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Meal preparation & homemaking caregiver needed in California, CA
$20.00/hr offeredPosted Oct 2, 2026
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Berkeley, California · Alameda County
Caregiver Jobs in Berkeley, CA
Berkeley raised its own minimum wage to $19.61 an hour on July 1, 2026, well above the state floor. Make a free profile, set a radius that reaches the flats and the hills, and answer family postings as they appear above.
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Finding in-home caregiver jobs in Berkeley
Berkeley is a college town with an older population tucked inside it. The state put the city at 127,654 residents on January 1, 2026, and the census survey shows that more than a quarter of residents are between 15 and 24, yet 20,100 people are 65 or over and 5,808 households are an older resident on their own (ACS 2020–2024). Those single-person households are where a lot of private care requests start: a retired professor in a hillside house who can no longer manage the stairs to the garage, a widow in a South Berkeley bungalow whose children live out of state, a couple in a North Berkeley apartment where one spouse has early dementia. Postings tagged with ZIP codes from 94702 to 94710 show up above as families publish them.
Transport shapes the work more here than in most East Bay suburbs. One Berkeley household in five (20.7%) has no vehicle, so clients rely on AC Transit, BART at Downtown Berkeley on Shattuck Avenue, East Bay Paratransit, or a caregiver who drives. If you have a car and can take someone to an appointment at Alta Bates on Ashby Avenue, put that near the top of your profile. If you come in by BART or bus, name the line and the station so a family can judge whether a 7 a.m. start is realistic. Languages count too: 30.7% of Berkeley residents aged five or more use another language besides English in the household, and more than half of Berkeley's foreign-born residents were born in Asia.
Live postings
Families looking for private caregivers near Berkeley, CA
Real postings from families on CaregiverConnect, matched to Berkeley by distance. 2 caregivers within 50 miles already have profiles here.
Showing 1 of 1 open posting within 50 miles of Berkeley, newest first. Family names and care-recipient details are shown after you sign in. Postings are removed from this page as soon as a family hires or closes them.
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Types of caregiver jobs
Types of caregiver jobs in Berkeley
Berkeley families tend to post companionship and errands, morning and bedtime personal care, escort to medical visits, help with meals for someone on a special diet, overnight presence for dementia, and short stretches of recovery care after a hospital stay. Without experience, the most realistic first job is companion care or household help for an older adult who still manages most personal care alone; the Alameda County Public Authority's free provider classes are a reasonable next step.
Senior caregiving · Personal care · Companion care · Dementia care · Respite care · Live-in · Overnight · Part-time and full-time
Pay
Caregiver pay in Berkeley: how much caregivers make
Public figures first, then what they mean for private work. Statistics describe employed aides across the San Francisco–Oakland–Fremont, CA metro (San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo and Marin counties); private rates on CaregiverConnect are agreed between each caregiver and family and are not tracked by any agency.
| Measure | Hourly | Source and coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Home health and personal care aides, San Francisco–Oakland–Fremont, CA metro (San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo and Marin counties) | $17.28 median | BLS OEWS, May 2025; 119,120 jobs; concentration 1.81× national |
| IHSS provider wage, Alameda County | $22.10 | CDSS; effective July 1, 2026 |
| California minimum wage | $16.90 | effective January 1, 2026 |
Who is the employer. A family that hires you directly is your employer under California's Domestic Worker Bill of Rights. The state minimum wage ($16.90 an hour from 1 January 2026; some cities set more, for example $17.75 in the City of San Diego) is the legal floor, and a personal attendant earns overtime at 1.5× after 9 hours in a day or 45 in a week. The main exceptions are IHSS recipients and an employer's own parent, spouse or child. Source: California DIR, Domestic Worker Bill of Rights FAQ.
The number that matters most in Berkeley is the city's own wage floor: $19.61 an hour, effective July 1, 2026, compared with $19.18 the previous July. According to the city, the rate reaches anyone employed for two or more hours inside Berkeley, wherever the employer is based, and applies to nonprofits as well as businesses. That puts the local floor above the $17.28 BLS median for aides in the wider metro, so an agency paying the metro median would be underpaying anyone working in Berkeley. Alameda County pays IHSS providers $22.10, higher still. Berkeley's paid sick leave ordinance adds one hour of leave for every 30 worked; employers with fewer than 25 staff may cap accrual and use at 48 hours a year, larger ones may cap accrual at 72. Berkeley's guidance is silent on families who employ a caregiver at home, so if you are paid less than $19.61 for work in Berkeley, ask the Labor Standards and Enforcement Program at 2180 Milvia Street, or email LaborStandards@berkeleyca.gov.
How to enroll as a provider in Alameda County, with the office phone lines and orientation steps, is in the IHSS Alameda County guide. IHSS wages for every county we cover, with effective dates, are in the IHSS pay by county guide.
How the public numbers relate to private rates, and what affects them, is covered in the caregiver pay guide.
Rules
Caregiver requirements in California, applied to Berkeley
Berkeley does not license private caregivers, and neither does the state for non-medical help hired directly by a family. You need a Home Care Aide Registry listing (a $35 state fee plus Live Scan fingerprints) only when your employer is a state-licensed home care organization; independents may register voluntarily. Clients on IHSS hire through Alameda County, where the county's IHSS Public Authority, headquartered on Foothill Boulevard in Oakland, runs provider training and a registry open to providers who have passed the Department of Justice check. Facility jobs and nursing tasks require a CDPH nurse assistant certificate. California law makes you a mandated reporter, so if a Berkeley client shows signs of abuse or neglect, phone the county's Adult Protective Services line, 866-225-5277. The California requirements guide has the full rules.
Local resources
Training and career resources near Berkeley
Places in and near Berkeley to start or build caregiving skills; check dates and fees with each provider before you enroll.
