How much do HSE home helps get paid?

HSE Home Support Workers are paid on the Health Care Assistant (Home Support) scale: €36,651 to €45,939 a year full-time at June 2026 rates — roughly €18.00 to €22.57 an hour. Part-time workers are paid pro-rata for their contracted hours.

Is home help pay the same as healthcare assistant pay?

Yes — HSE Home Support Workers share the Health Care Assistant scale (the home-support variant, grade 6494), running €36,651–€45,939 at June 2026 rates.

Do private home care companies pay the same as the HSE?

Not necessarily. The HSE scale applies to direct HSE employees. Private and Section 39 providers set their own rates — some match HSE scales, others pay closer to the national minimum wage of €14.15/hour (from 1 January 2026).

Do home support workers get paid for travel between clients?

Travel arrangements are set by the employer. In the HSE, allowances and travel arrangements are additional to the basic scale where they apply — check the specific post's terms.

Pay & salary

HSE Home Help & Home Support Worker Pay Rates 2026

Last verified 21 Jul 2026· Published 21 Jul 2026

HSE Home Support Workers (formerly called Home Helps) are paid on the national Health Care Assistant (Home Support) scale — grade code 6494. These are the consolidated figures effective 1 June 2026.

Home Support Worker pay scale 2026

The scale runs from €36,651 to €45,939 a year (full-time equivalent), across the same points as the standard Health Care Assistant scale:

Point	Annual (full-time)	Approx. hourly
1	€36,651	≈ €18.00
2	€38,130	≈ €18.73
3	€39,687	≈ €19.50
4	€40,101	≈ €19.70
5	€41,118	≈ €20.20
6	€41,998	≈ €20.63
7	€43,264	≈ €21.25
8	€44,577	≈ €21.90
9	€45,939	≈ €22.57

Hourly figures are the annual salary divided by 2,035 hours (a 39-hour week × 52.18 weeks) and rounded — your contracted hours determine your actual hourly calculation.

Part-time and pro-rata pay

Most home support roles are part-time or based on assigned client hours. Pay is pro-rata: you are paid the scale rate for the hours you actually work. A worker on point 1 doing 20 hours a week earns roughly half the full-time figure shown above.

HSE vs private and voluntary providers

The scale above applies to direct HSE employees. Home support is also delivered by Section 39 agencies and private providers, whose rates are set by the employer and can differ — some align with HSE scales, others pay hourly rates closer to the national minimum wage (€14.15/hour from 1 January 2026). Always check which employer — and which scale — a specific ad is using.

Moving up the scale

You move up one point for each year of satisfactory service. Use the pay increment calculator to see your year-by-year progression, and the take-home pay calculator for your net pay at any point.

Looking for a role? See live HSE healthcare assistant vacancies — home support posts appear there as they are advertised.

Source: HSE consolidated pay scales effective 1 June 2026 (grade 6494, Health Care Assistant – Home Support). Figures are the national scale; allowances (e.g. travel between clients) are additional where they apply.

Frequently asked questions

How much do HSE home helps get paid?: HSE Home Support Workers are paid on the Health Care Assistant (Home Support) scale: €36,651 to €45,939 a year full-time at June 2026 rates — roughly €18.00 to €22.57 an hour. Part-time workers are paid pro-rata for their contracted hours.
Is home help pay the same as healthcare assistant pay?: Yes — HSE Home Support Workers share the Health Care Assistant scale (the home-support variant, grade 6494), running €36,651–€45,939 at June 2026 rates.
Do private home care companies pay the same as the HSE?: Not necessarily. The HSE scale applies to direct HSE employees. Private and Section 39 providers set their own rates — some match HSE scales, others pay closer to the national minimum wage of €14.15/hour (from 1 January 2026).
Do home support workers get paid for travel between clients?: Travel arrangements are set by the employer. In the HSE, allowances and travel arrangements are additional to the basic scale where they apply — check the specific post's terms.

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