How long does home health aide training take in Illinois?

Most people become a Home Health Aide in Illinois through a state-approved home health aide program, competency evaluation, and state listing where required.

How to Become a Home Health Aide in Illinois (2026)

Q: How much do home health aides earn in Illinois?

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data (May 2025), home health aides in Illinois earned a median annual wage of approximately $38,060. Employment concentration in Illinois is roughly 0.79 of the national average, meaning fewer workers per capita than the U.S. as a whole.

Q: What is the job outlook for home health aides in Illinois?

Illinois currently employs approximately 134,100 workers, and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 17.0% national employment change for this occupation from 2024 to 2034.

Updated June 8, 2026 | TradeCareerPath Editorial Team

Illinois home health and personal care aides earn a median annual wage of $38,060 ($18.30/hr) according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data (May 2025), with about 134,100 workers employed statewide. The state median is approximately 6.3% above the national median of $35,800 for the same occupation.

Key Takeaways

Median annual pay: $38,060 ($18.30/hr)
25th percentile: $36,810 per year
75th percentile: $38,700 per year
Top 10% earn: more than $42,500 per year
Entry-level (bottom 10%): under $34,200 per year
Workers employed in Illinois: 134,100
Versus national median: 6.3% above the U.S. median of $35,800
Job concentration: Location quotient 0.79 - this occupation is less concentrated in Illinois than the national average

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Last reviewed June 8, 2026.

Illinois employs about 134,100 home health aides earning a median $38,060 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Training as a Home Health Aide here means completing a state-approved home health aide program, competency evaluation, and state listing where required. Confirm credential rules with the program and employer.

Compare Home Health Aide Schools in Illinois

BOC Score, tuition, graduation rate, and median graduate earnings from federal IPEDS and U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard data. Tuition is the published annual figure for the latest reported year and excludes room, board, books and fees. Earnings are reported across all programs at the school (all majors), not a single trade. Distance is measured from the page's primary location.
#	School	BOC Score (0–100)	Tuition (published, per year)	Median grad earnings (all majors)	Graduation rate	Online	Distance
1	Kishwaukee College	66.2	$4,560 in-state / $13,680 out-of-state	$49,273	45%	Yes*	64 mi
2	Moraine Valley Community College	60.0	$3,822 in-state / $9,846 out-of-state	$51,357	40%	Yes*	74 mi
3	Waubonsee Community College	59.6	$3,504 in-state / $10,477 out-of-state	$51,678	39%	Yes*	60 mi
4	Sauk Valley Community College	59.1	$5,340 in-state / $12,900 out-of-state	$54,209	49%	Yes*	65 mi
5	Illinois Valley Community College	58.3	$4,200 in-state / $16,385 out-of-state	$48,989	42%	Yes*	22 mi
6	Spoon River College	56.1	$6,090 in-state / $13,500 out-of-state	$35,368	42%	Yes*	68 mi
7	Joliet Junior College	55.1	$4,530 in-state / $13,800 out-of-state	$51,121	21%	Yes*	52 mi
8	Kankakee Community College	53.4	$5,220 in-state / $25,830 out-of-state	$50,343	32%	Yes*	57 mi
9	Heartland Community College	51.7	$5,550 in-state / $13,110 out-of-state	$48,942	54%	Yes*	33 mi
10	Illinois Central College	50.0	$4,800 in-state / $12,150 out-of-state	$55,058	49%	Yes*	36 mi

Schools closest to the page's primary location are gathered first, then ranked by BOC Score; distance from the page's primary location is shown for reference. The BOC Score is an independent measure of school outcomes (graduation, earnings, net price, retention) expressed as a 0–100 percentile within each school's peer group; higher is better and advertising never affects it. *Online availability refers to coursework; hands-on trade training is completed in person. Read the full methodology.

Illinois employs approximately 134,100 home health aides according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, with a median annual wage of $38,060 ¹. Nationally, home health aide employment is projected to grow 17.0% from 2024 to 2034, with about 765,800 openings per year ². This page covers how to become a Home Health Aide in Illinois, including licensing requirements, training programs, and salary data.

At a Glance

Training paths: state-approved home health aide program (find programs)
Typical timeline: a state-approved home health aide program, competency evaluation, and state listing where required
Exam: HHA competency evaluation
Median wage (Illinois): $38,060 per year ¹

Quick Answers About How to Become a Home Health Aide in Illinois

How to become a Home Health Aide in Illinois? Complete a state-approved home health aide program, competency evaluation, and state listing where required. Confirm credential rules with the program and employer.

