Patient Care Assistants: How to Become One

If you were to ask a group of patient care assistants about how they arrived at their current job, there's a good chance you would get several different answers about the paths and steps that each person took.

That said, there are still ways that you can develop a baseline understanding of the preparation that is necessary to become one.

The Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has gathered data to provide you with insight into the type of education that's commonly required for patient care assistants to land a job. This page contains information, sourced from real job postings, that describes the experience levels and specific skills that employers of patient care assistants expect candidates to have. In the end, this information will help you create an education or professional development plan that aligns with your career aspirations.

Keep reading to learn more about career steps for patient care assistants.

What Education & Experience is Needed for Patient Care Assistants?

Do patient care assistants need a degree? What kind of experience do patient care assistants typically need? Thanks to data sourced from Lightcast™ from real job postings, we can get some clarity on those questions, as well as the level of education that is commonly required for patient care assistants to secure jobs.

Education Level Required in Job Postings for Patient Care Assistants

No education was listed by most employers of patient care assistants. According to job data, no education was required for 55% of positions. In 42% of job listings a High School diploma or GED was required and in 2% of postings a bachelor's degree was required.

Experience Level Required in Job Postings for Patient Care Assistants

While the amount of required experience will vary based on the responsibility and seniority of the position, an aggregate view of job posting data can help paint a picture of the experience level sought for most job openings for patient care assistants. In 82% of job postings for Patient Care Assistants, employers were looking for candidates with 0-1 years of experience. In 15% of listings employers were looking for candidates with 2-3 years of experience, while 4-6 years of experience was sought in 2% of job postings for patient care assistants.

What Kind of Degree Do Patient Care Assistants Need?

So far this page has provided detail into the level of education and the amount of experience required in job openings for patient care assistants, but what type of education or degree will help prepare you for a career in the field?

According to occupational data obtained through Lightcast,™ there are 11 key academic programs that can help prepare prospective patient care assistants, and in 2023 a total of 59,520 of those programs were completed at institutions in the United States.

Check out the information below to learn more about the specific programs that should be considered by prospective patient care assistants.

Top Degree Programs for Patient Care Assistants

Top Online College For Working Adults

Franklin University is a top choice for adults who need to balance school with busy lives. Founded in 1902 in Columbus, Ohio, Franklin's main focus has been serving adult students and tailoring education to fit their needs. Nonprofit and accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org/800.621.7440), Franklin offers more than 50 affordable bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs — all available 100% online.

Degree Options for Patient Care Assistants

Certificates & Microcredentials for Patient Care Assistants

What Skills Do Patient Care Assistants Need?

Education and experience have been covered, so what are the specific skills and traits needed by patient care assistants to secure a job?

A good way to understand this is to examine actual job postings for skills commonly sought by employers. Continue reading for a breakdown of specialized skills found in job postings for patient care assistants, as well as common skills that can help you thrive in the workplace.

In-Demand Skills for Today's Patient Care Assistants
Based on 318,773 job postings

Based on 318,773 job postings related to patient care assistants, nursing was the top specialized skill sought by employers, with 53% of all postings looking for that skillset. Skills for activities of daily living (adls), vital signs, personal care, toileting and nursing care were also highly sought.

As for common skills, communication was the most desired skill found in job postings for patient care assistants, followed by english language, customer service, compassion, management and clerical works.

Additional Links

Ready to dig deeper into career information about patient care assistants? Visit our other pages focused on salary and education for patient care assistants.

What do patient care assistants do?
How much do patient care assistants make?

All Occupations

The Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has compiled data for dozens of in-demand jobs. Explore our full catalog of occupation data by visiting the link below.

View Other Occupations