Personal Care Aides
In short: today's best AI models could do about 10% of this job's working time (projected from METR's April 2026 measurement and Epoch's November 2026 index) if the work were set up for them, and about the same by the end of 2028 if progress keeps its long-run pace. The conversations, in-person and hands-on work, about 90% of the time, stays with people.
Provide personalized assistance to individuals with disabilities or illness who require help with personal care and activities of daily living support (e.g., feeding, bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting, and ambulation). May also provide help with tasks such as preparing meals, doing light housekeeping, and doing laundry. Work is performed in various settings depending on the needs of the care recipient and may include locations such as their home, place of work, out in the community, or at a daytime nonresidential facility.
$35,800 a year (for the broader BLS group this job sits in).
Reviewed on September 30, 2026: what each task is made of, and what handing it over would ask.
A typical 40-hour week
- AI could take on2 h
- A person checks AI's work2 h
- Desk work AI can't do yet0 h
- Stays with people36 h
Personal Care Aides, now: of a 40-hour week, AI could take on 2 hours, 2 hours become checking its work, 0 hours are desk work it can't do yet, and 36 hours stay with people.
The largest pieces: Type letters and find information for clients (about 1 h); Keep client records and report changes (about 1 h, a person checks); Take part in case reviews (under an hour, a person checks).
Estimates for a typical week of this job, if progress keeps its long-run pace, counting work the best models finish four times in five. Every task is below.
of the working time. Now is projected from METR's April 2026 measurement and Epoch's November 2026 index.
- 6%
- 3%
- 7%
- 34%
- 49%
Anthropic's data does not cover this job.
On the chosen pace and reliability. Estimate.
Share of the working time within reach, now to 2030
Change assumptionsHide assumptionsLong-run pace, four in five
What each choice means: , , , , . Every pace starts from .
At this date and pace, models finish tasks up to 2.4 work days long four times in five.
What handing it over would take, now
The 10% within reach splits by what a model would need. The dates, pace and reliability follow the controls above. Estimates.
of the working time. The material can be handed to a model and the result handed back.
of the working time. The model has to be connected to the system the work lives in.
is conversation short enough by length. This site leaves conversation with people, so it is not in the total.
How far this has come
With GPT-4, measured in March 2023, 0% of this job's working time was within reach at . With Claude 3.7 Sonnet, measured in February 2025, 1%. With Claude Mythos Preview (early), measured in April 2026, 9%. Today's estimate: 10%.
A backcast: today's task data with the best model METR had measured by each date. It shows how fast the models have moved, not what anyone forecast at the time.
Measured use over time
Of the Claude.ai conversations Anthropic sampled and tied to a work task, 0.085% went to this job's tasks in May 2026, the 187th largest of the 447 jobs that showed up at all; 2 of its 11 tasks showed up. Within each of Anthropic's methods, never across a change: 0.029% to 0.043% (released February and March 2025); 0.12% to 0.22% (August 2025 to February 2026); 0.09% to 0.085% (April to May 2026).
Each release
| Conversations | Share | Rank | Tasks seen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Released February 2025 | 0.029% | 372 of 708 | 1 of 11 |
| Released March 2025 | 0.043% | 293 of 703 | 3 of 11 |
| The week of Aug 4, 2025 (released September 2025) | 0.12% | 138 of 655 | 2 of 11 |
| The week of Nov 13, 2025 (released January 2026) | 0.24% | 69 of 672 | 3 of 11 |
| The week of Feb 5, 2026 (released March 2026) | 0.22% | 89 of 677 | 2 of 11 |
| April 2026 (released June 2026) | 0.09% | 176 of 434 | 2 of 11 |
| May 2026 (released June 2026) | 0.085% | 187 of 447 | 2 of 11 |
Measured, not estimated: Anthropic's samples of Claude.ai conversations, each tied by a model to an O*NET task, from the Anthropic Economic Index. It says where Claude's use goes, not how much of this job's working time it covers, so it is not on the same scale as the reach above. The releases differ in their sample, their classifier and the smallest share they report (the June 2026 file rounds each task to a hundredth of a percent, so a smaller task reads as none), which is why a change of method starts a new line. At least 96% of each older release's task-tied use matched this site's tasks, and all of the newest. Claude.ai only, so use through other tools and other companies' models is not in it. Every job ranked.
Robots and the physical work
Anthropic rates 86% of this job's working time as physical work. For 32% of the working time, a robot has been shown doing most of the task somewhere: 26% in a purpose-built cell, 6% in a structured facility. 0.38 of 3, the 351st highest of the 923 jobs.