How long does it take? Most people finish a state-approved home health aide program, competency evaluation, and state listing where required. Confirm current hour totals with the program and employer.

Do I need a license in Illinois? Licensing varies. Confirm with the program and employer. See the licensing section below.

What do home health aides earn in Illinois? The median annual wage for home health aides in Illinois is $38,060 according to BLS data. Entry-level wages start around $34,200 and experienced professionals can earn $42,500 or more ¹.

How to Become a Home Health Aide in Illinois

Meet entry rules. Confirm age, background-check, and health-screening rules with the training program and the employer.
Complete a state-approved HHA program. Finish an approved home health aide program in Illinois. This is not a registered apprenticeship.
Pass the competency evaluation. Complete the skills and knowledge evaluation the state uses for HHAs.
Get certified or listed. Get listed or certified as an HHA where the state uses that credential. Do not treat a CNA listing as the HHA credential. Confirm with the employer.

Steps and hour totals vary by credential level; confirm current requirements with the state board before you apply.

Home Health Aide License Requirements in Illinois

Home health aides in Illinois complete an approved HHA program and competency evaluation. Some states certify this role; most do not. Confirm with the employer when a state credential exists.

Typical path

Meet entry rules.
Complete a state-approved HHA program.
Pass the competency evaluation.
Obtain HHA certification or listing from the employer.

Hour totals, fees, and reciprocity rules change. Confirm current requirements with the employer before you enroll.

Home Health Aide Wages by Metro Area in Illinois

Home Health and Personal Care Aides Wages by Metro Area in Illinois

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics ( OES data), home health and personal care aides wages in Illinois vary by metro area.

Metro Area	Employment	Median Annual Wage	Avg. Annual Wage	Entry Level (10th pctile)	Experienced (90th pctile)
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin	108,520	$38,180	$38,490	$35,030	$42,500
St. Louis	44,200	$34,490	$34,430	$28,600	$42,720
Peoria	2,590	$36,330	$36,790	$33,790	$39,660
Springfield	2,290	$37,900	$38,340	$34,800	$43,730
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island	2,280	$34,370	$35,410	$29,900	$44,260
Rockford	2,000	$37,270	$37,270	$32,560	$39,380
Cape Girardeau	1,540	$33,940	$33,210	$28,600	$38,010
Bloomington	1,060	$31,200	$33,430	$31,200	$37,360
Champaign-Urbana	900	$35,430	$36,820	$33,790	$43,630
Decatur	780	$37,160	$37,060	$34,820	$39,450
Paducah	730	$33,290	$34,740	$28,330	$46,370
Kankakee	590	$37,380	$37,510	$31,200	$44,140

Wages reflect survey data and vary based on experience, credentials, employer, and local market conditions. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May .

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the job outlook for home health aides in Illinois? Illinois currently employs approximately 134,100 home health aides ¹. Nationally, home health aide employment is projected to grow 17.0% from 2024 to 2034 ².

Can I work as a home health aide in Illinois with an out-of-state license? Confirm reciprocity rules with the program and employer.

What training programs are available in Illinois? Options include trade schools, community colleges, and state-approved training programs. Use the school finder above to search for programs in Illinois.

How much do home health aides earn in Illinois compared to the national average? The median annual wage for home health aides in Illinois is $38,060, which is $3,160 above the national median of $34,900 according to BLS data ¹.

In Illinois

Illinois Trade Schools 2026: Programs, Costs, Licensing

Top local programs

Explore More Trades in Illinois

Citations

About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.

References

Bureau of Labor Statistics - Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics: https://www.bls.gov/oes/ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎
Bureau of Labor Statistics - Employment Projections: https://www.bls.gov/emp/ ↩︎ ↩︎

Data sources

Figures on this page are sourced from the federal and state datasets below. Methodology: how we rank and source data.

Data	Provider	Vintage
Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)	U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics	May 2025
Employment Projections	U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics	2024-2034
Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System	National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)	2024
College Scorecard (school-level outcomes)	U.S. Department of Education	latest release
College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings)	U.S. Department of Education	latest release (updated 2026-06-12)
Occupational licensing requirements	CareerOneStop (U.S. Department of Labor)	latest release (updated 2026-02-22)
Registered apprenticeship programs	CareerOneStop / Apprenticeship.gov (U.S. Department of Labor)	latest release (updated 2025-10-25)
O*NET occupation profiles (skills, tasks, tools, job zones)	U.S. Department of Labor (O*NET / Employment & Training Admin.)	O*NET 29.1 (updated 2026-06-13)