Provides continuous non-medical physical and emotional support to people before, during, and after childbirth. BLS does not publish separate figures for personal care aides; it counts them within personal care aide (SOC 31-1122), whose median pay is $35,800 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: Postsecondary nondegree award.
- SOC 31-1122
- Healthcare Support
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Doula in four numbers
- Median pay
- $35,800a year, or $17.21/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $27KTop 10% $45K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +18.1%Much faster than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+18.1%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +18.1% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 760,5004,677,100 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 20254.7M
- Projected 20355.5M
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 4.7M Projected 2035 5.5M - Typical education
- Certificateneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Less than high school17.5%
- High school47.8%
- Certificate6.2%
- Some college6%
- Associate's22.5%
Highest education held by personal care aides Segment Value Less than high school 17.5% High school 47.8% Certificate 6.2% Some college 6% Associate's 22.5%
Also advertised as: Birth Doula, Postpartum Doula, Certified Doula, Labor Support Doula, Community Doula.
Pay
How much do Personal Care Aides make?
Every doula in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$35,800
Middle half earn $31,920 to $39,470
- 10th
- $27,040
- 25th
- $31,920
- 75th
- $39,470
- 90th
- $45,040
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $27,040 |
| 25th | $31,920 |
| Median | $35,800 |
| 75th | $39,470 |
| 90th | $45,040 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $35,800
- Median hourly wage
- $17.21/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $36,120
- People employed
- 4,305,810
Versus all US occupations
At $35,800, Personal Care Aides earn 30% below the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $15,180 a year.
Versus healthcare support occupations
Inside the Healthcare Support group, where the middle occupation pays $42,260, this is 15% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $45,040 or more while the bottom 10% earn $27,040, a gap of 1.7×. That is a narrow spread, so experience and employer move pay less than in most occupations.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 3% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Washington pays the most at $47,730, and still leads at $44,602 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Personal Care Aides the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Washington | $47,730 | $44,602 | 103,260 |
| 2Oregon | $44,410 | $42,966 | 42,330 |
| 3Rhode Island | $43,680 | $42,706 | 7,490 |
| 4District of Columbia | $42,700 | $38,853 | 12,810 |
| 5Vermont | $41,600 | $42,467 | 7,700 |
| 6Massachusetts | $40,910 | $38,683 | 117,940 |
| 7Alaska | $39,740 | $38,824 | 6,530 |
| 8New York | $39,620 | $36,712 | 663,140 |
| 9North Dakota | $39,440 | $44,335 | 7,730 |
| 10Connecticut | $38,990 | $37,632 | 49,510 |
Job outlook
Is Doula a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Much faster than average. +18.1% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Personal Care Aides | +18.1% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Much faster than average
BLS projects employment of Personal Care Aides to change 18.1% over 2025–2035, roughly 5.2× the 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 847,300 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 760,500 openings are projected each year, 16.3% of the 4,677,100 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Doula
There is no degree requirement. Most doulas complete training and certification through an organization such as DONA International, which requires a multi-hour birth doula workshop, childbirth and breastfeeding education, reading, and attending and documenting several births with evaluations. Other certifying bodies include CAPPA, ICEA, and community-based doula programs.
A growing number of states now cover doula services through Medicaid, and some require doulas to register or enroll as providers to be reimbursed. Many doulas build a client base through word of mouth, partnerships with midwives and birth centers, or agency and hospital doula programs.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Postsecondary nondegree award
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Little or no preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as personal care aides.
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)47.8%
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree22.5%
- Less than a High School Diploma17.5%
- Post-Secondary Certificate6.2%
- Some College Courses6%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 47.8% |
| Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree | 22.5% |
| Less than a High School Diploma | 17.5% |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 6.2% |
| Some College Courses | 6% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Doula do?
Doulas support people through pregnancy, labor, and the early weeks after birth without performing medical tasks. Birth doulas meet clients during pregnancy to talk through birth preferences, then stay with them throughout labor, offering comfort measures such as positioning, massage, breathing guidance, and reassurance, and helping them communicate with the medical team.
Postpartum doulas visit families at home after the birth to help with newborn care, feeding, rest, light household tasks, and emotional recovery, and they refer clients to medical or mental health providers when needed. Most doulas run their own business, so they also market their services, sign contracts, and keep client records.
