How long does home health aide training take in North Carolina?

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

How to Become a Home Health Aide in North Carolina (2026)

Q: How much do home health aides earn in North Carolina?

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data (May 2025), home health aides in North Carolina earned a median annual wage of approximately $31,240. Employment concentration in North Carolina is roughly 0.43 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 North Carolina?

North Carolina currently employs approximately 58,880 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

North Carolina home health and personal care aides earn a median annual wage of $31,240 ($15.02/hr) according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data (May 2025), with about 58,880 workers employed statewide. The state median is approximately -12.7% below the national median of $35,800 for the same occupation.

Key Takeaways

Median annual pay: $31,240 ($15.02/hr)
25th percentile: $28,400 per year
75th percentile: $35,520 per year
Top 10% earn: more than $38,680 per year
Entry-level (bottom 10%): under $24,690 per year
Workers employed in North Carolina: 58,880
Versus national median: -12.7% below the U.S. median of $35,800
Job concentration: Location quotient 0.43 - this occupation is less concentrated in North Carolina than the national average

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

North Carolina employs about 58,880 home health aides earning a median $31,240 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.

Key Facts

Median wage (North Carolina): $31,240/yr (Source: BLS OEWS, 2025)
Employed in North Carolina: 58,880 workers (Source: BLS OEWS, 2025)
Location quotient: 0.43x U.S. average (Source: BLS OEWS, 2025)
Projected growth: 17.0% (2024-2034) (Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024)

Compare Home Health Aide Schools in North Carolina

BOC Score, tuition, graduation rate, and median graduate earnings from federal IPEDS and U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard data. 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	Median grad earnings (all majors)	Graduation rate	Online	Distance
1	Patrick & Henry Community College	56.2	Contact school for pricing	$44,016	43%	Yes*	89 mi
2	Virginia Western Community College	54.1	Contact school for pricing	$48,004	40%	Yes*	124 mi
3	New River Community College	53.9	Contact school for pricing	$49,197	47%	Yes*	125 mi
4	Spartanburg Community College	51.3	Contact school for pricing	$48,991	Not reported	Yes*	130 mi
5	Horry-Georgetown Technical College	50.3	Contact school for pricing	$46,000	32%	Yes*	122 mi
6	Danville Community College	46.4	$4,992 - $14,126	$40,486	39%	Yes*	79 mi
7	Central Carolina Technical College	43.9	Contact school for pricing	$45,876	Not reported	Yes*	111 mi
8	Midlands Technical College	41.9	Contact school for pricing	$46,832	17%	Yes*	130 mi
9	Williamsburg Technical College	41.4	Contact school for pricing	Not reported	Not reported	Yes*	124 mi
10	York Technical College	40.4	Contact school for pricing	$47,738	Not reported	—	79 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.

North Carolina employs approximately 58,880 home health aides according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, with a median annual wage of $31,240 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 North Carolina, 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 (North Carolina): $31,240 per year ¹

Quick Answers About How to Become a Home Health Aide in North Carolina

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

What do home health aides earn in North Carolina? The median annual wage for home health aides in North Carolina is $31,240 according to BLS data. Entry-level wages start around $24,690 and experienced professionals can earn $38,680 or more ¹.

How to Become a Home Health Aide in North Carolina

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 North Carolina. 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 North Carolina

Home health aides in North Carolina 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 North Carolina

Home Health and Personal Care Aides Wages by Metro Area in North Carolina

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

Metro Area	Employment	Median Annual Wage	Avg. Annual Wage	Entry Level (10th pctile)	Experienced (90th pctile)
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk	13,650	$28,420	$30,690	$26,090	$37,190
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia	13,520	$33,680	$33,500	$26,920	$41,560
Raleigh-Cary	6,970	$32,570	$33,330	$27,060	$39,430
Greensboro-High Point	4,620	$29,440	$31,120	$24,240	$37,430
Winston-Salem	3,480	$30,400	$31,980	$24,620	$37,970
Durham-Chapel Hill	2,840	$33,630	$33,970	$27,770	$41,850
Wilmington	2,650	$31,540	$32,500	$27,060	$38,790
Asheville	2,280	$33,280	$33,810	$28,700	$42,950
Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton	2,040	$30,490	$31,330	$23,570	$37,380
Fayetteville	1,770	$29,150	$30,450	$22,880	$36,570
Greenville	1,560	$30,620	$31,570	$24,250	$35,680
Goldsboro	1,190	$38,300	$34,610	$26,770	$38,300
Rocky Mount	890	$28,910	$30,390	$22,420	$38,000
Burlington	870	$30,420	$32,000	$24,620	$37,930
Pinehurst-Southern Pines	560	$28,850	$30,580	$23,930	$37,350
Jacksonville	500	$31,400	$32,090	$22,500	$39,220

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 North Carolina? North Carolina currently employs approximately 58,880 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 North Carolina with an out-of-state license? Confirm reciprocity rules with the program and employer.

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

How much do home health aides earn in North Carolina compared to the national average? The median annual wage for home health aides in North Carolina is $31,240, which is $3,660 below the national median of $34,900 according to BLS data ¹.

In North Carolina

Best Trade Schools in North Carolina (2026)

Top local programs

Explore More Trades in North Carolina

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)