New York Home Care Aide Minimum Wage 2027: $20.00 and $19.00
From January 1, 2027, New York home care aides must be paid at least $20.00 an hour in New York City, Long Island and Westchester and $19.00 in the rest of the state, even though the general minimum wage doesn't change.
By Caregiver Scheduling Team ·
From January 1, 2027, New York home care aides must be paid at least $20.00 an hour in New York City, Long Island and Westchester County and $19.00 an hour in the rest of the state, up 35 cents from $19.65 and $18.65. The general minimum wage does not change on January 1: it stays at $17.00 and $16.00. Medicaid-funded aides in New York City, Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester also get Wage Parity’s supplemental benefit on top. All figures are from the New York State Department of Labor and Public Health Law.
What is the New York home care aide minimum wage in 2027?
| Region | General minimum wage | Home care aides, 2026 | Home care aides, from January 1, 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York City, Long Island, Westchester | $17.00 | $19.65 | $20.00 |
| Rest of New York State | $16.00 | $18.65 | $19.00 |
The Department of Labor’s home care aide page says: “Effective 1/1/2027, Home Care Aides have a minimum wage of $20.00/hour for work performed in New York City, Long Island, and Westchester County and $19.00/hour in the remainder of New York State.” The rate depends on where the work is performed, not where your office is.
Why does the aide minimum rise when the general minimum doesn’t?
Because the two follow different rules. The general minimum wage was due an inflation increase on January 1, 2027, but the Department of Labor says one of the law’s “off-ramps” was triggered, so it stays at $17.00 and $16.00.
The home care aide minimum, set by Public Health Law §3614-f, rises each year by an inflation adjustment based on the Northeast consumer price index, but it can never be more than $3.00 above the general minimum. With the general minimum frozen, the cap is what sets 2027: $17.00 + $3.00 = $20.00, and $16.00 + $3.00 = $19.00.
Is a higher rate coming in March 2027?
Possibly, but it isn’t law. The Governor has proposed raising the general minimum to $17.60 and $16.55 from March 1, 2027, which would lift the home care aide minimum to $20.30 and $19.30. That needs the State Legislature’s approval. Until it passes, plan on $20.00 and $19.00, and watch for the budget.
Who counts as a home care aide?
The law covers home health aides, personal care aides, home attendants and personal assistants in the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program, plus anyone whose main job includes helping people at home with daily living activities, household tasks such as meals and housework, or health-related tasks. Casual workers are excluded, and so are relatives working in government-funded programs other than consumer-directed care. On that wording, companions and homemakers who do household tasks look covered.
Unlike Wage Parity, §3614-f doesn’t limit the minimum to Medicaid-funded work. We found no state guidance that addresses private-pay-only agencies directly, so if all your clients pay privately, confirm with the Department of Labor or your employment counsel rather than assuming the general minimum applies.
How does Wage Parity add to it?
Wage Parity (Public Health Law §3614-c) sets a minimum total compensation for aides on Medicaid-funded cases in New York City, Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester. The cash portion is the home care aide minimum above. The benefit portion, unchanged since 2024, is $2.54 an hour in New York City and $1.67 an hour in Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester, per the Department of Health. Adding the two gives at least $22.54 an hour in New York City and $21.67 in Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester from January 1, 2027. The benefit portion can be paid as cash or as qualifying benefits. Wage Parity doesn’t apply upstate or to private-pay work.
What does the increase do to your bill rate?
Not much on its own. A 35-cent raise for an aide paid the minimum needs about $0.50 more on the bill rate to keep the same margin, at the bill rate calculator’s default costs (17% payroll burden, 8% paid non-billable time, 12% margin). The New York home care rates page lets you switch between today’s minimum and January’s and see both bill rates.
The bigger question is your pay scale. An aide hired at $19.65 last year and a new hire at $20.00 are now 35 cents apart. If you pay above the minimum, decide whether your scale moves with it.
For Medicaid-funded aides, New York has funded past increases through its payments to managed long-term care plans, which then negotiate rates with agencies. Check that your 2027 plan contracts reflect the new minimum before January.
What else changes on January 1?
Fifteen other states raise their general minimum wage the same day; see caregiver minimum wage increases on January 1, 2027. For the payroll, overtime, payroll tax and client notice steps, see the January bill rate update checklist.
How Caregiver Scheduling helps
Timesheets, private-pay invoicing at each client’s own rate and QuickBooks export are coming soon. Today, GPS check-in gives you a verified record of the hours worked. $199/month for up to 10 caregivers or $299/month for up to 50, free for 30 days.
FAQ
What is the minimum wage for home health aides in New York City in 2027? $20.00 an hour from January 1, 2027, the same as in Long Island and Westchester. Medicaid-funded aides in New York City also get a $2.54 Wage Parity benefit portion, for at least $22.54 in total compensation.
What is the home care aide minimum wage upstate in 2027? $19.00 an hour from January 1, 2027, everywhere outside New York City, Long Island and Westchester. Wage Parity doesn’t apply upstate.
Does New York’s general minimum wage go up in 2027? Not on January 1. It stays at $17.00 and $16.00 because an off-ramp in the law was triggered. A proposed increase to $17.60 and $16.55 from March 1, 2027 needs the Legislature’s approval.
Figures checked against the New York State Department of Labor, Department of Health and Public Health Law on October 28, 2026. This is general information, not legal advice.