Companion Caregiver Jobs in Florida

What is companion care?

Companion care is non-medical, non-hands-on caregiving focused on company, supervision, light housekeeping, meal preparation, transportation, and the small tasks of daily living. A Florida companion caregiver spends a shift talking with the client, making meals, doing laundry, driving them to appointments, going on walks, and making sure the home is safe and the client is not isolated. There is no bathing, no toileting, no transferring, no wound care, and no medication administration — those are the realm of a Home Health Aide (HHA), CNA, or licensed nurse.

Florida regulates companion care through its Homemaker and Companion Services (HCS) rule. Agencies that provide only non-medical companion services must register with the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) as a Homemaker and Companion Services provider. Individual caregivers do not need a personal state license, but agency-employed companions do go through a Level 2 background screening through AHCA's Clearinghouse.

Companion care is the lowest-paid tier of caregiving in Florida. Because no certification is required for the worker, pay is in the $14–$18/hour range — below what an HHA earns through a Medicaid program and well below a CNA. The trade-off: huge demand, easy entry, and high client volume. Few states have more available companion work than Florida.

Most Florida companion clients are older adults living in single-family homes or 55+ communities whose adult children live out of state. Others are residents of independent-living apartments who need extra help for a few hours a day, post-surgical patients recovering at home, snowbirds whose spouse needs daytime company while they go out, and seasonal vacationers visiting Florida from up north.

How much do companion caregivers make in Florida?

Companion caregivers in Florida typically earn between $14 and $18 per hour in 2026. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics lists Florida's median wage for home health and personal care aides at roughly $15/hour, with the top 10% reaching about $19/hour. Pure companion work, with no personal care, sits near the median or slightly below.

Pay varies meaningfully by metro. The Naples–Marco Island and Palm Beach corridors typically pay $17–$22/hour for private-pay companion care given the high concentration of wealthy retirees. Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, and Sarasota usually pay $15–$19. Orlando, Jacksonville, Cape Coral, and The Villages typically pay $14–$17. Rural Panhandle and North Central Florida pay $13–$15. Direct-hire pay is generally $2–$4/hour higher than agency pay because there is no agency markup.

Florida Medicaid pays for some companion-style services through the Statewide Medicaid Managed Care Long-Term Care (SMMC-LTC) program. The pass-through wage to the worker is usually $11–$14/hour after the agency keeps its share. Florida does not have a strong consumer-directed option compared to states like New York or California, so most full-time Florida companion caregivers work private-duty or for agency contracts with families paying privately.

Live-in and overnight roles in Florida are common given the snowbird/vacationer population. Live-in companion roles are typically paid as a flat day rate ($190–$280 per 24-hour period) under the federal live-in exemption. Overnight awake shifts (8–10 hours) pay $14–$18/hour and are very common in 55+ communities and assisted-living buildings where families want supplemental private care.

Typical hourly pay in Florida: $14–$18/hour (Naples/Palm Beach $17–$22; Medicaid SMMC-LTC $11–$14)

Who pays for companion care in Florida?

Florida has the largest per-capita private-pay senior care market in the country. Most companion care is funded by retiree families paying out of pocket, but Medicaid and VA programs also contribute meaningfully:

What does a companion caregiver actually do?

A typical Florida companion shift centers on supervision, conversation, daily routines, and household basics. Florida's heat makes hydration and indoor activity especially important. Common duties:

• Conversation, reminiscing, reading aloud, watching favorite shows together, playing cards — the heart of the job is being a warm, attentive presence
• Preparing meals and sitting down to eat together (especially important given heat-related dehydration risk in Florida)
• Light housekeeping — dishes, laundry, tidying, making the bed, taking out trash, cleaning kitchens and bathrooms (surface cleaning, not deep clean)
• Grocery shopping, pharmacy pickups, and errands using your car or the client's
• Transportation to medical appointments, the clubhouse, church, salon visits, or restaurants
• Companionship walks early or late in the day to avoid midday heat
• Medication reminders — telling the client it is time, not handing or administering pills
• Supervision for safety — appliances off, doors locked, no fall hazards, hydration encouraged, the client not wandering
• Helping use the phone or video call family up north, write down appointments, and operate technology
• Documenting the shift so the family knows about meals, mood, hydration, and any concerns to flag

Do you need a certification for companion care in Florida?

No CNA or HHA is required for pure companion work in Florida. The state's framework is built around agency registration (the Homemaker and Companion Services rule) plus background screening for individual workers employed by those agencies.

Family member needs care? You may be able to be paid.

Florida has several Medicaid and VA programs that let family members get paid to provide care at home — including companion care. See the full state guide:

Companion caregiver jobs in Florida — FAQ