Day-to-day tasks
- Meet with clients during pregnancy to discuss birth preferences and fears
- Provide continuous comfort and emotional support during labor
- Suggest positions, massage, and breathing techniques for labor
- Help clients communicate their questions to doctors, nurses, and midwives
- Support early breastfeeding and newborn care after birth
- Visit families at home to help with recovery and newborn routines
- Refer clients to medical, lactation, or mental health providers when needed
- Manage contracts, scheduling, and on-call coverage for a doula practice
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Birth doulas work wherever clients give birth: hospitals, birth centers, and homes. They are on call for weeks around each due date and labors can last through the night, so schedules are unpredictable. Postpartum doulas work more regular daytime or overnight shifts in client homes. Most are self-employed and set their own caseload.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayAlmost never works outdoors.
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeOn their feet more than half the working day.
Bending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayDealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayMeeting strict deadlines at least weekly.
Conflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lot
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Active Listening3.4
- Critical Thinking3.3
- Monitoring3.3
- Speaking3.0
- Reading Comprehension2.9
- Writing2.9
- Active Learning2.9
- Learning Strategies2.8
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Active Listening | 3.4 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.3 |
| Monitoring | 3.3 |
| Speaking | 3.0 |
| Reading Comprehension | 2.9 |
| Writing | 2.9 |
| Active Learning | 2.9 |
| Learning Strategies | 2.8 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Service Orientation4.0
- Social Perceptiveness3.9
- Coordination3.1
- Instructing3.0
- Time Management3.0
- Complex Problem Solving2.9
- Judgment and Decision Making2.9
- Persuasion2.4
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Service Orientation | 4.0 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.9 |
| Coordination | 3.1 |
| Instructing | 3.0 |
| Time Management | 3.0 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 2.9 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 2.9 |
| Persuasion | 2.4 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Medical software · in demand
- Calendar and scheduling software
- Computer based training software
- Data base reporting software
- Electronic mail software
- Optical character reader OCR or scanning software
- Video conferencing software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Doula?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code SEA) built on O*NET's Personal Care Aide profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Doula |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 4 |
| Investigative | 2 |
| Artistic | 3 |
| Social | 6 |
| Enterprising | 3 |
| Conventional | 4 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around teaching, helping and working directly with other people, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
- Social6.2
- Conventional3.9
- Realistic3.5
- Enterprising3.5
- Artistic2.8
- Investigative1.8
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Doula
O*NET related occupations
- Healthcare Support
- Healthcare Support
- Healthcare Support
- Community and Social Service
- Personal Care and Service
- Community and Social Service
More healthcare support careers
Median annual pay, with personal care aides highlighted
- Occupational Therapy Assistant$72,300
- Physical Therapist Assistant$68,380
- Massage Therapist$58,450
- Dental Assistant$48,070
- Medical Assistant$45,690
- Phlebotomist$45,230
- Nursing Assistant$42,260
- Veterinary Assistant and Laboratory Animal Caretaker$38,150
- Doula$35,800
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Occupational Therapy Assistant | $72,300 |
| Physical Therapist Assistant | $68,380 |
| Massage Therapist | $58,450 |
| Dental Assistant | $48,070 |
| Medical Assistant | $45,690 |
| Phlebotomist | $45,230 |
| Nursing Assistant | $42,260 |
| Veterinary Assistant and Laboratory Animal Caretaker | $38,150 |
| Doula | $35,800 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Doula appears on
Questions
Doula: frequently asked questions
How much do Personal Care Aides make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for personal care aides. It counts them within personal care aide, whose median pay is $35,800 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $31,920 and $39,470, and the top 10% earn $45,040 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Doula?
Not a degree, but you do need credentialed training: BLS lists a postsecondary non-degree award (a certificate or license program) as the typical entry route for Personal Care Aides. BLS also lists short-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 47.8% hold high school diploma or the equivalent (such as a ged).
Is Doula a growing career?
Yes, strongly. Employment is projected to grow 18.1% over 2025–2035, more than double the 3.5% projected for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 760,500 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Doula do?
Doulas support people through pregnancy, labor, and the early weeks after birth without performing medical tasks. A typical task: meet with clients during pregnancy to discuss birth preferences and fears. Employers most often ask for Medical software.
Which states pay Personal Care Aides the most?
The highest state medians for Personal Care Aides are Washington ($47,730), Oregon ($44,410), Rhode Island ($43,680) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Doula?
O*NET scores Personal Care Aides highest on the Social, Conventional and Realistic interest areas, so the work mixes teaching, helping and working directly with other people with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ESFJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.