Many people prefer receiving healthcare within the comfort of their homes instead of in an institutional setting. Hence, the popularity of home health care. Like every corner of the healthcare industry, staffing shortages abound in home health, which was further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and recruitment and retention problems. When comparing the salaries of permanent staff in traditional healthcare roles and perm home health nurse wages, home health nurses often earn slightly less overall. Like all nursing roles, home health salaries differ by state, facility and travel nursing agency.
What Is Home Health Care?
Home health is a non-traditional work environment in which home health nurses care for patients with a wide array of medical needs. Services primarily take place in patients’ homes, but home health nurses may also care for patients in retirement communities, assisted living facilities and other healthcare institutions. While many patients receiving home health care are older, home health nurses serve individuals of all ages with acute or chronic health conditions. Home health being just for geriatrics is one of the most common myths surrounding home health care.
Nationwide, average home health nurse wages ran $37.24 per hour based on an estimate sourced from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and featured on Vivian’s comprehensive salary tracker. However, salaries vastly differ by state, ranging from an average weekly rate of $2,177.60 in California to $984.40 in Arkansas when working 40 hours a week.
|
State |
Average Hourly Home Health Nurse Wages |
Weekly Home Health Nurse Salary |
Max Hourly Home Health Nurse Wages |
Max Weekly Home Health Nurse Salary |
|
Alabama |
$28.96 |
$1,158.40 |
$42 |
$1,680 |
|
Alaska |
$43.51 |
$1,740.40 |
$61 |
$2,440 |
|
Arizona |
$37.66 |
$1,506.40 |
$49 |
$1,960 |
|
Arkansas |
$24.61 |
$984.40 |
$42 |
$1,680 |
|
California |
$54.44 |
$2,177.60 |
$95 |
$3,800 |
|
Colorado |
$36.65 |
$1,466.00 |
$50 |
$2,000 |
|
Connecticut |
$40.12 |
$1,604.80 |
$61 |
$2,440 |
|
Delaware |
$35.63 |
$1,425.20 |
$49 |
$1,960 |
|
Florida |
$32.50 |
$1,300.00 |
$50 |
$2,000 |
|
Georgia |
$31.13 |
$1,245.20 |
$48 |
$1,920 |
|
Hawaii |
$50.03 |
$2,001.20 |
$64 |
$2,560 |
|
Idaho |
$33.40 |
$1,336.00 |
$48 |
$1,920 |
|
Illinois |
$35.34 |
$1,413.60 |
$50 |
$2,000 |
|
Indiana |
$28.33 |
$1,133.20 |
$50 |
$2,000 |
|
Iowa |
$29.13 |
$1,165.20 |
$43 |
$1,720 |
|
Kansas |
$30.02 |
$1,200.80 |
$44 |
$1,760 |
|
Kentucky |
$30.65 |
$1,226.00 |
$46 |
$1,840 |
|
Louisiana |
$30.74 |
$1,229.60 |
$45 |
$1,800 |
|
Maine |
$33.54 |
$1,341.60 |
$48 |
$1,920 |
|
Maryland |
$37.46 |
$1,498.40 |
$53 |
$2,120 |
|
Massachusetts |
$44.79 |
$1,791.60 |
$100 |
$4,000 |
|
Michigan |
$35.19 |
$1,407.60 |
$100 |
$4,000 |
|
Minnesota |
$38.52 |
$1,540.80 |
$53 |
$2,120 |
|
Mississippi |
$28.73 |
$1,149.20 |
$42 |
$1,680 |
|
Missouri |
$25.80 |
$1,032.00 |
$43 |
$1,720 |
|
Montana |
$33.34 |
$1,333.60 |
$46 |
$1,840 |
|
Nebraska |
$32.04 |
$1,281.60 |
$43 |
$1,720 |
|
Nevada |
$42.49 |
$1,699.60 |
$59 |
$2,360 |
|
New Hampshire |
$35.52 |
$1,420.80 |
$71 |
$2,840 |
|
New Jersey |
$40.52 |
$1,620.80 |
$61 |
$2,440 |
|
New Mexico |
$34.18 |
$1,367.20 |
$48 |
$1,920 |
|
New York |
$32.54 |
$1,301.60 |
$61 |
$2,440 |
|
North Carolina |
$31.94 |
$1,277.60 |
$100 |
$4,000 |
|
North Dakota |
$31.87 |
$1,274.80 |
$41 |
