Washington, DC · home health aide (HHA)
How to become a home health aide in Washington, DC: the routes that qualify you, who regulates home health agencies in Washington, DC, pay, free training options, and all 8 state-approved CNA programs, since a CNA certification also qualifies you as a home health aide.
Your route
Unlike most states, DC certifies home health aides. Here are both ways in.
DC certification
HHA
Fastest overall
CNA
Why we list CNA programs: under federal rules, a state-approved CNA program plus good standing on the Washington, DC nurse aide registry qualifies you as a home health aide. It’s the route that opens the most doors. See our Washington, DC CNA guide.
The steps
The general path for most new aides.
Keep your hours up. Federal rules require at least 12 hours of in-service training a year, and if you go 24 months in a row without paid aide work, you must retrain.
Home health aide vs. CNA
The two jobs overlap, but the settings and pay differ.
| Home health aide | CNA | |
|---|---|---|
| Where you work | Clients’ homes, through home health and hospice agencies | Nursing homes and hospitals |
| Training | 75 hours federal minimum, or a CNA certification | State-approved CNA program |
| Official record | DC Board of Nursing certification | The Washington, DC nurse aide registry |
| Median pay (DC) | $20.53 an hour* | $22.93 an hour |
*Federal pay data groups home health aides with personal care aides. About 12,810 of them work in Washington, DC.
Help paying
Ways to cover the cost of training.
Many home health agencies train aides they hire, and nursing homes that hire you can’t charge you for CNA training under federal rules.
Directory
All 8 programs from our Washington, DC CNA guide. Finishing one, passing the exam, and staying in good standing on the state registry also qualifies you as a home health aide for Medicare and Medicaid agencies.
| Program | City | County | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academy of Hope Adult Public Charter School | Washington | Northeast | (202) 269-6623 |
| Accessibility Excellence Academy | Washington | Northeast | (202) 735-0989 |
| Allied Health & Technology Institute | Washington | Northeast | (202) 526-3535 |
| Carlos Rosario International Public Charter School | Washington | Northeast | (202) 734-4900 |
| HealthWrite Training Center | Washington | Northwest | (202) 349-3934 |
| Summa Prime School of Healthcare | Washington | Northwest | (240) 415-8083 |
| Time for Change | Washington | Southwest | (202) 621-6461 |
| University of the District of Columbia Community College | Washington | Northeast | (202) 274-6950 |
Tip: ask each program whether it also offers a home health aide add-on. For details, costs, and exam steps, see our Washington, DC CNA guide.
FAQ
Short answers to what people ask most.
Yes. DC Health certifies home health aides through the Board of Nursing. You need approved training within the last 24 months, a $100 application and background check fee, and fingerprinting through Fieldprint.
The two most common routes are completing a 75-hour home health aide training and competency evaluation, or becoming a CNA. Federal rules count a CNA in good standing on the Washington, DC nurse aide registry as a qualified home health aide.
The median pay for home health and personal care aides in Washington, DC is $20.53 an hour, about $42,700 a year, based on the May 2025 federal wage survey. Washington, DC CNAs earn a median $22.93 an hour.
Yes, for Medicare and Medicaid home health agencies, if the CNA completed a state-approved program and is listed in good standing on the state nurse aide registry.
Yes. Federal rules require at least 12 hours of in-service training every 12 months for aides at Medicare and Medicaid agencies.