State Chart Book On Wages For Personal Care Aides, 2000-2010

Prepared by PHI for the Center for Personal Assistance Services

August 2011

Introduction

The State Chart Book on Wages for Personal Care Aides, 2000-2010, prepared by PHI, provides information on the wages received by Personal Care Aides (PCAs) in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and the nation over a decade-long period.

This updated resource provides a state-by-state look at trends in wages for PCAs, the fourth fastest-growing occupation in the country, and a key job title within the direct-care workforce. Prepared as a resource guide on wages for advocates and policymakers concerned with the direct-care workforce, the data underscore the problem of low wages for PCAs, factors which contribute to workforce instability and near-poverty incomes for this high-demand workforce.

Organization of Chart Book

The 50-state pages (plus the District of Columbia) present both nominal and real median wages (in 2000 dollars) for PCAs over the period 2000 to 2010. A time-series graph analysis of wages in each state is provided, allowing for comparisons of trends in nominal and real wages. Two tables comparing state wages are provided at the beginning of the Chart Book, followed by a national summary page. Technical notes can be found at the end of the publication.

Data Sources.

The nominal wage data is from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) at the US Department of Labor; the BLS’s regional CPIs (Current Price Index) are used to adjust nominal wages for inflation using 2000 dollars. Caution should be used in interpreting state wage data that show significant year-to-year variation since the underlying wage estimates may show high mean square errors. Federal poverty level mean wages for various percentage multiples of the federal poverty guidelines for a single-person household were calculated from the guidelines issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. For more information, see the Technical Notes at the end of the Chart Book.