Caregiver jobs in the U.S. are one of the most sorts after jobs right now. With over 1,000,000 available caregiver jobs in the U.S, it is safe to say that that amount would increase in the nearest future.
This is why the AARP reports that there are shortages of family caregivers in the U.S. because as more and more people cross over the 60 age bracket, there would be the need for individuals to step in as caregivers to provide the necessary assistance these people need in their everyday life.
There is a significant increase in the population of old citizens. Which would inevitably demand more need for caregivers in all categories like professional caregivers, family caregivers, independent caregivers, and more.
For the next couple of years, the AARP has predicted that there would be as many as 8,000,000 available caregiver jobs in the U.S. So if you are a foreigner coming into the U.S seeking a job as a caregiver, you would have access to a wide range of categories to select from.
In this article, we would discuss everything you need to know about getting a job as a caregiver in the United States. Below are some things you need to know before getting a job as a caregiver in the U.S.
- What does a Caregiver’s Job entail?
- Responsibility of a Caregiver in the U.S.
- Categories of a Caregiver Job in the U.S. for Foreigners
- Corporations hiring Caregivers in the U.S.
- How to Apply and get a Caregiver Job in the U.S.
What does a Caregivers Job entail?
The caregiver’s job role involves performing various tasks for a client in order to make life easier for them and provide a level of comfort around their space of living. They are well organized and meticulous in the way they carry out their duties.
They are employed either directly by the clients or indirectly through an agency to take care of their clients either sick, old, disabled, or whatever condition that meets their professional wheelhouse. There are certain responsibilities that caregivers should uphold in their line of duty, and we will be discussing that in the next section.
Responsibility of a Caregiver in the U.S
Taking care of individuals in certain ways that impact their state of well-being comes with quite a load of responsibility. For you to be able to work as a professional caregiver within an organization, you must be able to take on certain responsibilities to prove to your employers that you are capable of doing the job the right way.
These responsibilities may defer depending on your location, the company you are working for, or clients you work for if you are an independent caregiver. Some of these responsibilities can be seen below:
- They provide assistance to clients
- They help clients perform various tasks which can involve moving around the home or environment
- They make sure their clients take the prescribed drug
- They provide feeding and cleaning help for the client
Caregivers are tasked with many responsibilities because they are practically responsible for the well-being of other individuals. As a caregiver, you can be expecting to receive an average salary of $20,000 to $25,000 on a yearly basis.
Categories of a Caregiver Job in the U.S.A for Foreigners
There are 3 major categories of a caregiver job role or position. These are professional caregivers, family caregivers and independent caregivers. We would be looking at them briefly for you to understand what you would be getting into.
Professional Caregivers
These are caregivers that are employed in an organization and are assigned to clients who come to these organizations for help. A professional caregiver can tend to both the medical and non-medical aspects of the job role.
They are highly skilled and experienced due to their exposure in terms of clientele. Working as a professional caregiver means you would first need to get employed in a corporation or company that offers caregivers’ services.
You can an average of $20,000 to $40,000 on a yearly basis working as a professional caregiver. The number can also go as high as possible depending on the company you are employed in.
Family Caregivers
The categories of caregivers are family relatives or friends of the family that provide support to another family member. It is quite difficult to estimate how much they earn because more than 80% of family caregivers work for free or are offered some other type of payment.
It is known in some few cases whereby you can earn as low as $10 to $15 per hour working as a family caregiver. This also depends on the agreement between the family in question and the client or relative of the family member.
Independent Caregivers
Independent caregivers are those that work for themselves. You can call them freelance caregivers. They are contacted directly by the clients without any middle man or corporation between them.
Independent caregivers stand a chance of earning far more than a professional caregivers, but it is quite difficult building up your client base. Once you have established yourself as an authority in the field, you can earn as high as $30,000 to $50,000 per year or more.
Corporations hiring Caregivers in the U.S
Below are some of the corporations currently employing caregivers in the United States and they are known to be unbiased in terms of their employment. This means they don’t discriminate regardless of your nationality, race, gender, disability, or status.
- Caregivers4U
- Agency Central
- HouseHold Staff
- Caregiverlist
These corporations and many others all have their requirements and procedures. The goal is to research each one of them and find out which one best suits you.
How to Apply and get a Caregiver Jobs in the U.S?
Now that you have an idea of what to expect working as a caregiver in the U.S. as a foreigner. What you need to do is start sending out your application through platforms that provide caregiver opportunities.
One such platform is Zip Recruiter. Zip Recruiter is a website that houses many job opportunities around the globe. It goes further to filter what search query you need to provide a seamless search for that job role that best suit you. Other platforms include:
- Fasthire
- Glassdoor
- SimplyHired
- Indeed