Caregiver salary Philippines 2026: ₱9,000 to ₱22,000, two legal floors

Direct answer: A household caregiver typically plans ₱9,000–₱16,000 a month, with the NCR kasambahay floor at ₱7,800. A TESDA-certified caregiver covered by RA 11965 must receive at least the regional minimum wage; in Metro Manila, the current example is ₱755 a day, or about ₱19,600 for 26 days. Indeed reported an average of ₱22,033 a month in July 2026. Which figure applies depends on the role and law, so verify the current official floor and agree duties, hours, benefits, and salary in writing. Browse caregiver profiles.

Quick reference

The two floors exist because RA 11965 defines a caregiver as someone with TESDA Caregiving certification or a listed licensed health professional. A helper without that certificate who looks after an elderly parent is a kasambahay under RA 10361, so the kasambahay minimum applies. Night shifts, medication routines, and mobility support move pay above either floor. Price the role from the duties, then check the result against the floor that applies to your hire.

A caregiver supports a client with daily living, mobility, basic health-related routines, and practical home care within an agreed scope. In the Philippines, that can mean an elder-care role, recovery support after a hospital stay, or assistance for a family member with a disability or ongoing health need. It is not a catch-all title for every household task or a substitute for clinical care that needs a licensed professional.

The floor and the average tell you where to start. The right offer for your home depends on what care is needed, who is responsible for it, and what the full monthly budget will be once benefits are added. This guide walks through each of those so you can set a number without leaning on a salary tracker, a social-media post, or an agency quote alone.

What salary reports can and cannot tell you

The average and the floor differ because they measure different things. Indeed Philippines reported an average caregiver base salary of ₱22,033 per month from 114 reported salaries, updated 17 July 2026. PayScale reported an average hourly figure of ₱97.31 for 2026. These are third-party market reports. They blend many schedules, skill levels, and employers into one number. The floor is a government wage order for one location. Neither is a guaranteed offer, and neither proves that two jobs share the same duties.

Use those figures as a prompt to ask better questions. A live-out caregiver working regular daytime hours in one city may have a very different package from a live-in caregiver who supports night routines, mobility, medication reminders, or a client recovering from surgery. Experience, training, language needs, commute, household size, number of clients, and the availability of another adult all change the work.

The cleanest way to avoid a misleading comparison is to separate three things:

For example, Home Health Care Philippines lists care-package rates that vary by care level and shift. Its page also describes case management, coordination, and service administration. That is useful evidence that service pricing and employee pay are different calculations. It is not a wage benchmark to copy into a direct-hire offer.

Start with the lawful floor, then price the real role

The Caregivers' Welfare Act (Republic Act No. 11965) says that a covered caregiver's minimum wage must not be below the applicable minimum wage in the region. It also says working hours must follow the employment contract and applicable labor rules; work beyond eight hours a day is entitled to overtime pay, and caregivers are entitled to night-shift differential where applicable.

That makes location a non-negotiable input. Before you discuss an offer, check the current regional wage order and any official local guidance that applies to your household. Wage orders can change, and a guide cannot replace current advice for a specific employment situation.

Then price the factors that actually change the job:

• Care plan and client needs: Companionship and reminders are different from regular mobility assistance, dementia support, post-hospital routines, or overnight observation.
• Schedule: Confirm start and finish times, meal breaks, weekly rest, weekends, holidays, on-call expectations, and the process for approving overtime.
• Work arrangement: Live-in work can involve meals and lodging; live-out work can involve commute time and location-specific costs. Neither arrangement justifies vague boundaries.
• Skills and experience: Relevant training, assessed competencies, first-aid knowledge, language needs, and demonstrated experience may affect fair pay. The TESDA Caregiving NC II Training Regulations are a useful official reference for the qualification context; do not claim a certificate a candidate does not hold.
• Household scope: Laundry, cooking, driving, lifting, cash handling, cleaning an entire home, or looking after a second client should be separately agreed, not quietly added to a care role.
• Supervision and safety: A caregiver should know who makes clinical decisions, whom to call in an emergency, and when the family will provide another adult or a licensed professional.

Use the Helpers salary calculator as a planning tool after you have those inputs. It can help a family structure the conversation, but it should not replace a current legal check or a respectful discussion with the person doing the work.

Benefits and employment terms belong in the budget

Salary is only one part of the hiring budget. RA 11965 requires a written employment contract before service starts, in language or dialect understood by both the caregiver and employer. The Act lists the topics that should be addressed, including duties, employment period, work arrangement, compensation, authorized deductions, hours and overtime, rest days and leave, board or lodging and medical attention, benefits, and termination.

For covered caregivers, the Act also provides for:

• 13th month pay after at least one month of service, at no less than one-twelfth of total basic salary earned in the calendar year;
• at least five days of paid service incentive leave after one year of service;
• SSS, PhilHealth, and HDMF or Pag-IBIG coverage from the first day of employment; and
• a payslip showing cash wages and deductions, plus limits on deductions without the caregiver's written consent.

