Texas · personal care aide (PCA)
Texas sets no minimum training hours for personal attendants. Instead, licensed agencies must make sure you can do each task you are given, and Medicaid attendants get an orientation from their supervisor before services start. 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 | Attendant, personal attendant, personal assistance services (PAS) provider |
| Training | No minimum hours. Agencies confirm you can do your tasks, and Medicaid attendants get an orientation on safety, emergencies, the client’s condition, tasks, and schedule before starting. |
| Exam | None for basic tasks. Before doing g-tube feedings or giving medications through a g-tube, you finish a training program and score 100 percent on a written test plus a skills check. |
| Certification | No state attendant certificate. Agencies check the Nurse Aide Registry and Employee Misconduct Registry. |
| Background check | Criminal history check under state law, plus Nurse Aide Registry and Employee Misconduct Registry searches before hire and at least every 12 months. |
| Yearly training | No yearly hour requirement was found in state rules. |
| Minimum age | 18, or younger if you are a high school graduate or vocational student who shows competency |
| Agency licensing | Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC), Home and Community Support Services Agency (HCSSA) license |
Training
Agencies licensed for personal assistance services must make sure attendants can do the tasks they are assigned. You can show this through education, experience, or by demonstrating the skill. Before services start for a Medicaid client, your supervisor orients you on safety and emergency steps, the client’s condition, your tasks, and the schedule.
Some tasks need more. Before you do tube feedings or give medications through a g-tube, you must complete a training program taught by a registered nurse (RN), physician, physician assistant, or qualified trainer, score 100 percent on a written test, and pass a skills checklist.
The steps
The usual path for a new aide.
Family caregivers
Yes, in many cases. Through Texas Medicaid’s Consumer Directed Services (CDS) option, the client hires their own attendant with help from a financial management services agency (FMSA). Relatives can generally be hired.
Some people cannot be paid in CDS: the client’s spouse (except in Consumer Managed Personal Attendant Services, or CMPAS), the legally authorized representative, including a parent of a minor child, the designated representative, or the spouses of those representatives.
In agency Primary Home Care (PHC) and Community Attendant Services (CAS), a spouse cannot be the attendant. The Family Care program is the exception.
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; skills checked by agency | 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 (TX) | $11.65 an hour* | $11.65 an hour* | $18.03 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. Texas has no state license or certificate for personal attendants. The agency must hold an HHSC license, and you must pass criminal history and registry checks.
Texas sets no minimum hours. Your agency confirms you can do your tasks, and Medicaid attendants get an orientation before services begin.
Yes, if she gets Medicaid attendant services. Through Consumer Directed Services (CDS), she can hire relatives like you. Spouses and legally authorized representatives generally cannot be paid.
Sometimes. The general minimum is 18, but a younger person may work as an attendant if they are a high school graduate or in a vocational program and have shown competency.
Home health and personal care aides in Texas earn a median of $11.65 an hour, based on the May 2025 federal wage survey.