$1,640 |
|
Ohio |
$32.80 |
$1,312.00 |
$45 |
$1,800 |
|
Oklahoma |
$31.15 |
$1,246.00 |
$40 |
$1,600 |
|
Oregon |
$44.69 |
$1,787.60 |
$60 |
$2,400 |
|
Pennsylvania |
$27.56 |
$1,102.40 |
$49 |
$1,960 |
|
Rhode Island |
$39.57 |
$1,582.80 |
$56 |
$2,240 |
|
South Carolina |
$31.17 |
$1,246.80 |
$68 |
$2,720 |
|
South Dakota |
$28.63 |
$1,145.20 |
$38 |
$1,520 |
|
Tennessee |
$30.08 |
$1,203.20 |
$42 |
$1,680 |
|
Texas |
$35.84 |
$1,433.60 |
$50 |
$2,000 |
|
Utah |
$32.68 |
$1,307.20 |
$45 |
$1,800 |
|
Vermont |
$33.77 |
$1,350.80 |
$46 |
$1,840 |
|
Virginia |
$34.56 |
$1,382.40 |
$53 |
$2,120 |
|
Washington |
$41.43 |
$1,657.20 |
$60 |
$2,400 |
|
West Virginia |
$30.39 |
$1,215.60 |
$53 |
$2,120 |
|
Wisconsin |
$28.68 |
$1,147.20 |
$53 |
$2,120 |
|
Wyoming |
$33.03 |
$1,321.20 |
$48 |
$1,920 |
The previous table shows that some states have much higher home health nurse wages than others. The five states with the highest hourly home health care salaries are identical to wages earned by medical-surgical nurses working in traditional healthcare roles.
|
5 States with Highest Home Health Nurse Wages |
Average Hourly Home Health Nurse Wages |
Average Weekly Home Health Nurse Wages |
|
California |
$54.44 |
$2,177.60 |
|
Hawaii |
$50.03 |
$2,001.20 |
|
Massachusetts |
$44.79 |
$1,791.60 |
|
Oregon |
$44.69 |
$1,787.60 |
|
Alaska |
$43.51 |
$1,740.40 |
By contrast, home health nurse wages in the states with the lowest weekly rates are often lower compared to medical-surgical nurse wages in those states. In Arkansas, Missouri and Indiana, hourly home health salaries are about $5 less per hour than med-surg wages. Pennsylvania’s hourly home health nurse wages are even less, by nearly $7 compared to med-surg nurses. South Dakota is the only state that differs in that the hourly rates for both types of registered nurses are identical.
|
5 States with Lowest Nurse Wages |
Average Hourly Home Health Nurse Wages |
Average Weekly Home Health Nurse Wages |
Average Hourly Med-Surg Nurse Wages |
Average Weekly Med-Surg Nurse Wages |
|
Arkansas |
$24.61 |
$984.40 |
$29.49 |
$1,179.60 |
|
Missouri |
$25.80 |
$1,032.00 |
$30.85 |
$1,234.00 |
|
Pennsylvania |
$27.56 |
$1,102.40 |
$34.33 |
$1,373.20 |
|
Indiana |
$28.33 |
$1,133.20 |
$32.00 |
$1,280.00 |
|
South Dakota |
$28.63 |
$1,145.20 |
$28.63 |
$1,145.20 |
Registered home health nurses in permanent staff positions earn more based on the geographical location of the job and the facility doing the hiring. The following five facilities had the highest average home health rates in late August 2022.
|
Top 5 Facilities by Salary |
Average Hourly Rate |
Average Weekly Rate |
|
Houston Methodist |
$46 |
$1,840 |
|
Baylor Scott & White Health |
$45 |
$1,800 |
|
Memorial Hermann Health System |
$44 |
$1,760 |
|
St. Luke's Health System |
$43 |
$1,720 |
|
AccentCare |
$42 |
$1,680 |
Perm home health nurses may earn more when employed by certain staffing agencies. The following four staffing agencies with permanent home health nursing roles boasted the highest wages during the last half of August 2022.
|
Top 4 Agencies by Salary |
Average Hourly Rate |
Average Weekly Rate |
|
CGS Federal |
$56 |
$2,240 |
|
Insight Global |
$48 |
$1,920 |
|
Cross Country Search |
$46 |
$1,840 |
|
Ardor Health Solutions |
$45 |
$1,800 |
Schedule a demo with Vivian Health to learn how we can help you with your home health recruiting endeavors.