Build these into the offer from the beginning. Do not advertise a "take-home" amount while leaving benefits, deductions, extra hours, or lodging arrangements for a later conversation. For the current registration, contribution, and payment procedures, use the relevant agencies' official channels rather than an old group-chat checklist.

A practical monthly hiring-budget checklist

This checklist is not a quotation. It helps a family make the total cost visible before an offer is accepted.

The same checklist protects both sides. A family sees the real budget before committing; a caregiver sees whether the role is being described honestly. If the budget does not support the care plan, reduce the scope, arrange additional family help, or consider a provider that can safely staff the required level of care. Do not solve a budget gap by asking one person to work indefinite hours or perform clinical tasks outside their competence.

Write a scope that protects the client and the caregiver

The Act describes caregiver services such as supporting daily activities and mobility, checking basic vital signs, assisting with simple exercises taught by a licensed rehabilitation specialist, helping with physician-prescribed home medications, accompanying a client to relevant appointments, and health-related housekeeping support. The precise scope still needs to be written for your household.

For an older parent, use the elderly caregiver hiring checklist to prepare the care plan before discussing pay.

Start with a short care plan: the client's routine, the activities that need assistance, the equipment in use, dietary or mobility needs, and the family member who makes decisions. Then list what is outside the role. A caregiver should not be expected to diagnose, change a prescribed treatment, restrain a client, lift beyond safe limits, handle an emergency alone, or take on undisclosed childcare, driving, or all-around household work.

Before the first shift, walk through the home together. Show safe storage for medicines and cleaning products, emergency contacts, building or barangay procedures, private spaces, and how the caregiver should report a fall, missed medication, sudden confusion, abuse, or an unsafe condition. A written plan does not remove family responsibility; it makes escalation faster and safer.

Handle credentials, checks, and privacy with care

Families may reasonably want to assess relevant training, work references, health requirements, or clearances. RA 11965 allows specified pre-employment documents, including a TESDA National Certificate or training certificate where applicable, medical or health certificates, and NBI, police, or barangay clearance. Ask only for material that is genuinely relevant to the role and explain how it will be used.

The National Privacy Commission's Data Privacy Act guidance is a useful baseline: collect the minimum information needed, keep it secure, and do not circulate a candidate's documents in group chats or retain copies indefinitely. Never ask an applicant for bank, social-media, or phone passwords. Do not hold original IDs, passports, or personal phones as a condition of employment.

If you want help comparing profiles, read how Helpers approaches verification, then use the same job-relevant questions for every shortlisted candidate. A check can support a decision, but it is not a guarantee of safety or a reason to ignore clear boundaries, paid trial terms, or a respectful onboarding process.

Direct hire, agency, or marketplace: compare like with like

A direct-hire arrangement gives the family and caregiver control over the specific employment terms, but it also makes the family responsible for defining the scope, handling the agreement, and following applicable requirements. An agency or care provider may offer matching, supervision, relief coverage, and a defined service plan; its client rate can therefore be higher than a direct employee wage.

Whichever path you choose, compare the same units: hours, care level, live-in or live-out arrangement, statutory obligations, replacement policy, supervision, and what happens after a missed shift or change in condition. A low headline number is not a saving if it omits the time, coverage, or safety support your family actually needs.

When you are ready to meet candidates, browse caregiver profiles with the written scope in hand. For a Cebu City household, compare caregivers in Cebu City and confirm commute, hours, and availability before discussing an offer. If the role is for a family member with complex needs, tell candidates clearly what support is required and arrange licensed clinical care when the work calls for it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a fair caregiver salary in the Philippines?

It depends on the caregiver's status. A household caregiver hired as a kasambahay typically earns ₱9,000 to ₱16,000 a month, more in Metro Manila, and never below the regional kasambahay minimum (₱7,800 in NCR). A TESDA-certified caregiver is covered by RA 11965 and must get at least the regional minimum wage, about ₱19,600 a month in Metro Manila. Indeed's reported average is ₱22,033.

Is a caregiver entitled to 13th month pay in the Philippines?

Under the Caregivers' Welfare Act, a covered caregiver who has worked at least one month is entitled to 13th month pay of at least one-twelfth of total basic salary earned in the calendar year, paid by December 24 or on separation.

Do caregivers receive SSS, PhilHealth, and Pag-IBIG coverage?

The Caregivers' Welfare Act states that covered caregivers are entitled to SSS, PhilHealth, and HDMF or Pag-IBIG coverage from the first day of employment. Confirm the current registration and contribution process with the relevant agencies.

Does a home-care agency rate equal a caregiver's salary?

No. An agency or home-care service rate can include supervision, matching, transport, administration, reliever coverage, and other service costs. It is not automatically the wage paid to the individual caregiver.

What should be written in a caregiver employment agreement?

Write the duties, work arrangement, compensation, deductions, hours, overtime, rest days, leave, meals or lodging if applicable, privacy rules, and a fair termination or concern process in language both parties understand.

Make the offer clear before care starts

The best caregiver budget is transparent about pay, benefits, schedule, scope, and safety. It gives a family a realistic total cost and gives a caregiver a role they can accept knowingly. When the care plan is written, browse caregiver profiles, read ID and NBI status, and create a family account to hire direct.