TL;DR: Caregivers in the Philippines average about ₱22,210 a month, according to Indeed Philippines salary data (95 reports, October 2026), with nurse's aides averaging ₱23,695. A caregiver employed directly by a Metro Manila household is covered by the Batas Kasambahay, and since February 7, 2026 cannot be paid less than ₱7,800 a month under Wage Order NCR-DW-06. Abroad, the official pay floors are higher: ₪6,443.85 a month in Israel (from April 1, 2026), NT$20,000 a month for live-in caregivers in Taiwan, and HK$5,220 a month for domestic helpers in Hong Kong (contracts from October 3, 2026). Canada's caregiver pilots and the UK's care worker visa are currently closed to new applicants from overseas.
"Magkano ang sahod ng caregiver?" is usually the first question students ask before enrolling in TESDA Caregiving NC II, because the answer decides whether the course is a local job or a stepping stone abroad. This guide puts the numbers side by side: the legal minimum for household caregivers, what private employers are reported to pay, and the official pay floors in the countries that actually hire Filipino caregivers today. Government figures come from DOLE wage orders and foreign labor ministries. Private-sector figures come from salary aggregators, because no Philippine agency publishes a caregiver-specific private pay survey.
Disclaimer: private-sector caregiver pay has no government schedule. The local averages below are reported figures from Indeed, not guaranteed offers. Wage orders, overseas minimums, and visa rules change often, so confirm with DOLE, DMW, or the destination country's labor agency before you rely on any number.
How Much Does a Caregiver Earn in the Philippines?
The reported average is about ₱22,000 a month. Indeed Philippines lists an average caregiver salary of ₱22,210 a month from 95 reported salaries, and a nurse's aide average of ₱23,695 from 71 reports. Both pages were updated in late October 2026.
| Role / Setting | Monthly Figure | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Household caregiver, Metro Manila (legal floor) | ₱7,800 minimum | Wage Order NCR-DW-06, effective Feb 7, 2026 |
| Caregiver (all reported employers) | ₱22,210 average | Indeed Philippines, 95 salaries |
| Nurse's aide | ₱23,695 average | Indeed Philippines, 71 salaries |
| All full-time workers, national benchmark | ₱21,544 average | PSA 2024 Occupational Wages Survey |
The gap between the ₱7,800 floor and the ₱22,000 average is large because the two numbers describe different jobs. The floor applies to domestic workers hired by a household. The aggregator average leans toward caregivers employed by agencies, care homes, and clinics, which also tend to post their jobs online. City averages on Indeed vary widely (Makati ₱34,038, Manila ₱29,275, Parañaque ₱24,267), but several rest on small samples, so read them as direction, not a quote.
What Is the Minimum Wage for a Household Caregiver?
If a family hires you directly to care for someone in their home, you are a domestic worker under Republic Act No. 10361, the Batas Kasambahay. The law defines a domestic worker as "any person engaged in domestic work within an employment relationship," and it gives regional wage boards the power to set and adjust the minimum.
In Metro Manila that minimum is now ₱7,800 a month. The NCR wage board's Wage Order No. NCR-DW-06 raised it from ₱7,000, effective February 7, 2026, covering an estimated 223,610 domestic workers according to DOLE. "Our call to employers of domestic workers is to comply with the Domestic Workers Act and the minimum wage order," DOLE-NCR Director Sarah Buena Mirasol said when the order took effect. Outside NCR, each regional board issues its own domestic worker wage order.
The law also guarantees benefits that matter as much as the base pay:
- Rest: an aggregate 8 hours of rest per day and at least 24 consecutive hours of rest per week.
- 13th month pay, as provided by law.
- 5 days of paid service incentive leave after one year of service.
- SSS, PhilHealth, and Pag-IBIG coverage after one month of service. The employer pays the premiums, except that a worker earning ₱5,000 or more a month pays a proportionate share.
How Much Do Filipino Caregivers Earn Abroad?
Overseas pay floors are higher than local averages, but they are set in foreign currency and come with country-specific requirements. These are the official minimums and survey figures we could verify:
| Country | Official Pay Floor or Survey Figure | Status for New Applicants |
|---|---|---|
| Israel | ₪6,443.85/month national minimum, from April 1, 2026 | Hiring through government-to-government arrangements |
| Taiwan | NT$20,000/month minimum for household caregivers; NT$21,300 average regular pay (June 2025) | Open |
| Hong Kong | HK$5,220/month minimum allowable wage, contracts from Oct 3, 2026, plus HK$1,236 food allowance if meals are not provided | Open (as foreign domestic helper) |
| Japan | Pay must equal or exceed a Japanese worker doing the same job; prefectural minimum wages averaged ¥1,121/hour in FY2025, with a ¥1,176 average recommended for FY2026 | Open via Specified Skilled Worker (nursing care) |
| Canada | Home support worker median C$20.50/hour (Job Bank) | Caregiver PR pilots not accepting new applications |
| United Kingdom | National Living Wage £12.71/hour from April 2026 | Care worker visa closed to overseas recruitment since July 22, 2025 |
A few details behind the table:
- Israel: caregivers are paid at least the national minimum wage, which rose 3.3% on April 1, 2026. Net pay can be lower because some deductions (such as health insurance and housing) are allowed, while pension and severance deposits are paid by the employer on top.
