How to Become a Home Health Aide in New Jersey (2026)

Updated June 8, 2026 | TradeCareerPath Editorial Team

New Jersey employs about 117,080 home health aides earning a median $37,090 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 New Jersey

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.
#SchoolBOC Score (0–100)Tuition (published, per year)Median grad earnings (all majors)Graduation rateOnlineDistance
172.1$6,210 in-state / $14,310 out-of-state$52,83836%Yes*22 mi
262.6$6,666 in-state / $12,146 out-of-state$50,37034%Yes*86 mi
359.5Contact school for pricing$42,51065%—45 mi
458.1$32,000$47,90444%Yes*67 mi
554.4$5,206 in-state / $8,086 out-of-state$44,99316%Yes*27 mi
653.8$5,544 in-state / $9,024 out-of-state$41,66237%Yes*38 mi
752.2Contact school for pricing$89,15564%—11 mi
850.3$5,550 in-state / $15,270 out-of-state$49,40824%Yes*53 mi
942.3$6,468 in-state / $12,132 out-of-state$43,58033%Yes*81 mi
1038.8$5,384 in-state / $9,248 out-of-state$44,02026%Yes*15 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.

New Jersey employs approximately 117,080 home health aides according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, with a median annual wage of $37,090 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 New Jersey, 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 (New Jersey): $37,090 per year 1

Quick Answers About How to Become a Home Health Aide in New Jersey

How to become a Home Health Aide in New Jersey? 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 New Jersey? Licensing varies. Confirm with the program and employer. See the licensing section below.

What do home health aides earn in New Jersey? The median annual wage for home health aides in New Jersey is $37,090 according to BLS data. Entry-level wages start around $32,220 and experienced professionals can earn $48,180 or more 1.

How to Become a Home Health Aide in New Jersey

  1. Meet entry rules. Confirm age, background-check, and health-screening rules with the training program and the employer.
  2. Complete a state-approved HHA program. Finish an approved home health aide program in New Jersey. This is not a registered apprenticeship.
  3. Pass the competency evaluation. Complete the skills and knowledge evaluation the state uses for HHAs.
  4. 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 New Jersey

Home health aides in New Jersey 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

  1. Meet entry rules.

  2. Complete a state-approved HHA program.

  3. Pass the competency evaluation.

  4. 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 New Jersey

Home Health and Personal Care Aides Wages by Metro Area in New Jersey

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

Metro AreaEmploymentMedian Annual WageAvg. Annual WageEntry Level
(10th pctile)		Experienced
(90th pctile)
New York-Newark-Jersey City644,700$39,680$41,120$36,960$46,570
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington158,280$29,800$32,250$28,250$38,710
Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton12,030$30,380$32,680$27,970$41,340
Trenton-Princeton4,920$37,760$39,870$34,110$46,330
Atlantic City-Hammonton4,250$37,840$40,200$32,220$46,960
Vineland2,100$37,610$39,990$34,770$46,540

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 New Jersey? New Jersey currently employs approximately 117,080 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 New Jersey with an out-of-state license? Confirm reciprocity rules with the program and employer.

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

How much do home health aides earn in New Jersey compared to the national average? The median annual wage for home health aides in New Jersey is $37,090, which is $2,190 above the national median of $34,900 according to BLS data 1.

In New Jersey

Top local programs

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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

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

  2. 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.

DataProviderVintage
Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsMay 2025
Employment ProjectionsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics2024-2034
Integrated Postsecondary Education Data SystemNational Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)2024
College Scorecard (school-level outcomes)U.S. Department of Educationlatest release
College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings)U.S. Department of Educationlatest release (updated 2026-06-12)
Occupational licensing requirementsCareerOneStop (U.S. Department of Labor)latest release (updated 2026-02-22)
Registered apprenticeship programsCareerOneStop / 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)