• Average annual salary: $21,830
• Average hourly wage: $10.49

The home care industry has been booming in recent decades, as more elderly Americans choose at-home care instead of nursing homes. Aides can be responsible for dispensing life-saving medication, as well as playing a vital role in ensuring access to high-quality nursing care in people's homes.

And though their work has required more training and responsibility, home health aides' pay remained among the lowest in the service industry. A study released by the National Domestic Workers Alliance shows nearly a quarter of home health aides earn below minimum wage.

That's because until last September, home care workers weren't subject to minimum wage protections. According to the Bureau of Labor, their average annual salary is $21,830.

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