Hawaii · personal care aide (PCA)
Hawaii does not set training hours for home care agency aides. Agencies write their own job qualifications, while workers in Medicaid self-direction must finish pre-service training plus CPR, first aid, and blood-borne pathogen training. Spouses and parents of minor children can be paid caregivers in self-direction, with limits.
At a glance
What the state asks of PCAs who work for licensed agencies or Medicaid programs.
| Job titles | Home care agency direct care worker, personal assistance worker, self-directed provider |
| Training | No state hours for agency aides; agencies set their own qualifications. Self-directed workers need pre-service training plus CPR, first aid, and blood-borne pathogen training. |
| Exam | No state exam found in state sources |
| Certification | No state certificate or registry found in state sources |
| Background check | Criminal history and abuse and neglect check for agency staff, plus TB clearance before your first client |
| Yearly training | Not confirmed in state sources; ask the agency |
| Minimum age | Not confirmed for agency workers; family members hired in self-direction must be 18 or older |
| Agency licensing | Hawaii Department of Health, Office of Health Care Assurance (home care agency license) |
Training
Hawaii’s home care agency rules require each agency to write job qualifications for its aides, but they do not set a number of training hours. Ask each agency what training it requires and whether it provides it.
If you work for a Medicaid member through QUEST Integration self-direction, you must finish a pre-service training program and get CPR, first aid, and blood-borne pathogen training.
The steps
The usual path for a new aide.
Family caregivers
Yes. Through Self-Directed Personal Assistance Services in QUEST Integration, Hawaii’s Medicaid program run by Med-QUEST, members can hire family, including spouses and parents of minor children. The family member must be 18 or older.
A spouse or parent may provide no more than 40 hours of paid care in 7 days. For a parent, that 40 hours is the total across all of their children who get services.
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 state hours set for agency aides | 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 (HI) | $18.32 an hour* | $18.32 an hour* | $21.80 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 certificate for aides was found in state sources. Agencies are licensed by the Department of Health and set their own job qualifications for aides.
Hawaii's agency rules set no training hours. Self-directed workers must finish pre-service training plus CPR, first aid, and blood-borne pathogen training.
Yes, through Self-Directed Personal Assistance Services in QUEST Integration, for up to 40 hours in 7 days.
Yes. In QUEST Integration self-direction, parents of minors can be paid, but a parent may provide no more than 40 hours in 7 days in total, across all of their children.
Home health and personal care aides in Hawaii earn a median of $18.32 an hour, based on the May 2025 federal wage survey.