Home health care workers in the South are deeply undervalued and underpaid: Current wages, proposed wages, and their gaps for home health care workers in the South
| State | Current pay range | Average current pay | Gap between current wage range and proposed wage | Gap between average current wage and proposed wage | Proposed wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $10.08–$12.79 | $11.44 | $8.16–$10.87 | $9.51 | $20.95 |
| Alaska | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Arizona | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Arkansas | $11.30–$12.25 | $11.78 | $7.82–$8.77 | $8.29 | $20.07 |
| California | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Colorado | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Connecticut | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Delaware | $12.19–$15.55 | $13.87 | $9.92–$13.29 | $11.60 | $25.48 |
| Washington D.C. | $15.09–$15.29 | $15.19 | $18.58–$18.79 | $18.68 | $33.87 |
| Florida | $12.22–$14.13 | $13.18 | $9.01–$10.92 | $9.97 | $23.14 |
| Georgia | $12.79–$13.53 | $13.16 | $8.63–$9.38 | $9.01 | $22.17 |
| Hawaii | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Idaho | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Illinois | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Indiana | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Iowa | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Kansas | $11.31–$11.96 | $11.64 | $8.60–$9.25 | $8.92 | $20.56 |
| Kentucky | $13.13–$14.22 | $13.68 | $9.07–$10.16 | $9.62 | $23.29 |
| Louisiana | $9.52–$12.01 | $10.77 | $8.62–$11.12 | $9.87 | $20.64 |
| Maine | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Maryland | $13.23–$13.71 | $13.47 | $12.51–$12.99 | $12.75 | $26.22 |
| Massachusetts | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Michigan | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Minnesota | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Mississippi | $10.35–$12.15 | $11.25 | $7.75–$9.55 | $8.65 | $19.90 |
| Missouri | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Montana | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Nebraska | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Nevada | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| New Hampshire | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| New Jersey | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| New Mexico | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| New York | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| North Carolina | $11.02–$12.30 | $11.66 | $8.66–$9.94 | $9.30 | $20.96 |
| North Dakota | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Ohio | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Oklahoma | $10.73–$11.92 | $11.33 | $8.40–$9.60 | $9.00 | $20.33 |
| Oregon | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Pennsylvania | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Rhode Island | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| South Carolina | $11.33–$14.79 | $13.06 | $9.44–$12.90 | $11.17 | $24.23 |
| South Dakota | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Tennessee | $11.12–$12.35 | $11.74 | $8.16–$9.39 | $8.78 | $20.51 |
| Texas | $10.45–$11.88 | $11.17 | $10.27–$11.71 | $10.99 | $22.16 |
| Utah | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Vermont | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Virginia | $11.23–$12.88 | $12.05 | $12.26–$13.91 | $13.09 | $25.14 |
| Washington | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| West Virginia | $10.45–$11.73 | $11.09 | $7.85–$9.13 | $8.49 | $19.58 |
| Wisconsin | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Wyoming | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
Notes: Wage gap is presented as how much higher in dollars the proposed wage is than the current wage range between Current Population Survey (CPS) and Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) wage data. The figure is shaded based on the difference between the average of CPS and OEWS values for the current wage in each state and the proposed wage. The national gap between the average wage range and the proposed wage is $8.67–$8.77. All data underlying the table available in Appendix Table 1. All figures are in 2020 dollars.
Source: Economic Policy Institute (EPI) analysis of 2020 Bureau of Economic Analysis State and Metro Areas Regional Price Parities by state (BEA 2021), and 2016–2020 Current Population Survey Outgoing Rotation Group microdata, EPI Current Population Survey Extracts, Version 1.0.28 (EPI 2022).