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

Home Health and Personal Care Aide Salary in Trenton, NJ

Home Health and Personal Care Aides in the Trenton-Princeton, NJ metro area earn a median $37,760 a year — 5% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $31,916 take-home, or $2,660 a month.

Median salary
$37,760
$18.15 per hour
Typical range
$34,110 – $46,330
10th to 90th percentile
Jobs in Trenton, NJ
4,920
0.74× national concentration
▲2.3%
Pay trend: The median for home health and personal care aides in Trenton, NJ rose from $36,910 (May 2024) to $37,760 (May 2025). That roughly kept pace with inflation (2.4%).

Take-home pay calculator

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

Home Health and Personal Care Aide in Trenton, NJ
Deductions, kids & local tax

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

Your take-home pay
$31,916
per year · effective tax rate 15.5%
$2,660Monthly
$1,330Twice a month
$1,228Every 2 weeks
$15.34Hourly
  • Federal income tax$2,351
  • Social Security (6.2%)$2,341
  • Medicare (1.45%)$548
  • New Jersey income tax$604
  • Take-home pay$31,916

Marginal rate: 12% federal + 3.50% 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 Trenton, NJ

PercentileSalaryHourlyTake-home / yrPer month
10th percentile (entry level)$34,110$16.40$29,078$2,423
25th percentile$37,160$17.87$31,455$2,621
Median (50th)$37,760$18.15$31,916$2,660
75th percentile$42,930$20.64$35,850$2,988
90th percentile (top earners)$46,330$22.27$38,394$3,200

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

What $37,760 buys in Trenton, NJ

Prices in Trenton, NJ are 3.2% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.35× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median home health and personal care aide's $31,916 take-home pay has the buying power of $30,932 in a typical American city.

1-bedroom rent
$1,545
58% of monthly take-home
2-bedroom rent
$1,950
73% of monthly take-home
Left after 1-BR rent
$1,115
per month for everything else

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

Home Health and Personal Care Aide jobs are less concentrated in Trenton, NJ than nationally (location quotient 0.74), so openings may be scarcer.

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

Trenton, NJ ranks #66 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
66Trenton, NJ$37,760$31,916$30,932

*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 New Jersey

Frequently asked questions

How much does a home health and personal care aide make in Trenton, NJ?

The median home health and personal care aide salary in the Trenton-Princeton, NJ metro area is $37,760 a year, or about $18.15 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $37,160 and $42,930.

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

On the median $37,760 salary, a single filer living in New Jersey takes home about $31,916 a year ($2,660 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $604 in New Jersey taxes in 2026.

Is Trenton, NJ a good place to work as a home health and personal care aide?

Pay here is 5% above the national median of $35,800. Local prices are 3.2% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $30,932 would in a typical U.S. city. Trenton, NJ ranks #66 of 180 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.

Can a home health and personal care aide afford rent in Trenton, NJ?

HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Trenton, NJ is $1,545 a month ($1,950 for two bedrooms) — 58% 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 Trenton, NJ →