- Taiwan: the NT$20,000 floor for household-employed caregivers is separate from Taiwan's general minimum wage. The Ministry of Labor's survey found caregivers averaged NT$24,200 including overtime and worked about 10.1 hours a day.
- Japan: there is no single caregiver wage. Under Specified Skilled Worker rules, the employer must pay at least what a Japanese national would receive for the same work. Consultancy Tree Global Partners estimates entry-level nursing care workers earn ¥175,000-¥200,000 base, or ¥200,000-¥240,000 with allowances and night shifts. Treat that as an industry estimate, not an official figure.
- Canada: the Job Bank median (low C$16.00, high C$27.00) shows what the job pays there, but IRCC's Ministerial Instructions effective March 31, 2026 state it will not accept new applications under the Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots.
What Is the Minimum Salary DMW Allows for Household Workers Abroad?
The long-standing floor is US$400 a month, set by the POEA Governing Board under the 2006 household service worker reform package. In August 2025, DMW Advisory No. 25-2025 announced a US$500 minimum to be written into contracts it processes. In September 2025, however, Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac clarified that the US$500 rate would be implemented voluntarily: employers paying it get faster processing, and those paying less are not penalized. Caregivers deployed to private households usually fall under these household service worker rules, so ask your licensed agency which rate your contract uses and compare it with the destination country's own minimum in the table above.
Is TESDA Caregiving NC II the Entry Route?
Yes, for most formal caregiver jobs. TESDA's training regulation sets Caregiving NC II at 786 nominal training hours, covering care for infants, children, the elderly, and people with special needs, plus first aid, household tasks, and meal preparation. It is one of the longer NC II courses, around 4.5 months full time, as our TESDA 6-month courses guide explains.
The certificate is a starting point rather than a ticket abroad. Japan requires its own language and nursing care skills tests, and Israel's hiring rounds add age, training-hour, and other requirements. Our full TESDA Caregiving NC II guide covers fees at private training centers, scholarship coverage, and country-by-country requirements. If you want to understand what the "NC II" level signals to employers, see TESDA NC levels explained.
What Raises a Caregiver's Pay?
- Employer type. The legal floor for direct household hiring (₱7,800 in NCR) sits far below the ₱22,000-range averages reported for jobs advertised online, which skew toward agencies, care homes, and clinics. Ask what an employer actually pays rather than assuming either number.
- Location. Metro Manila city averages on Indeed run above the national caregiver average.
- Live-in vs. stay-out. Live-in arrangements change what counts as compensation (board and lodging), so compare the full package, not just base pay.
- Specialization. Elderly, post-hospital, and special-needs care generally require more skill and documentation than general household help.
- Overseas deployment. The official floors in Israel, Taiwan, and Hong Kong are well above the Philippine household minimum, though placement costs, separation from family, and long hours are real trade-offs.
- Moving up to nursing. Caregiving is not a licensed profession, so the pay ceiling is lower than for a registered nurse. Compare it with our nurse salary guide and the BS Nursing guide if you are weighing the longer route.
How to Decide If Caregiving Is the Right Path
- Decide local vs. abroad first. Locally, expect pay in the reported ₱20,000s from formal employers. If abroad is the goal, check which countries are actually open before paying for training.
- Use a scholarship if you can. Caregiving NC II is often offered under TWSP batches. See our TESDA scholarship guide.
- Get every pay term in writing. RA 10361 requires a written employment contract for household workers, and overseas contracts are processed through DMW.
- Only use licensed agencies. Verify an agency's DMW license before paying any fee.
- Start early in Senior High. The Home Economics strand includes Caregiving as a specialization.
Ready to start training? Use SchoolFinderPH to find schools and training centers near you, and compare course options before you enroll.
Sources
- Indeed Philippines: Caregiver salary in Philippines
- Indeed Philippines: Nurse's aide salary in Philippines
- GMA News: NCR wage board OKs P800 hike in kasambahays' minimum wage
- SunStar: Over 200,000 NCR kasambahays to benefit from new pay rate
- Lawphil: Republic Act No. 10361 (Domestic Workers Act)
- Philstar Life: Highest-paying jobs in the PH and average monthly wages, per PSA
- The Jerusalem Post: Israel minimum wage increase, April 2026
- iSavta: Important Salary Update for Caregivers in Israel (2026)
- Taipei Times: Migrant caregiver pay survey, January 2026
- Lewis Silkin: Hong Kong increases minimum allowable wage for foreign domestic workers
- Japanese Law Translation: Ministerial Order on Specified Skilled Worker standards
- Wikipedia: Minimum wage in Japan (FY2025 national weighted average)
- Adnkronos / Jiji Press: Japan government panel proposes 55-yen minimum wage hike
- Tree Global Partners: SSW nursing care salary in Japan
- Job Bank Canada: Personal Support Worker, Home Support wages
- IRCC: Ministerial Instructions for the Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots
- GOV.UK: National Living Wage increases to £12.71 per hour
- Pinsent Masons: UK care worker visa route closes
- SunStar: DMW says $500 minimum wage for domestic workers not mandatory
- TESDA: Training Regulations, Caregiving NC II
