Updated · 2026 tax rules · Data: IRS, BLS, BEA, HUD · How we calculate

Home Health and Personal Care Aide Salary in Reading, PA

Home Health and Personal Care Aides in the Reading, PA metro area earn a median $29,830 a year — 17% less than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $25,233 take-home, or $2,103 a month.

Median salary
$29,830
$14.34 per hour
Typical range
$26,260 – $38,430
10th to 90th percentile
Jobs in Reading, PA
5,820
1.20× national concentration
▲1.4%
Pay trend: The median for home health and personal care aides in Reading, PA rose from $29,430 (May 2024) to $29,830 (May 2025). That trailed inflation (2.4%), so buying power slipped about 1.0%.

Take-home pay calculator

Pre-filled with the median home health and personal care aide salary in Reading, PA. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.

Home Health and Personal Care Aide in Reading, PA
Deductions, kids & local tax

2026 tax year. Federal brackets from IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32.

Your take-home pay
$25,233
per year · effective tax rate 15.4%
$2,103Monthly
$1,051Twice a month
$970Every 2 weeks
$12.13Hourly
  • Federal income tax$1,400
  • Social Security (6.2%)$1,849
  • Medicare (1.45%)$433
  • Pennsylvania income tax$916
  • Take-home pay$25,233

Marginal rate: 12% federal + 3.07% state

Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →

Home Health and Personal Care Aide pay by experience in Reading, PA

PercentileSalaryHourlyTake-home / yrPer month
10th percentile (entry level)$26,260$12.63$22,429$1,869
25th percentile$28,250$13.58$24,007$2,001
Median (50th)$29,830$14.34$25,233$2,103
75th percentile$35,000$16.83$29,228$2,436
90th percentile (top earners)$38,430$18.48$31,879$2,657

Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Pennsylvania resident, 2026 tax rules.

What $29,830 buys in Reading, PA

Prices in Reading, PA are 2.9% lower than the U.S. average (housing costs are 15% below the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median home health and personal care aide's $25,233 take-home pay has the buying power of $25,997 in a typical American city.

1-bedroom rent
$1,237
59% of monthly take-home
2-bedroom rent
$1,575
75% of monthly take-home
Left after 1-BR rent
$866
per month for everything else

Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.

Reading, PA has 1.2× the national concentration of home health and personal care aide jobs — a strong local market for this occupation.

Best-paying cities for home health and personal care aides, adjusted for cost of living

Reading, PA ranks #151 of 180 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.

#Metro areaMedian salaryTake-homeReal value*
1Grants Pass, OR $53,120$41,044$41,984
2Kennewick, WA $47,810$40,595$40,563
3Spokane, WA $47,410$40,274$40,135
4Yakima, WA $44,490$37,928$39,696
5Seattle, WA $48,210$40,917$36,818
6Bellingham, WA $44,080$37,598$36,385
7Olympia, WA $44,060$37,582$36,252
8Fargo, ND $37,910$32,641$35,920
151Reading, PA$29,830$25,233$25,997

*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 180 metros →

About the job: home health and personal care aides

Typical education
High school diploma or equivalent
Work experience
None required
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
Job outlook, 2025–35
+18.1% (much faster than average)

Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.

Home Health and Personal Care Aide salaries elsewhere in Pennsylvania

Frequently asked questions

How much does a home health and personal care aide make in Reading, PA?

The median home health and personal care aide salary in the Reading, PA metro area is $29,830 a year, or about $14.34 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $28,250 and $35,000.

What is a home health and personal care aide’s take-home pay in Reading, PA?

On the median $29,830 salary, a single filer living in Pennsylvania takes home about $25,233 a year ($2,103 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $916 in Pennsylvania taxes in 2026.

Is Reading, PA a good place to work as a home health and personal care aide?

Pay here is 17% below the national median of $35,800. Local prices are 2.9% below the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $25,997 would in a typical U.S. city. Reading, PA ranks #151 of 180 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.

Can a home health and personal care aide afford rent in Reading, PA?

HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Reading, PA is $1,237 a month ($1,575 for two bedrooms) — 59% of a median home health and personal care aide’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.

Cost of living & all salaries in Reading, PA →