Updated: Sep 9, 2026
Key Takeaways
- At $35 hourly, 40 hours weekly costs $72,800 over 52 weeks.
- The survey’s 44-hour week produces $80,080 annually.
- Include minimum shifts, overtime, holidays, and household costs in quotes.
Know which service you are pricing
Nonmedical home care can include assistance with bathing, dressing, meals, and household tasks. Skilled nursing and therapy are different services with different staffing and payment rules. Ask for a care assessment and a written list of included tasks before comparing rates.
To turn the provider’s service description into a task and visit checklist, see our home health versus home care comparison.
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Calculate hours consistently
These illustrations use $35 an hour with no overtime, additional fees, or missed visits. Monthly examples use exactly 30 days; annual examples state their own basis.
| Schedule | Calculation | Care labor cost |
|---|---|---|
| 4 hours daily, 30 days | 4 × 30 × $35 | $4,200 per 30-day month |
| 8 hours daily, 30 days | 8 × 30 × $35 | $8,400 per 30-day month |
| 40 hours weekly, 52 weeks | 40 × 52 × $35 | $72,800 annually |
| 44 hours weekly, 52 weeks | 44 × 52 × $35 | $80,080 annually |
| 24 hours daily, 30 days | 24 × 30 × $35 | $25,200 per 30-day month |
| 24 hours daily, 365 days | 24 × 365 × $35 | $306,600 annually |
A 30-day monthly figure multiplied by 12 represents 360 days, not a full 365-day year. Continuous coverage usually needs multiple workers; do not use these simple calculations as a staffing or overtime quote. Live-in arrangements are not automatically equivalent to awake care around the clock.
Request comparable quotes
- Specify daily hours, nighttime needs, transfer assistance, and medication tasks.
- Ask about minimum visits, weekends, holidays, overtime, mileage, supplies, and cancellation charges.
- Confirm worker screening, supervision, insurance, and replacement coverage for absences.
- Clarify whether you are buying an agency service or hiring a worker directly, with potential payroll, tax, insurance, and employment obligations.
- Include housing, food, utilities, maintenance, and unpaid caregiver availability in the full budget.
Check payment before service begins
Original Medicare does not pay for standalone custodial care or continuous home assistance simply because someone needs help. Eligible homebound people can receive covered intermittent skilled home health services under the benefit's rules; coverage is not categorically limited to short-term needs. Ask the care team and agency to identify covered and noncovered services in writing.
To check which home services may be covered and what to ask before care starts, read our Medicare home health coverage guide.
State Medicaid programs and long-term care insurance may help when their requirements are met. Confirm eligibility, benefit limits, and participating providers.
For an alternative budget, compare home care with assisted living. Using $6,200 monthly and $35 hourly gives a labor-only crossover near 5.9 hours daily in a 30-day month; housing costs, add-ons, and care suitability change the comparison.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is $35 an hour a 2026 guaranteed price?
Does Medicare only cover short-term help at home?
ARTICLE SOURCES
Retire Companion requires writers to use primary sources to support their work. These include white papers, government data, original reporting, and interviews with industry experts. We also reference original research from other reputable publishers where appropriate. You can learn more about the standards we follow in producing accurate, unbiased content in our editorial policy.
- CareScout. 2025 Cost of Care Survey
- Medicare. Home health services
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