health Monitoring – Reminds about medications and watches for health changes
  • Companionship – Offers conversation, encouragement, and emotional support
a home care aide helping a man shave

Where you'll work

Home care aides support individuals in a variety of settings.

Smiling caregiver standing with a senior women.
  • Private homes where you support individuals living independently.
  • Assisted living facilities where you help residents in a larger community setting.
  • Adult family homes supporting 2-8 residents in a small home setting.

Explore Care Settings

How much does a home care aide make?

Caregivers in Washington State earn an average of $18 to $25 per hour, depending on their role, location, and employer. Salaries vary, but on average, Washington caregivers earn about 30% more than the national rate.

This role might be right for you if...

You’re patient, dependable, and enjoy helping others with everyday tasks. You don’t mind working one-on-one and want to make a real difference in someone’s daily life.

Compare the different caregiving roles

How to become a Home Care Aide

 

Search for Caregiving Jobs

You can choose to look for a job before you complete training or after you’re certified.



You can find a home care aide job in your area by:


  • Searching online job websites using terms such as “home care aide” or “caregiver.”

  • Reaching out directly to the type of employer you’re interested in, whether that’s a home care agency, Consumer Direct WA, adult family home, or an assisted living facility.

  • Contacting your Navigator to get personalized help on how to find job openings in your area that may be a good fit for you.

 

Pro tip from our Navigators

You must complete 75 hours of approved training within 120 days of your date of hire.

 

Build your skills

To work as a home care aide, you must complete 75 hours of training approved by the Department of Social and Health Services. This includes 5 hours of Orientation & Safety training that you must complete first.


To get home care aide training, you can:


  • Choose an approved training program that you take on your own.

  • Apply for a job with an employer who will provide you with the required training after you’re hired.

 

Pro tip from our Navigators

Some employers will help you complete your training and get certified while you work for them. To find options in your area, contact your Navigator.

 

Step into your role as a certified caregiver

To work as a home care aide, you must get certified by the Department of Health. You can learn more about certification requirements on the DOH Home Care Aide webpage.

  • To get certified, you must first submit a DOH Home Care Aide certification application. Typically, the certification application must be submitted within 14 days of being hired as a caregiver.
  • If you already have a job as a home care aide, check if your employer will help pay the fee. If not, you will need to include the fee with your application.
  • If you have completed your training and do not yet have a job, you should indicate that you are not currently employed as a home care aide when you submit your application.
  • After your application is processed, you would get an email with information on scheduling your certification exams. You can learn more about the content, due dates, and fees associated with these exams on DOH’s Exam Information webpage.

 

 

Pro tip from our Navigators

After your certification application is processed, you will receive an email from the testing company Prometric with instructions for how to register for your certification exams. Check your junk or spam folder!

 

Stay certified to keep making a difference

After you get your home care aide certification, you will need to renew it every year. The deadline to renew is usually by your birthday.

For information on renewing you certification, check out the Department of Health’s License Renewals webpage.

To maintain your certification, you will need to complete 12 hours of continuing education.


If you are employed as a caregiver, you may be able to:


  • Take continuing education classes through your employer.

  • If your employer is an adult family home, assisted living facility, enhanced service facility or home care agency that is not affiliated with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) you may take free continuing education classes through CareLearn. ​​
  • If you are a member of SEIU, this includes individual providers employed by CDWA and some home care agency staff, register for classes through Continuing Education - SEIU 775 Benefits Group.

 

If you are not currently employed you may be able to take classes for free through CareLearn or find approved community instructors.

 

Pro tip from our Navigators

Be sure to keep your contact information, including your email address, up to date with the Department of Health, so you receive important notices or requests. To change your contact information, visit the Change your Contact, Address, Name or Personal Status Information webpage.

Need help determining next steps?

Contact a Navigator to find the right entry point for you.

Contact Your Navigator

Common questions

What are the continuing education requirements for home care aides?

To maintain your license, you will need to complete 12 hours of continuing education every year. For more details visit Washington Department of Health.

How do I maintain my home care aide certification in Washington?

To keep your home care aide certification active in Washington, you must:

  • Complete 12 hours of continuing education each year
  • Renew your certification annually with the Washington State Department of Health
  • Stay in good standing by ensuring your background check is current

Failing to meet these requirements can result in your certification expiring, which would prevent you from legally working as an home care aide.

Can I work while I’m waiting for my home care aide certification to be approved?

Yes, once you have completed two hours of orientation and three hours of safety training approved by the Department of Social and Health Services, you may begin working.

  • You must complete 75 hours of approved training within 120 days of your date of hire or you must stop working.
  • You must have your home care aide certification within 365 days of your date of hire or you must stop working.
Do I need a background check to become a home care aide?

Yes. All long-term care workers must complete a background check. If you’re working for an agency or facility, your employer will help you with this. If you’re an individual provider, you’ll complete a fingerprint background check during the contracting process.

If you’re not currently working, you may need to complete a separate background check through the Department of Health.

Learn more and find the required forms on the DSHS Background Check Central Unit website. For certifications details, visit the Department of Health Homce Care Aide webpage.

What is an OCA number and do I need one?

When you submit your home care aide certification application to Department of Health, you will need to provide an OCA number. An OCA number (also called an Inquiry ID Number) is a unique number. This number comes from a background check and is required when you apply for your license.

  • If you are an individual provider, you will get your OCA number from CDWA.
  • If you work for an agency or facility, your employer will do a background check and give you the OCA number.
  • If you are not working yet, you may not be able to get a background check through DSHS. The Department of Health may ask you to do a different background check instead.

Background Check Central Unit is unable to give out this number to applicants. 

Visit DSHS Background Check Central Unit webpage for more information.