Washington · personal care aide (PCA)
Washington has some of the strictest rules in the country for personal care aides, called home care aides here. Most need 75 hours of training and a state certification exam. 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 | Home care aide (HCA), long-term care worker, individual provider |
| Training | 75 hours: 5 hours of orientation and safety plus 70 hours of basic training, including 16 hours of hands-on skills practice. Due within 120 days of hire. |
| Exam | Prometric home care aide knowledge and skills exam |
| Certification | Home Care Aide certification from the Washington State Department of Health, due within 200 days of hire |
| Background check | Fingerprint-based state and federal check through DSHS |
| Yearly training | 12 hours of continuing education a year, due by your birthday |
| Minimum age | 18 |
| Agency licensing | Washington State Department of Health (in-home services agency license) |
Training
The 75 hours cover safety, core caregiving skills, 16 hours of hands-on practice, and training for the people you serve, such as dementia, mental health, or developmental disability care. Classes are offered by DSHS-approved programs, including the SEIU 775 Benefits Group Training Partnership and community colleges.
Some caregivers need fewer hours. Family members caring only for certain relatives, such as a parent, child, or sibling, and individual providers giving no more than 20 hours of care a month to one person who is not a relative, take a shorter 30-hour course and do not need certification. Parents caring for an adult child with a developmental disability take a 12-hour parent provider course under the current state rule, though some CDWA materials list 7 hours. RNs, LPNs, and certified nursing assistants are exempt from the 75 hours.
The steps
The usual path for a new aide.
Family caregivers
Yes, if the person you care for is a Medicaid client receiving care at home. Through the Individual Provider program, CDWA acts as the employer and pays family members and friends who provide care.
One limit: Washington’s Medicaid Individual Provider program does not pay a client’s spouse to be their provider.
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 | 75 hours plus a state exam for most 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 (WA) | $22.95 an hour* | $22.95 an hour* | $23.65 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.
Most paid home care aides do. You need 75 hours of training and the Department of Health Home Care Aide certification, earned by passing the Prometric exam within 200 days of hire. Some family providers, and individual providers giving 20 hours or less of care a month to one non-relative, need only 30 hours and no certification.
You have up to 120 days from your hire date to finish the 75 hours, and up to 200 days to pass the exam and get certified.
Yes, if your parent is a Medicaid client receiving care at home. You can be paid as an individual provider through CDWA, and adult children caring for a parent take the shorter 30-hour course. Spouses cannot be paid.
Yes. Certified home care aides need 12 hours of continuing education each year, due by their birthday.
Home health and personal care aides in Washington earn a median of $22.95 an hour, based on the May 2025 federal wage survey.