Utah · personal care aide (PCA)
Utah requires agency personal care aides to show competency in all areas of personal care and take 6 hours of in-service training every year, but sets no fixed number of starting hours. Most aides also clear a fingerprint background check through the state. Here is how it works and how family caregivers can get paid.
At a glance
What the state asks of PCAs who work for licensed agencies or Medicaid programs.
| Job titles | Personal care aide, certified nurse aide (CNA), home health aide, self-administered services (SAS) employee, personal assistant |
| Training | No set starting hours. Agency aides learn agency policies, get first aid training, and show competency in all areas of personal care, supervised by a licensed nurse or experienced CNA. |
| Exam | Agency-run competency check. CNAs pass the state certification exam. |
| Certification | No state certificate for personal care aides was found. CNAs hold state certification. |
| Background check | Fingerprint screening through the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Direct Access Clearance System, covering state and FBI records and abuse registries. New Choices Waiver SAS employees are exempt unless the employer asks. |
| Yearly training | At least 6 hours of in-service training each calendar year, prorated in your first year |
| Minimum age | 18 for agency personal care aides; EPAS personal assistants can be 16 |
| Agency licensing | Utah DHHS Division of Licensing and Background Checks (personal care agency license) |
Training
Utah does not set a number of starting hours. Licensed personal care agencies must teach you their policies, train you in first aid, and confirm that you are competent in every area of personal care. A licensed nurse or an experienced CNA supervises this. After that, you need at least 6 hours of in-service training each calendar year.
Medicaid state plan personal care must come from a licensed personal care or home health agency using qualified aides, CNAs, home health aides, or nurses. Workers in the self-administered services (SAS) option of the New Choices Waiver need first aid certification when they start.
The steps
The usual path for a new aide.
Family caregivers
Possibly. Utah Medicaid offers self-administered options where the member hires their own worker: Self-Administered Services (SAS) under the New Choices Waiver, and the self-administered option in Employment-related Personal Assistance Services (EPAS).
In EPAS, the personal assistant cannot be the participant’s spouse or the parent of a participant under 18. The New Choices SAS manual does not say whether spouses or other family members can be hired, so ask the program before you plan on it.
Read our full guide: how to get paid to care for a family member.
Compare
All three help people with daily care. Training, tasks, and pay differ.
| Personal care aide | Home health aide | CNA | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Training | No set hours; 6 hrs in-service a year | 75 hours federal minimum, including 16 hands-on | State-approved program, 75 hours or more |
| Medical tasks | Mostly not. Help with daily living, like bathing, dressing, meals, and housework | Some, like vital signs, under nurse supervision | Yes, under nurse supervision |
| Where you work | Clients' homes, group homes, assisted living | Clients' homes, through home health agencies | Nursing homes and hospitals |
| Median pay (UT) | $17.25 an hour* | $17.25 an hour* | $19.15 an hour |
*Federal pay data groups personal care aides with home health aides. Many PCAs later become CNAs, which opens more jobs and higher pay.
FAQ
Short answers to what people ask most.
No state license or certificate for personal care aides was found. The agency must be licensed, and you must show competency and clear a fingerprint background check.
Utah sets no number of starting hours, but agency aides must show competency in all areas of personal care and complete at least 6 hours of in-service training each year.
Possibly, if she is in a Medicaid program with a self-administered option, such as New Choices Waiver SAS or EPAS. Rules on hiring family vary, so confirm with the program.
Most do. Agency workers go through fingerprint-based screening in the Direct Access Clearance System. New Choices Waiver SAS employees do not need it unless their employer asks.
Home health and personal care aides in Utah earn a median of $17.25 an hour, based on the May 2025 federal wage survey.