- Public Authority for IHSS in Alameda County, provider trainingFree classes for IHSS providers, and eligible providers can buy into an inexpensive health plan covering medical, dental and vision. Training questions: (510) 577-3554 or patraining@acgov.org; health plan: (510) 577-3551.
- Public Authority RegistryMatches IHSS recipients with providers who have already cleared the Department of Justice background check. Providers call (510) 577-5694 to join.
- Berkeley Adult School1939 Ward Street at Milvia, (510) 644-6130. English classes, high school diploma and GED, and career technical courses for people living in Berkeley and nearby. Fall Term 2 runs October 19, 2026 to January 8, 2027.
- Berkeley Labor Standards and Enforcement ProgramTakes complaints about the city minimum wage and paid sick leave by mail, email or in person at 2180 Milvia Street, 2nd floor. Incomplete complaint forms are still accepted.
- CDSS Home Care Aide registrationApply online through Guardian; independent aides use the PIN R38XKSPE, pay the $35 fee and complete Live Scan fingerprints.
The area
Berkeley in numbers
The census survey (ACS 2020–2024) counts 2,093 Berkeley residents aged 85 or older, and among residents 65 and over, 27.0% report a disability. Median household income is $108,092, the median home value is $1,413,900, and renters occupy 55.8% of homes, paying a median $2,133 a month. In practice that means two quite different client groups: long-time owners in the hills with equity but limited mobility, and older renters in the flats on fixed incomes, some of whom qualify for IHSS. A city with many working-from-home residents (37.1% of workers) also produces requests for daytime help in a house where an adult child is present but busy.
Alta Bates Summit Medical Center's Alta Bates Campus at 2450 Ashby Avenue holds a license for 339 beds and runs a basic-level emergency room; its discharges are a common reason a Berkeley family suddenly needs help at home. The city's Aging Services Division, part of Health, Housing and Community Services, runs two senior centers and a case management unit that refers clients to home care. Neighboring pages: Oakland, Richmond and the Alameda County overview.
How it works
How to find private caregiver jobs in Berkeley (no agency)
CaregiverConnect is a marketplace, not an agency. Families post what they need, caregivers apply, and the two of you work out the arrangement directly.
- Tell us about your experience
- Set your availability and rate
- Create your account
- Browse, apply or respond
- Agree on the details
Applying to open postings and starting a new conversation are part of Caregiver Premium ($7.99/month, cancel anytime). Replying to a family who contacts you is always free. CaregiverConnect takes no cut of what you earn.
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Widen your search
Caregiver jobs near Berkeley
Families often post from neighbouring towns. Set your travel radius in your profile and you will appear in their searches too.
Berkeley is part of Alameda County; the hub pages list every town and area they cover.
- Caregiver jobs in Oakland, CA6 mi
- Caregiver jobs in Richmond, CA6 mi
- Caregiver jobs in San Francisco, CA12 mi
- Caregiver jobs in Walnut Creek, CA12 mi
- Caregiver jobs in San Leandro, CA14 mi
- Caregiver jobs in Concord, CA16 mi
- Caregiver jobs in Daly City, CA17 mi
- Caregiver jobs in Hayward, CA19 mi
Elsewhere in Alameda County: Fremont · Livermore · Pleasanton
Guides
Useful reading
How to become a caregiver in California: requirements, HCA registry, IHSS and CNA explained · How much do caregivers make in California and Arizona? BLS, IHSS and minimum wage (2026) · Private caregiver jobs near you: how to find them without an agency · Caregiver interview preparation: questions families ask and how to answer them
Sources (checked 2026-10-15):
- City of Berkeley, Workforce Standards and Enforcement (minimum wage, sick leave)
- UC Berkeley Labor Center, inventory of local minimum wage ordinances (July 1, 2026 table)
- California Department of Finance, E-1 population estimates, January 1, 2026
- U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020–2024 5-year profile, Berkeley city (via MCDC)
- BLS OEWS May 2025, San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA (31-1120)
- CDSS, IHSS wages by county
- CDSS, Home Care Aide application process
- Public Authority for IHSS in Alameda County
- City of Berkeley, Health, Housing and Community Services (Aging Services Division)
- City of Berkeley, Senior Resources and Assistance
- HCAI hospital profile, Alta Bates Summit Medical Center-Alta Bates Campus
- BART, Downtown Berkeley station
- Berkeley Adult School
- LARPD senior resources (Alameda County APS and helpline numbers)
Questions
Caregiver jobs in Berkeley: frequently asked questions
What is the minimum wage for caregivers working in Berkeley?
The city rate is $19.61 an hour from July 1, 2026, and Berkeley extends it to any employee who works at least two hours inside Berkeley. The state rate of $16.90 is the floor only outside the city.
How much paid sick leave do Berkeley employers have to give?
One hour for every 30 hours worked. An employer with fewer than 25 employees may cap it at 48 hours a year; a larger employer may cap accrual at 72 hours but cannot limit how much is used.
Who do I contact if I am underpaid for work in Berkeley?
The city's Labor Standards and Enforcement Program, 2180 Milvia Street, 2nd floor, or LaborStandards@berkeleyca.gov. You can send the complaint form by mail or email or bring it in person.
What does IHSS pay in Berkeley?
Berkeley is in Alameda County, where IHSS providers earn $22.10 an hour from July 1, 2026. The Alameda County IHSS guide explains enrollment.
Can I manage caregiving work in Berkeley without a car?
Not always. Downtown Berkeley BART and AC Transit cover much of the city, but many clients have no car of their own, so a caregiver who can drive them to appointments has more options.
Where do Berkeley families post care jobs?
On the Berkeley family page. Their postings appear on this page once published, and caregivers never pay a commission.
Ready to find caregiver work in Berkeley?
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