Caregiver Jobs in Merced County, CA
One page for the whole county, from Livingston and Atwater down Highway 99 to Merced and across to Los Banos on the west side. CaregiverConnect has only just opened here, so the postings below are few; this page shows how the county works for a caregiver and where to start.
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Finding caregiver jobs in Merced County
Merced County is really two labour markets joined by Highway 152. The eastern corridor along Highway 99 (Livingston, Atwater, Winton, Merced, Planada) holds the county's main hospital, its college, the county offices and most of its people. The west side (Los Banos, Dos Palos, Gustine, Santa Nella) is commuter country: the mean journey to work in Los Banos is 55 minutes and nearly half its workers leave the county each day. A caregiver based in Merced can serve Atwater and Winton easily; reaching Los Banos means an hour on Highway 152 each way, so most caregivers pick one side and set their radius to match.
No caregivers or families have joined from Merced County yet, so there is nothing to browse and nothing to compete against. Set your ZIP code, list every language you speak (44% of county residents speak Spanish at home, and Livingston adds a Punjabi-speaking community), say which towns you will drive to, and switch on alerts so the first posting near you reaches you. Paid caregiving here is dominated by In-Home Supportive Services, which is why aides are more than twice as concentrated in this county as nationally (location quotient 2.27); most experienced caregivers hold an IHSS case for a relative and add private clients around it.
Open caregiver opportunities in Merced County
Real postings from families on CaregiverConnect, matched to Merced County by distance.
No open postings in Merced County right now
No family within 60 miles has an open posting today. Nearest current postings: California, CA, about 102 miles away. A profile created now is visible to Merced County families as soon as they join, and they can send you a direct request.
This list is generated from live postings on CaregiverConnect. We never show sample, demo or expired jobs here.
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Caregiver jobs by city and town
Each page below has its own local research and shows live postings near that place. Towns without a page yet are covered by this hub.
- Caregiver jobs in Mercedpop. 99,435
- Caregiver jobs in Atwaterpop. 31,806
- Caregiver jobs in Los Banospop. 49,255
- Caregiver jobs in Livingstonpop. 14,402
The towns of Merced County
Four towns have their own pages, linked above; the rest of the county is covered here.
- Merced (city, county seat)County seat with the hospital, college and county offices; 99,435 residents, 10.4% aged 65 or over.
- Atwater (city)31,806 residents beside the former Castle Air Force Base; the oldest profile of the county's large towns (12.4% aged 65+).
- Los Banos (city)West-side hub of 49,255 on Highway 152 with its own hospital, college campus and job centres; nearly half its workers commute out of the county.
- Livingston (city)City of 14,402 on Highway 99 north of Atwater; 56% Spanish-speaking, with a large Punjabi community.
- Winton (census-designated place)Unincorporated community of about 11,800 between Atwater and Livingston; A2 and W1 bus routes, senior lunch on Walnut Avenue.
- Delhi (census-designated place)Unincorporated community of about 11,000 on the Stanislaus line; young (7.6% aged 65+) and closer to Turlock than Merced.
- Hilmar-Irwin (census-designated place)Unincorporated dairy community of about 6,100 with an older profile (17.8% aged 65+); no fixed bus route.
- Planada (census-designated place)Unincorporated community of about 3,500 east of Merced on Highway 140; P Planada Commuter; 16.3% aged 65+.
- Le Grand (census-designated place)Unincorporated farm town of about 1,600 south-east of Planada; no transit.
- Dos Palos (city)City of about 5,800 south of Los Banos with the county's oldest profile (21.8% aged 65+); Micro Bus, lunch on Leonard Avenue.
- Gustine (city)City of about 6,100 on the far west side; 17.3% aged 65+; Micro Bus and G Gustine Link.
- Santa Nella (census-designated place)Unincorporated settlement of about 2,100 at the I-5 and Highway 152 junction, inside the Micro Bus zone.
Types of caregiver jobs in Merced County
Expect daytime personal care and companionship for a parent, often in Spanish; respite for adult children who work farm or commuting hours; short-term help after a discharge from Mercy Medical Center Merced or Memorial Hospital Los Banos; and dementia supervision as the county ages. Live-in requests are rare.
- Senior caregiving: day-to-day help so an older adult can stay at home.
- Personal care: bathing, dressing, grooming, transfers.
