Live-in caregiver jobs: how the work is set up and what the rules say

A live-in caregiver lives in the home of the person they care for and provides care there. It is a work arrangement more than a separate occupation. The training you need depends on the tasks and your state, and federal wage rules have specific provisions for workers who live in the household where they are employed.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) does not list live-in caregivers as their own occupation. The work usually falls under personal care aides or home health aides, depending on the tasks. See personal care aide and home health aide for those roles.

What live-in caregivers do

BLS says home health and personal care aides monitor the condition of people with disabilities or chronic illnesses and help with daily living. Typical tasks include bathing and dressing, housekeeping, scheduling and transportation, grocery shopping and meal preparation, and keeping clients socially engaged. BLS says personal care aides are generally limited to nonmedical services, while home health aides may take vital signs and help with medication under the direction of a nurse or other practitioner, as state rules allow.

BLS also notes that aides may stay with one client long term. Live-in arrangements fit that pattern, but BLS does not describe live-in work separately, so Carevo does not state what a typical live-in day or week looks like.

What federal wage rules say about live-in workers

Live-in care raises pay questions that day shifts do not. The federal rules are in 29 CFR Part 552. Three points from them:

• 29 CFR 552.102 says domestic service employees who reside in the household where they are employed are entitled to the same minimum wage as other covered workers. An overtime exemption for live-in workers does not excuse the employer from paying at least minimum wage for all hours worked. The same section says that if there is a significant departure from the initial agreement about hours, the parties should reach a new agreement that reflects the hours actually worked.
• 29 CFR 552.109 says a third-party employer, such as a home care agency, may not use the live-in overtime exemption, even if the family also employs the worker. The person or household using the services may still be able to claim it, even if considered a joint employer.
• 29 CFR 552.110 says that for an employee who resides on the premises, the employer must keep a copy of the agreement described in 552.102 and keep a record of the exact number of hours the live-in worker worked.

Carevo does not give legal advice and does not summarize state wage law. Ask your state labor department how sleep time, meal breaks and overtime are treated, and ask any employer to put the arrangement in writing before you move in.

Where live-in caregivers work

Most live-in work is in the client's own home. BLS lists clients' homes, group homes, care communities and day services programs as aide workplaces, and says aides may stay with one client long term. Medicare.gov says Medicare does not cover 24-hour-a-day care at home, so live-in care is usually paid for privately, through long-term care insurance or through a state program. See live-in care and 24-hour home care for the providers near you.

Training and certification

BLS says home health and personal care aides typically need a high school diploma or equivalent, and some positions need no formal credential. Training happens on the job or through a program and usually covers personal hygiene, vital signs, infection control and basic nutrition. Some employers ask for first aid and CPR certification. BLS adds that some states require home health aides to have a license or certification, and aides at certified home health or hospice agencies must meet federal training rules (see home health aide).

States add their own rules. Carevo does not guess at state requirements. Ask your state board of health, and ask the family or agency what training and background checks they expect.

Live-in caregiver pay

BLS does not publish a wage figure for live-in caregivers. For home health and personal care aides together (SOC 31-1120), BLS reports a national median wage of $17.21 an hour, or $35,800 a year, May 2025 reference period. That figure is for wages paid to workers and does not describe live-in pay structures, such as a day rate or housing arrangements. Ask each employer how pay is calculated and how your hours are recorded.

How to find live-in caregiver jobs

Agencies that provide live-in care and home care hire live-in caregivers. Contact the ones near you and ask whether you would be an employee or a contractor, who sets your schedule, how time off works and who covers your breaks. Families also hire live-in help directly. If you already care for a relative at home, see paid family caregiver programs.

Carevo is a connection platform. It is not an employer and it does not place workers.

Caregiver registration is coming to Carevo

Carevo is a connection platform. It is not an employer, it does not place workers and it does not guarantee work. Registration for caregivers is not open yet. If you want to hear when it is, email [email protected].