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Merced, CA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a home health or personal care aide make in Merced, CA?

In the Merced, CA metropolitan area, home health or personal care aides earned a median of $34,320 a year ($16.50 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 4,990 of these jobs there. That is 27% below the $47,220 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $34,320 and $36,190; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and California tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $29,401 in take-home pay.

Home health or personal care aide pay in Merced, CA at a glance

Median salary

$34,320$16.50 per hour · $2,860 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$34,320$16.50/hr
25th percentile$34,320$16.50/hr
75th percentile$34,320$16.50/hr
90th percentile$36,190$17.40/hr
Jobs in this metro4,990Location quotient 2.27 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here27% belowAll-jobs median $47,220
Against Californiaabout the same asStatewide median $34,320
Against the U.S.4% belowNational median $35,800

Run the numbers on your own pay

Same U.S. tax tables as the rest of the site. Change the salary, state, or filing status.

Take-home payWhat $34,000 a year leaves after tax in CaliforniaFederal tax, FICA and California withholding on that salary, with the other 49 states beside it.
By the hour$16 an hour is how much a yearWeekly, biweekly and monthly gross at 2,080 hours, plus time and a half.
HousingWhat a $34,000 salary buys at today's ratesPrice range, down payment and the monthly payment behind it, on current mortgage rates.
Local pricesWhat $34,000 is worth where you liveRent, groceries and the local price level against the national average.
Same stateEvery occupation California publishes a wage forThe biggest employers, the best paid, and what is distinctive about California.

Home health or personal care aide salary in Merced, CA after taxes

$34,320
$15,000$70,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$34,320
Net 86%
Fed 6%
CA 1%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$29,401After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,450Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,131Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate14.3%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,938 / yr
California state income tax$355 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,625 / yr
Customize deductions in full California calculator

Home health or personal care aides pay range in Merced, CA, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Merced, CA metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What home health or personal care aides earned in the Merced, CA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (CA)
10th percentile$16.50/hr$2,860$34,320$29,401
25th percentile$16.50/hr$2,860$34,320$29,401
MedianMedian$16.50/hr$2,860$34,320$29,401
75th percentile$16.50/hr$2,860$34,320$29,401
90th percentile$17.40/hr$3,016$36,190$30,828

Is $34,320 a good salary in Merced, CA?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for home health or personal care aides next to both.

Median household income$65,510Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)98.31.7% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household52.4%of area median income

The same job statewide and nationally, and a calculator for your own paycheck.

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Home health or personal care aides pay in other California metros

Metros in the same state that are closest in size to Merced, CA. A statewide average can hide differences this large.

Home health or personal care aide pay in Merced, CA: common questions

What is the median salary for home health or personal care aides in Merced, CA?

The BLS median annual wage for home health or personal care aides in the Merced, CA metro area was $34,320 in May 2025, about $2,860 a month or $16.50 an hour. Statewide, the California median for this job is $34,320, so the metro pays about the same as the state.

What is the hourly pay for home health or personal care aides in Merced, CA?

The median hourly wage for home health or personal care aides in Merced, CA was $16.50 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $16.50 an hour and one in ten earned more than $17.40.

How many home health or personal care aides work in Merced, CA?

BLS estimated 4,990 jobs for home health or personal care aides in the metro in May 2025, or 62.8 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 2.27 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for home health or personal care aides in Merced, CA?

BLS wage estimates for home health or personal care aides in Merced, CA run from $34,320 at the 10th percentile to $34,320 at the 25th, $34,320 at the 75th, and $36,190 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do home health or personal care aides take home after taxes in Merced, CA?

On a median gross salary of $34,320, an estimated $29,401 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,131 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in California in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $4,919 (an effective rate of 14.3%).

How much do home health or personal care aides make per month in Merced, CA?

On the median annual salary of $34,320, gross monthly income is $2,860. After federal, FICA, and California state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,450 per month (or $1,131 every two weeks).

Is $34,320 a good salary in Merced, CA?

At $34,320, the median salary for home health or personal care aides is 52.4% of the Merced, CA median household income ($65,510). It is 27% below the $47,220 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 98.3, so prices here run 1.7% below the U.S. average.