- Companion care: company, errands, appointments, light help.
- Dementia care: routine-based support for memory loss.
- Respite care: cover so a family caregiver can rest or work.
- Live-in: room and board as part of the arrangement.
- Overnight: supervision through the night.
- Part-time and full-time: set by day and time block on your profile.
Caregiver pay in Merced County
Public figures first, then what they mean for private work. Statistics describe employed aides across the Merced, CA metro (all of Merced County); 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, Merced, CA metro (all of Merced County) | $16.50 median ($16.82 mean) | BLS OEWS, May 2025; 4,990 jobs; concentration 2.27× national |
| IHSS provider wage, Merced County | $17.50 | CDSS; effective January 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.
Merced County projection: 4,650 aide jobs in 2023 to 5,830 in 2033 (+25.4%), about 8,810 openings over the decade including replacements (California EDD, 2023–2033 projections). Openings are not the same as net new jobs.
Three numbers frame pay here: the $16.90 state minimum wage, the $16.50 median that employed aides actually earn, and the $17.50 IHSS individual-provider rate in force since 1 January 2026. Families hiring directly tend to offer at or above the IHSS rate, with more for nights, dementia care and driving. No city in the county has its own minimum-wage ordinance. The EDD figure of 8,810 openings over ten years is countywide and includes replacements; most of them will be in Merced, Atwater and Los Banos because that is where people live.
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.
Caregiver requirements in California, applied to Merced County
California's general rules are the only ones that apply. A caregiver hired directly by a family for non-medical help needs no licence; the Home Care Aide Registry is compulsory for agency aides and voluntary ($35, Live Scan) for independents. IHSS providers enrol through the Merced County IHSS Public Authority on West Wardrobe Avenue, which also keeps the registry that matches providers with recipients. Nursing tasks and facility work need a CNA certificate from CDPH; Merced College teaches the course at both campuses. Every caregiver of an older adult is a mandated reporter: Merced County Adult Protective Services is (209) 385-3105, the state line 1-833-401-0832. Details: California requirements guide.
Training and career resources near Merced County
Countywide resources; each town page adds what is local.
- Merced County IHSS Public Authority2115 W. Wardrobe Avenue, Merced, (209) 383-9504. Provider enrolment, orientation and the provider registry; registry training is free.
- Merced College, Nurse Assistant (ALLH-63)Merced campus, 3600 M Street, (209) 384-6000; Los Banos campus, 22240 Highway 152, (209) 826-3495. Sixteen weeks in spring and fall, nine in summer; nursing office (209) 384-6128.
- Prospero Job Centers (formerly WorkNet Merced County)Merced Mall, 635 Fairfield Drive, (209) 724-2100 · Castle, 1900 Airdrome Entry, Atwater, (209) 724-2000 · Breaking Barriers, 445 I Street, Los Banos, (209) 710-6043 · Merced College Los Banos, Room A120, (209) 710-6140. Job-search help and training scholarships after an orientation.
- Merced County Area Agency on Aging851 W. 23rd Street, Merced, (209) 385-7550. Family Caregiver Support Program, Meals on Wheels and the senior lunch programme in seven towns.
- Valley Caregiver Resource Center5363 N. Fresno Street, Fresno, (800) 541-8614. Serves Merced and Madera among nine counties: free caregiver support groups, classes and respite.
- The Bus (Merced County Transit)Fifteen fixed routes plus countywide paratransit, (209) 384-3111; seniors, veterans and ADA riders travel free under Measure V. Local fare $1.50, intercity $3; the on-demand Micro Bus covers Los Banos, Dos Palos, Gustine and Santa Nella.
Merced County in numbers
The Department of Finance put the county at 294,154 residents on 1 January 2026, a third of them in the City of Merced (99,435) and another 95,000 in Los Banos, Atwater and Livingston. It is a young county (median age 31.8) with an old-age wave arriving: 11.7% of residents are 65 or over (ACS 2020–2024), 27.9% of households already include someone that age, and the state projects the 65-plus population to climb from about 34,900 in 2025 to about 50,600 by 2040, from 11.9% to 15.7% of the county. Agriculture employs 10.2% of workers, so the unemployment rate follows the harvest rather than demand for care; health care, education and social assistance employ 23%.