- Not physical 14%
- No robot shown 54%
- In a purpose-built cell 26%
- In a structured facility 6%
Anthropic's rating, not this site's estimate: Claude Opus 5, searching the web, rated each physical O*NET task by the kind of setting in which a robot it could cite (deployed, sold or demonstrated) does most of the task, weighted by its own estimate of each task's share of the time (What work can robots do?, September 30, 2026, data CC BY 4.0; every job ranked). A robot shown somewhere is not a robot in your building: cost, setup and safety decide that. The share within reach on this page still counts no body work. The robot behind each rated task is under the task below.
What changes for the people in this job
From the task-by-task review, by the end of 2028 on the long-run pace at four in five. It says which parts of the work stay with people and which change, not whether anyone keeps a job: that depends on decisions no data set can see.
What stays with people
90% of the working time: the conversation, in-person and hands-on parts of the tasks.
- Care for people through hard periods, the in-person work, 35%
- Train family members in bedside care, the in-person work, 11%
- Give bedside and personal care, the hands-on work, 10%
- Do housekeeping, the hands-on work, 7%
- Advise clients on home and hygiene, the in-person work, 6%
- Monitor vital signs and medication, the hands-on work, 6%
What becomes checking the machine
6% of the working time: desk work a model could do by then, in tasks where a mistake costs something or a licensed person signs. A person checks it. Another 4% is desk work that is small if wrong, which can be handed over with lighter checks.
- Keep client records and report changes, costly if wrong, 3%
- Take part in case reviews, costly if wrong, 1%
- Plan, shop for and cook meals, costly if wrong, 1%
What to learn
- The hands-on craft. About 49% of the time is hands-on work, which no model here does; robots are rated separately on this page.
- The conversations. About 41% of the time is conversation and in-person work, which this site leaves with people: listening, explaining, persuading, calming.
- Dealing with people outside the organization. Customers, patients, suppliers or the public: trust with them is built by a person.
- Judgment where errors are severe. Some tasks are severe if wrong. Knowing when not to trust an output matters more there than speed.
- Reviewing work you did not do yourself. The tasks under What becomes checking the machine, where a mistake costs something, stay a person's to check or sign: spotting what a draft gets wrong is a skill of its own.
Your own version of this job: read it against your job description. The headline is free; the full personal report, every task with its timeline and what to learn, is $19 (a sample).
The tasks
Sorted by . 11 tasks from .
| Task | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Care for individuals or families during periods of incapacitation, family disruption, or convalescence, providing companionship, personal care, or help in adjusting to new lifestyles.Company and hands-on care in the home.Done daily by most who do it. Robots: no robot shown. Anthropic's rating. | 35% | 2.5 h50 min to 6.7 h | In person 50%, hands-on 50% | Stays with people |
| Train family members to provide bedside care.Showing the family how, in person.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 11% | 1.3 h25 min to 2.5 h | In person 80%, hands-on 20% | Stays with people |
| Administer bedside or personal care, such as ambulation or personal hygiene assistance.Hands-on help with walking and hygiene.Done daily by most who do it. Robots: no robot shown. Anthropic's rating. | 10% | 38 min17 min to 1.3 h | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
| Perform housekeeping duties, such as cooking, cleaning, washing clothes or dishes, or running errands.Cooking, cleaning and laundry by hand.Done daily by most who do it. Robots: in a purpose-built cell, Chef Robotics meal assembly robots (deployed). Anthropic's rating. | 7% | 50 min25 min to 1.7 h | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
| Participate in case reviews, consulting with the team caring for the client, to evaluate the client's needs and plan for continuing services.A meeting with the care team, with notes read beforehand.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 7% | 50 min25 min to 1.7 h | Conversation 80%, documents 20% | 20%Desk part half by now |
| Instruct or advise clients on issues, such as household cleanliness, utilities, hygiene, nutrition, or infant care.Talking with the client at home.Done daily by most who do it. | 6% | 25 min13 min to 50 min | In person 100% | Stays with people |
| Plan, shop for, or prepare nutritious meals or assist families in planning, shopping for, or preparing nutritious meals.Shopping and cooking, with a little planning.Done daily by most who do it.Robots: in a purpose-built cell, RoboEatz ARK / WellSpan 'Fresh Take Eatery' (with ABB Robotics) (deployed). Anthropic's rating. | 6% | 1.1 h25 min to 2.1 h | Hands-on 80%, documents 20% | 20%Desk part half by now |
| Perform healthcare-related tasks, such as monitoring vital signs and medication, under the direction of registered nurses or physiotherapists.Hands-on checks under a nurse's direction.Done daily by most who do it. Robots: in a structured facility, Florence robotic nurse assistant (Alexandra Hospital / National University Health System) (demonstrated). Anthropic's rating. | 6% | 25 min13 min to 50 min | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
