New Jersey · personal care aide (PCA)
New Jersey has no separate personal care aide license. Aides who give hands-on care through agencies must become Certified Homemaker-Home Health Aides (CHHAs), which takes 76 hours of training and an exam. The Personal Preference Program lets Medicaid members hire family, and the state says that can include a spouse.
At a glance
What the state asks of PCAs who work for licensed agencies or Medicaid programs.
| Job titles | Certified homemaker-home health aide (CHHA), personal care assistant (PCA), Personal Preference Program (PPP) worker |
| Training | 76 hours in a Board of Nursing approved program: 60 classroom hours and 16 clinical hours |
| Exam | Competency exam required for CHHA certification |
| Certification | CHHA certification from the New Jersey Board of Nursing, renewed every 2 years |
| Background check | Fingerprint-based criminal history check through the Board of Nursing as part of certification |
| Yearly training | 12 hours of agency in-service a year under registered nurse (RN) supervision |
| Minimum age | Not confirmed for CHHAs; ask the Board of Nursing. PPP workers must be 18. |
| Agency licensing | Division of Consumer Affairs registers health care service firms; NJ Department of Health licenses home health agencies |
Training
If you want to give hands-on personal care through a home care agency or health care service firm, you need CHHA certification. That means finishing a Board of Nursing approved program with 60 classroom hours and 16 clinical hours, then passing a competency exam.
New Jersey Medicaid calls these workers personal care assistants. They are certified aides who complete at least 12 hours of agency in-service training each year under RN supervision. Certification renews every 2 years.
The steps
The usual path for a new aide.
Family caregivers
Yes, through the Personal Preference Program (PPP), part of NJ FamilyCare Medicaid. Participants can hire friends, relatives, or neighbors. PPP workers do not need a CHHA certificate but must be 18 or older.
The state’s PPP FAQ says a husband, wife, or legal guardian may be hired. One stated limit: the participant’s authorized representative cannot also be the paid worker.
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 | 76 hours plus an exam (CHHA) | 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 (NJ) | $17.83 an hour* | $17.83 an hour* | $22.52 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.
To give hands-on care through an agency, yes. You need CHHA certification from the Board of Nursing, which takes 76 hours of training and an exam. Workers hired through the Personal Preference Program do not need it.
The approved program is 76 hours: 60 classroom hours and 16 clinical hours. You then pass a competency exam and a fingerprint background check.
According to the state's PPP FAQ, yes. The Personal Preference Program lets participants hire a husband, wife, legal guardian, relative, or friend, as long as that person is not also their authorized representative.
Yes. Medicaid personal care assistants complete at least 12 hours of agency in-service training each year, and CHHA certification renews every 2 years.
Home health and personal care aides in New Jersey earn a median of $17.83 an hour, based on the May 2025 federal wage survey.