Language is the practical issue: 63.4% of residents are Hispanic or Latino, 44.2% speak Spanish at home, 21.2% speak English less than very well and one in four was born abroad. Two general hospitals serve the county, Mercy Medical Center Merced (186 licensed beds) in the east and Memorial Hospital Los Banos (38 beds) in the west, both with basic emergency departments. For the wider region see Visalia and the California directory.
How to find caregiver work in Merced County on CaregiverConnect
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
Years of experience, the care types you provide, any certifications. No licence is needed for non-medical care.
Set your availability and rate
Full-time, part-time or live-in; days and time blocks; hourly rate; travel radius; vehicle.
Create your account
Name, email, ZIP code, password. Your profile is live immediately for families in your radius.
Browse, apply or respond
Open postings plus a matched list. Apply, or answer a family's direct request; the family chooses who to hire. 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.
Agree on the details
Message to settle schedule, duties and pay. CaregiverConnect takes no cut of what you earn.
Caregiver jobs near Merced County
Families often post from neighbouring towns. Set your travel radius in your profile and you will appear in their searches too.
- Caregiver jobs in Atwater, CA6 mi
- Livingston, CA8 mi
- Caregiver jobs in Merced, CA10 mi
- Caregiver jobs in Los Banos, CA18 mi
- Chowchilla, CA25 mi
- Caregiver jobs in Tulare County106 mi
Useful reading before you apply
California caregiver requirements: HCA registry, IHSS and CNA explained
Which rules apply to a caregiver in California depends on who pays them. A plain-language map of the Home Care Aide Registry, IHSS provider enrolment and CNA/HHA certification, with the official sources.
What caregivers earn in California and Arizona: BLS, IHSS and minimum wage (2026)
Median hourly pay for home health and personal care aides by metro area from the May 2025 BLS survey, county IHSS wages, state minimum wages, and how private rates relate to them.
How to find private caregiver jobs without an agency
Where families who hire directly actually look, how to be found, what to put in writing, and the legal basics of being a household employee.
Caregiver interview preparation: questions families ask and how to answer them
What a family interview for private caregiving work really covers, the questions to expect, the questions you should ask, and what to bring.
- California Department of Finance, E-1 2026 city and county population estimates
- California Department of Finance, P-2B county population projections by age (Vintage 2026)
- U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020–2024 data profiles (DP02, DP03, DP05), Merced County and its places
- BLS OEWS May 2025, Merced, CA (31-1120)
- California EDD, 2023–2033 occupational projections, Merced County
- CDSS, IHSS wages by county
- Merced County Human Services Agency: IHSS Public Authority, Area Agency on Aging, Adult Protective Services
- Merced College, Nurse Assistant program
- Prospero Workforce, job center locations
- Merced County Rescue Mission, Senior Nutrition Program sites
- Valley Caregiver Resource Center
- The Bus, Merced County Transit: routes, fares, paratransit, Micro Bus
- HCAI facility profiles: Mercy Medical Center Merced; Memorial Hospital Los Banos
Caregiver jobs in Merced County: frequently asked questions
Which Merced County towns have their own caregiver job page?
Merced, Atwater, Los Banos and Livingston. The smaller communities are covered by this page and the nearest town page; Chowchilla, over the line in Madera County, has its own.
Should I set my profile to cover the whole county?
Only if you will actually drive Highway 152. About 20 miles from Merced covers Atwater, Winton, Livingston and Planada; the west side is roughly an hour each way, so most caregivers choose one side.
Is there any caregiver work in Merced County without a certificate?
Yes. Companionship and personal care hired directly by a family need no licence, and IHSS enrolment needs an orientation and background check rather than a course. A CNA certificate from Merced College opens facility work.
How do I get to clients without a car?
The Bus runs commuter links from Livingston, Winton, Planada and Los Banos into Merced, and the Micro Bus covers the west side on demand; local trips are $1.50, intercity $3. Hilmar, Le Grand and the rural dairies need a vehicle.
Does the $17.50 IHSS rate apply everywhere in the county?
Yes, it is a county rate and applies from Gustine to Le Grand. Chowchilla, 17 miles south of Merced, is in Madera County, where the rate is $17.90 from July 2026.
Where do families in the county post their care needs?
On the Merced County families page and the town pages beneath it. Posting is free and the listing is visible to caregivers immediately.
Ready to find caregiver work in Merced County?
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