Health Aides & Attendants

10 schools compared · Average earnings $22,621/yr

Quick Facts: Health Aides & Attendants Training

Where it's offered

Health Aides & Attendants programs are offered at 10 schools across 5 states. Most students attend a school within driving distance of home — use the state picker below to see programs near you.

Earnings expectations

Graduates earn approximately $22,621/year on average one year after completion, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard. Pay scales with experience, certifications, and regional cost-of-living.

Apprenticeship pathways

The U.S. Department of Labor recognizes 1 registered apprenticeship pathway related to Health Aides & Attendants — earn-while-you-learn alternatives to traditional schooling. See apprenticeship.gov for the federal registry.

Program quality benchmark

Across the 10 schools we analyze, the average TradeSchoolOutlook Score is 47/100. Higher-scoring programs combine strong graduate earnings, manageable cost, and strong job-market demand — see the leaderboard further down for the highest-rated options.

What Health Aides & Attendants Graduates Do

Your career begins on the front lines of patient care. As a nursing assistant in a bustling hospital or long-term care facility, you'll be the person patients rely on for daily needs—from taking vital signs and documenting changes to assisting with mobility and personal care. Or, you might work as a physical therapist aide, setting up exercise equipment and guiding patients through their recovery routines in a rehab clinic. This is deeply human work, requiring empathy and a physical presence that can't be automated or done from a distance.

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While you can build a stable career as an experienced aide earning in the $40,000s, many use this role as a strategic first step. After gaining invaluable hands-on experience, you’ll have a clear pathway to pursue further certifications, like becoming a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) or a Physical Therapy Assistant (PTA), significantly boosting your responsibilities and earning potential. With strong, consistent demand across healthcare, this path offers a secure entry point into a field where you make a tangible difference every day.

Closely-related paths include Dental Assisting, Practical Nursing, and Health Sciences, which share overlapping job markets and training components.

Schools Offering
10
Avg Grad Earnings
$22,621/yr
Avg TradeSchoolOutlook Score
47/100
Apprenticeship Paths
1

Registered Apprenticeship Pathways

The U.S. Department of Labor recognizes 1 registered apprenticeship occupation related to Health Aides & Attendants. Apprenticeships let you earn while you learn — most have zero tuition costs and pay wages from day one.

Apprenticeship Training Hours Type Salary RangeSalary Growth
Physical Therapy Aide
RAPIDS 2011
2000 hrs
~1.0 yrs
Time $30K$34,520$38K 2.8%

Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Registered Apprenticeship Partners Information Database (RAPIDS). Wages and job growth from Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024–2034 projections.

Find Health Aides & Attendants Programs in Your State

Trade and community college programs are local decisions — most students pick a school within driving distance. Health Aides & Attendants is offered at 10 schools across 5 states. Pick your state to see a local comparison (states with fewer programs link to the state hub).

See the full Health Aides & Attendants rankings — 10 schools compared by salary and ROI →

Top Health Aides & Attendants Programs Nationally

For context, here are the highest-scoring Health Aides & Attendants programs in the country. Most students attend a school within 60 miles of home, so your state list above is usually more actionable — but these are the benchmarks others compete against.

10 schools ranked by TradeSchoolOutlook Score. Click any row for full earnings projections and career analysis.

# School Score Earnings ROI
1 Ivy Tech Community College
Indianapolis, IN
67
66–67
$33,802/yr 68.3x
2 Central Louisiana Technical Community College
Alexandria, LA
57
52–57
$18,707/yr 65.9x
3 Northshore Technical Community College
Lacombe, LA
55
54–55
$21,729/yr 50.7x
4 Northwest Louisiana Technical Community College
Minden, LA
54
50–54
$17,649/yr 53.8x
5 New Community Career & Technical Institute
Newark, NJ
53
51–54
$27,718/yr
6 Louisiana Delta Community College
Monroe, LA
53
52–53
$19,217/yr 48.2x
7 Carrington College-Phoenix North
Phoenix, AZ
52
50–52
$26,105/yr
8 Carrington College-Mesa
Mesa, AZ
52
50–52
$26,105/yr
9 Carrington College-Tucson
Tucson, AZ
52
50–52
$26,105/yr
10 NUC University
Bayamon, PR
40
38–40
$9,072/yr 10.3x

Highest Earning Health Aides & Attendants Programs

Schools where Health Aides & Attendants graduates earn the most in their first year after graduation.

Best ROI for Health Aides & Attendants

Schools with the highest earnings-to-tuition ratio for Health Aides & Attendants.

School ROI Multiple Earnings Score
Ivy Tech Community College 68.3x $33,802/yr 67
Central Louisiana Technical Community College 65.9x $18,707/yr 57
Northwest Louisiana Technical Community College 53.8x $17,649/yr 54
Northshore Technical Community College 50.7x $21,729/yr 55
Louisiana Delta Community College 48.2x $19,217/yr 53
NUC University 10.3x $9,072/yr 40

Related Majors

Explore similar fields of study.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do Health Aides & Attendants graduates make in their first year?
The median first-year salary across 10 Health Aides & Attendants programs is $22,621. School selection matters — the gap between the lowest ($9,072) and highest ($33,802) earning programs is significant.
How AI-proof is a career in Health Aides & Attendants?
AI resilience for Health Aides & Attendants is classified as "AI-Proof." Approximately 77% of typical job tasks are hands-on — the vast majority of the daily work involves skills that current AI technology cannot perform.
Where should I study Health Aides & Attendants?
Based on the TradeSchoolOutlook Score (combining earnings, AI resilience, job market size, and ROI), Ivy Tech Community College ranks #1 for Health Aides & Attendants with a score of 67/100 and graduate earnings of $33,802/yr.
Is Health Aides & Attendants worth it?
Typical graduates earn 49.5 times what they paid in tuition within a decade. This is a strong return on investment. Look at per-school ROI in the table above — averages can mask significant variation.
Data from College Scorecard, Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024–2034, and DOL RAPIDS. Methodology & sources →