| Provide clients with communication assistance, typing their correspondence or obtaining information for them.Writing and looking things up, with the client beside them.Done daily by most who do it. AI observed on this task. | 5% | 21 min8 min to 50 min | Documents 70%, in person 30% | 70%Desk part half by now |
| Prepare and maintain records of client progress and services performed, reporting changes in client condition to manager or supervisor.Notes in the client record, and a call to the supervisor.Done daily by most who do it. | 5% | 21 min8 min to 38 min | Systems 70%, conversation 30% | 70%Desk part half by now |
| Transport clients to locations outside the home, such as to physicians' offices or on outings, using a motor vehicle.Driving the client by car.Done more than weekly by most who do it.Robots: no robot shown. Anthropic's rating. | 1% | 50 min25 min to 2.1 h | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
Within reach, per task: the share of the task's time whose instances are short enough for a model to finish at the chosen date, pace and reliability. Half by: the date half of that time comes within reach. Made of: how the task's time splits among five kinds of doing. Only the documents and systems parts can count as within reach, so a task that is 30% documents can be at most 30% within reach.
Jobs that share skills with this one
From O*NET's related occupations. Within reach now and by the end of 2028, long-run pace, four in five.
Where this job works
The industry groups that employ the most of it (BLS, May 2025). Counts are for the broader BLS group this job sits in.
- Individual and Family Services2,312,380 people
- Home Health Care Services1,079,060 people
- Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Facilities321,290 people
- Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly265,100 people
- Vocational Rehabilitation Services56,970 people
Where the most of these jobs are
The metro areas with the most people in it (BLS, May 2025). Counts are for the broader BLS group this job sits in.
Questions about this job
- How much of the work of Personal Care Aides is within reach of AI now?
- An estimated 10% of the working time is within reach of AI models now and 10% by the end of 2028, on METR's long-run pace at four in five. Within reach means a model could finish work that long at that reliability. It is not a forecast of jobs lost or of savings.
- Which tasks of Personal Care Aides come within reach first?
- Weighted by the time each takes, the tasks with the most within reach now (projected from METR's April 2026 measurement and Epoch's November 2026 index) are: Type letters and find information for clients (70% of the task's time now); Keep client records and report changes (70% of the task's time now); and Take part in case reviews (20% of the task's time now).
- Which tasks of Personal Care Aides stay with people?
- Tasks that are people work or body work are not counted as within reach at any date. The largest: Care for people through hard periods; Train family members in bedside care; and Give bedside and personal care. Together such tasks are about 77% of the working time, and the people and body parts of the other tasks stay with people too.
- What should Personal Care Aides learn as AI takes on more of the work?
- By the job's own task-by-task review, the first things to learn are the hands-on craft; the conversations; and dealing with people outside the organization. By the end of 2028 on the long-run pace at four in five, about 90% of the working time stays with people, 6% becomes checking a model's work and 4% could be handed over with lighter checks. It says which parts of the work change, never whether anyone keeps a job.
- Do people already use AI for the work of Personal Care Aides?
- In the Claude.ai conversations Anthropic sampled for May 2026 and tied to a work task, 0.085% went to this job's tasks, the 187th largest share of the 447 jobs that showed up; 2 of its 11 tasks appeared. These are measures of use, not of how much of the work AI could finish, and they cover Claude only.
- Can robots do the physical work of Personal Care Aides?
- Anthropic's robot exposure rating (September 2026) finds 86% of the working time is physical work, and that a robot has been shown doing most of the task, somewhere, for 32% of the working time, 6% in a structured facility. Its index is 0.38 of 3. One example: Florence robotic nurse assistant for "monitor vital signs and medication". A robot shown somewhere is not one in every workplace; this site's own estimates still count no physical work as within reach.
- How is this estimated?
- From the 11 tasks O*NET lists for the occupation, each with an estimated length checked against GDPval and a share of the working time, reviewed one task at a time on September 30, 2026 for what each is made of (documents, business systems, conversation, in person, hands-on), and METR's measurements of how long a task the best AI models can finish, carried forward to the date from the latest, Claude Mythos Preview (early) in April 2026. Data checked November 10, 2026.
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