State Salaries

• Caregivers in North Carolina were paid an average annual mean wage of $20,110 as of May 2010, according to the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics. This compares to the $21,760 national figure the bureau reports. North Carolina caregivers whose salaries are in the 25th and 50th percentiles earned between $17,200 and $19,240. Caregivers in the 10th percentile of pay averaged $15,960 per year. Caregivers in the 75th and 90th percentiles earned $22,700 and $25,750 respectively.
  
  

National Salaries

• Average salaries for caregivers across the nation were higher than North Carolina for all percentiles, but most notably so at the top end of the pay range, where the BLS noted a difference of approximately $3,600 between the national average and North Carolina highs. Salaries nationwide for caregivers in the 10th and 25th salary percentiles average $16,300 and $17,900, respectively. The median average salary was $20,560. For caregivers in the 75th and 90th percentiles, average annual salary was $24,020 to $29,390.
  
  

Training

• In North Carolina, the state's Department of Health and Human Services' Division of Health Service Regulation oversees home health care agencies operating in the state. Such private agencies must comply with state and federal regulations and must gain licensing by the state. Agencies are required to conduct criminal background checks on prospective employees. Such workers are required to be "professionally licensed [and] registered with the state on the nurse aide registry or [must] work under a health care professional to whom the employee must demonstrate ongoing competency." Caregivers recognized as nurse's aide must work under the authority of a professionally licensed nurse. The Tarheel State's system of technical colleges offer state-approved training programs. Earn a certificate of completion, then sit for and pass a competency test to receive licensure.
  
  

Outlook

• The BLS offers national growth projections for home health aide workers including caregivers. Likely, North Carolina parallels the national forecast. The bureau estimated job growth of about 50 percent for the 10-year period spanning 2008 to 2018. Turnover is one factor contributing to job availability, but the increasing number of elderly people in the United States is an important factor for the expected 50 percent surge in demand. Another reason for the demand is the growing desire among the elderly to be cared for personally at home instead of at a convalescent facility.