The Short Answer

Pennsylvania does not pay a single, flat hourly rate to family members caring for a relative. Your total weekly pay equals your hourly wage multiplied by the approved Personal Assistance Services (PAS) hours in your loved one’s care plan.

These services include hands-on help with activities of daily living, such as eating, bathing, and dressing. They also cover cueing and supervising people who cannot safely be left alone due to cognitive impairment. You are paid to provide these specific supports, along with incidental homemaker tasks like washing dishes from meal prep when no one else is available.

If you work through a home care agency, your hourly wage is determined by that agency’s pay scale. If your loved one uses the Services My Way participant-directed model, they act as the employer and set your wage within the maximum limits allowed by their Community HealthChoices (CHC) plan.

Regardless of the model, you must log your hours correctly to get paid. Federal law requires states to use Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) for Medicaid personal care services. This ensures that the care was provided at the right time and location.

What Hourly Wages Look Like in Philadelphia

To understand typical pay, you can look at market data for home health and personal care aides. The Bureau of Labor Statistics data tracks these figures by metro area. The table uses the 2025 data for home health and personal care aides.

This data shows general market trends across the industry. It is not a specific promise of what you will earn as a family caregiver, but it provides a baseline for expectations in the Philadelphia area.

What Decides How Much You Earn

Four main factors control your total income as a paid family caregiver in Philadelphia.

1. Approved hours in the service plan: You only get paid for the hours in the person-centered service plan. The CHC service coordinator builds that plan with your loved one based on assessed needs. (The PCA assessor’s Functional Eligibility Determination decides whether your loved one qualifies for the waiver at all; it does not set the weekly hours.)
2. The employment model: You can work as an employee for a licensed home care agency or directly for your loved one through Services My Way. Each path has different pay structures and responsibilities.
3. The CHC plan: In the participant-directed model, maximum rates differ by plan. In the Southeast zone, participants choose between Keystone First CHC, UPMC Community HealthChoices, and PA Health & Wellness. If they do not choose a plan, the state auto-assigns one.
4. Overtime and benefits: Agencies may offer additional compensation, like paid time off and bonuses, which affects your overall earnings beyond just the base hourly rate.

Your loved one must also maintain their financial eligibility for the CHC waiver. In 2026, the income limit is $2,982 per month. If their income or resources exceed the limits, they could lose coverage, which means you would stop getting paid through Medicaid.

Agency Model vs. Services My Way Pay Mechanics

How you get paid depends on the model your loved one chooses for their waiver services. Both models require you to pass specific caregiver background checks before you start working, including a criminal history report and a tuberculosis screening.

In the agency model, the home care agency handles all compliance, training, and payroll. The agency ensures you meet state competency rules, which cover basic infection control, handling emergencies, and recognizing abuse or neglect. In Services My Way, your loved one acts as the common law employer. They use Tempus Unlimited as the fiscal agent to handle worker enrollment, payroll, and tax reporting.

2026 Wage Increase for Participant-Directed Workers

Pennsylvania’s 2025-26 budget included $21 million for wage increases of up to 9% for some home care workers. This 9% figure includes employer-side payroll costs. The increase was retroactive to January 1, 2026, but the rules depended on the program.

Workers in the state-funded Act 150 and OBRA programs received this automatically. If you work through the CHC participant-directed model, you only received the increase if your participant-employer filed a rate change form with Tempus Unlimited. For retroactive pay, this form was due by May 8, 2026.

Maximum rates also vary by CHC plan. According to the Pennsylvania Health Law Project, AmeriHealth Caritas’s maximum rate in Region 2 was $2.83 below UPMC’s and $3.66 below PA Health & Wellness’s maximums.

Ready to start working as a caregiver for your relative? Call New Century Home Care at 215-974-0000 or submit our online form and select “I am a caregiver” then “I already have a client.”

Benefits Beyond the Hourly Wage at New Century

Working through an agency means your total compensation includes more than just your hourly rate. New Century Home Care provides a range of benefits to support our staff in Philadelphia, Bucks, Montgomery, Delaware, and Chester counties.

We offer weekly pay, direct deposit, and a $350 signing bonus. Caregivers also receive paid sick days, holiday pay, and a choice between paid vacation or extra pay.

A free health insurance plan is available, along with free life insurance and a 401(k) retirement plan. We explain our pay scale on the first call; you can also send us a message and we’ll call you back.

Taxes

When you work for a home care agency, you are an employee. The agency issues you a W-2 form at the end of the year.

Taxes are automatically withheld from your weekly paychecks. For questions about specific tax rules, filing requirements, or exclusions, you should ask a qualified tax professional.

If Your Loved One Doesn’t Qualify

Not everyone meets the financial or medical rules for the CHC waiver. To qualify, an applicant must be nursing facility clinically eligible and meet the income and resource limits. Money or property given away for less than fair market value in the 5-year look-back can cause a penalty period.

If your relative does not qualify for Medicaid, you might still get financial help through other state programs. The PA Caregiver Support Program is run by the Department of Aging and delivered locally by PCA. It provides education, planning help, and reimbursement for caregiving expenses. It does not pay an hourly wage.

The maximum monthly reimbursement is up to $600. The exact amount depends on your assigned reimbursement percentage. Another option for adults aged 55 and older is the LIFE program, which provides coordinated care for those who can live safely in the community.

If you want to get paid to care for your family member, call New Century Home Care at 215-974-0000 or fill out our contact form. Choose “I am a caregiver” and “I already have a client” to get started.