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Healthcare assistant

Also called assistant healthcarer, health care assistant, elderly care assistant

Healthcare assistants work in teams of nurses within the occupational fields of nursing, social care, clinical care and care of people of all age-groups. Healthcare assistants assist in the promotion and restoration of patients' health by providing physical and psychological support to patients, friends and families.

Will there be jobs?Yes, good prospectsShortage in 17 countries now. 28 jobs to fill by 2035 for every 100 people doing this work today.Personal care workersWhat does it pay?Below averageFrom about €900 (Bulgaria) to €4,700 (Luxembourg) a month, depending on the country.Estimate · Personal care workersWhat do I need to study?Upper secondary or vocational6 in 10 finished upper secondary or vocational training. 7 in 10 train through vocational routes.Personal care workersWill AI change it?Very littleLevel 1 of 6. AI could help with only small parts of the tasks.Health care assistants · ILO

What you'd do

Health care assistants · ILO
  • Providing care, support and treatment to patients and residents of medical, rehabilitative and residential care facilities according to treatment plans established by medical, nursing and other health professionals
  • Assisting patients with personal and therapeutic care needs such as personal hygiene, feeding, dressing, physical mobility and exercise, communication, taking oral medications and changing dressings
  • Positioning, lifting and turning patients and transporting them in wheelchairs or on movable beds
  • Maintaining patients' environmental hygiene standards, such as cleaning patient rooms and changing bed linen
  • Providing massage and other non-pharmacological pain relief measures, such as during pregnancy and labour
  • Observing patients‚Äô condition, responses and behaviour and reporting changes to a health professional
Monitor basic patients signsProvide basic support to patientsIdentify abnormalitiesCommunicate with nursing staffWork with nursing staff+ 27 more essential skills
What the work is like
  • Indoors
  • On your feet most of the day
  • Constant contact with people, including the public
  • Some freedom to decide
  • Usually 40 hours a week
  • Deadlines most weeks
  • Some repetitive tasks
US data: based on the O*NET profile of the US job "Nursing Assistants"

Will there be jobs?

Yes, good prospects

17 EU countries are short of health care assistants now, and a typical number of jobs will need filling by 2035.

People working as personal care workers in the EU
5.65m7.08m7.5m 201520232035

Solid: measured. Dashed: forecast.

Jobs to fill, 2026–2035
359,000 new jobs 1,658,000 replacing leavers
Jobs to fill per 100 people working now
Personal care workers28
All jobs29
Right now
17 of 27 countries report a shortage of health care assistants, 4 a surplus.
Health care assistants · EURES

What does it pay?

Below average

Pay depends a lot on the country: from about €900 a month (Bulgaria) to €4,700 (Luxembourg), before tax.

Pick a country at the top of the page to see typical pay there, for people under 30, and compared with all jobs.

Among service and sales workers in the EU, women earn 3% less per hour than men. Service and sales workers · Eurostat

What do I need to study?

Upper secondary or vocational

Upper secondary or vocational training in care of the elderly and of disabled adults is the usual route.

Highest qualification of personal care workers (EU, 2025)
Degree 16%Vocational 49%General secondary 15%Basic schooling 20%
Fields that teach it
Care of the elderly and of disabled adults · Nursing and midwifery · Medicine
Vocational route, EU
7 in 10 trainees in this field

Pick a country at the top of the page to see where to study and the official course finders.

Will AI change it?

Very little

AI could help with only small parts of the tasks.

How exposed is this job? ILO scale
Very low
Low
Some tasks
Moderate
Significant
High

Average task score 0.14 on a scale from 0 (AI can't do it) to 1 (AI could do it fully).

See the score for each of the 6 tasks
Observing patients’ condition, responses and behaviour and reporting changes to a health professional0.24
Providing care, support and treatment to patients and residents of medical, rehabilitative and residential care facilities according to treatment plans established by medical, nursing and other health professionals0.17
Assisting patients with personal and therapeutic care needs such as personal hygiene, feeding, dressing, physical mobility and exercise, communication, taking oral medications and changing dressings0.12
Providing massage and other non-pharmacological pain relief measures, such as during pregnancy and labour0.12
Maintaining patients' environmental hygiene standards, such as cleaning patient rooms and changing bed linen0.10
Positioning, lifting and turning patients and transporting them in wheelchairs or on movable beds0.10

Based on what AI could technically do when assessed in 2025. It is not a forecast for a future year, and not a forecast of job losses. Scores for health care assistants. Source: ILO (2025), adapted (credits).