Workforce
Caregiver Pay Rates by State: How to Set a Competitive Wage
Caregivers earned a median $17.21/hour in May 2025 (BLS), from $10.83 in Louisiana to $22.95 in Washington. How to set a wage that hires and still fits your bill rate.
Caregiver pay in District of Columbia by metro area
Last verified October 17, 2026 · All District of Columbia resources
Home health and personal care aides in District of Columbia earned a mean of $20.45 an hour and a median of $20.53 in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That is $3.09 above the national mean of $17.36. About 12,810 aides worked in District of Columbia.
What is the pay range for caregivers in District of Columbia?
| Measure | District of Columbia | United States |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $18.41 | $13.00 |
| Median | $20.53 | $17.21 |
| Mean | $20.45 | $17.36 |
| 90th percentile | $22.04 | $21.65 |
| Aides employed | 12,810 | 4,305,810 |
How much do caregivers make in District of Columbia's largest metro areas?
| Metro area | Mean hourly | Aides employed |
|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $18.80 | 50,450 |
Metro areas that cross state lines report figures for the whole metro.
How should an agency in District of Columbia use these numbers?
Treat the mean as the going rate you compete with for applicants, and the 90th percentile as the wage that wins them. District of Columbia's minimum wage is $18.40 an hour; see District of Columbia overtime and minimum wage rules. Then build the wage into your price with the bill rate calculator, which adds payroll burden, overhead and margin.
Sources
More for District of Columbia
Caregiver pay by state: other states
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