Caregiver Salary in Hong Kong 2027: Pay, Carer Scheme & Allowances

A foreign domestic helper hired to care for an elderly person in Hong Kong must be paid at least HK$5,220 a month (for contracts signed on or after 3 October 2026), plus free food or a food allowance of at least HK$1,236. Care workers in residential care homes earn a median of about HK$15,500 a month according to the Census and Statistics Department, while JobsDB puts advertised caregiver and health worker pay at HK$20,000 to HK$22,000 a month. A new pilot scheme for foreign domestic carers, announced in the 2026 Policy Address, is expected to start in the second half of 2027 at a reported 10% to 20% above helper pay. Family carers on low incomes can claim HK$3,000 a month from the Social Welfare Department, which the government plans to raise to HK$3,300.

This guide covers each type of caregiver (helpers, the new foreign carer pilot, care home staff, health workers and family carers), plus training, rest days, insurance, visas and real costs for families.

How Much Does a Caregiver Earn in Hong Kong?

It depends almost entirely on which type of caregiver you mean. A live-in helper caring for an elderly parent and a registered health worker in a care home are both called "caregivers", but their pay can differ by about HK$15,000 a month.

Source: Labour Department, Social Welfare Department, 2026 Policy Address, JobsDB (October 2026). The pilot scheme figure is our calculation from reported percentages, not an official rate.

If you're a nurse, allied health professional or care sector manager looking for an English-speaking role, check out the healthcare jobs on ExpatJobBoard.com. We list jobs in Hong Kong that don't require Cantonese or Mandarin.

What Is the Salary of a Live-In Caregiver in Hong Kong?

Most elderly care in Hong Kong homes is done by foreign domestic helpers, and there is no separate "caregiver visa" for them yet. A helper looking after your parent is on the same Standard Employment Contract as any other helper, so the same minimum applies.

According to the Labour Department, the Minimum Allowable Wage is HK$5,220 a month for contracts signed on or after 3 October 2026, up from HK$5,100. The employer must also provide free food or pay a food allowance of at least HK$1,236 a month. That makes the floor HK$6,456 a month if you pay the food allowance instead of providing meals.

Many families pay more for a helper with real elderly care experience, especially for bedridden or dementia cases. There is no official data on the premium, so treat the minimum as a floor. For the full breakdown of helper pay, see our guide to domestic helper salary in Hong Kong.

What else a helper doing elderly care must get

The Labour Department's Practical Guide for Employment of Foreign Domestic Helpers (August 2026 edition) sets out the main entitlements:

• Rest day: at least one rest day in every seven days, a continuous period of at least 24 hours.
• Statutory holidays: 15 a year in 2026, rising to 16 from 2028 and 17 from 2030.
• Annual leave: 7 days a year for the first two years, rising by one day a year to 14 days from year nine.
• Free medical treatment: whether or not the illness is work related, including hospital care and emergency dental treatment.
• Return passage: a ticket home at the end of the contract, plus HK$100 a day food and travel allowance.

This is where elderly care gets hard. Your parent still needs care on the rest day, and you cannot ask the helper to work it except in an unforeseen emergency, so plan cover before you hire. Our guide to domestic helper annual leave explains how leave is counted.

What Is the New Foreign Carer Scheme for the Elderly?

The 2026 Policy Address confirms that the government will admit "foreign domestic carers with more advanced training and experience in elderly care" on a pilot basis, using the existing foreign domestic helper regime as the model. The aim is to support elderly people who live at home rather than in care homes. The Labour and Welfare Bureau is the lead bureau.

That is all the official text says so far. Everything else comes from media reports of remarks by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Chris Sun, in September and October 2026.

Source: 2026 Policy Address and Supplement; RTHK, The Standard, China Daily reports (September to October 2026).

How much will a foreign carer earn?

Nothing official has been set. If the reported 10% to 20% premium is applied to today's HK$5,220 minimum, a carer would earn roughly HK$5,742 to HK$6,264 a month before food. Reports also say future increases would follow the helper wage review, so the gap would not widen much over time.

Can my current helper switch to the carer scheme?

Not easily. Current helpers would reportedly have to return home, train and pass the assessment first, and those who break a contract without good reason to join could be barred from future work here. Training your helper locally (see below) is the better route today.

How Much Do Care Workers in Hong Kong Care Homes Earn?

Care homes pay more than families because the work is shift based, regulated and harder to fill. The Social Welfare Department states that the median monthly wage for a care worker, compiled by the Census and Statistics Department, is HK$15,500, based on nine normal working hours a day excluding meal breaks.

That figure is the legal floor for imported workers: under the Special Scheme to Import Care Workers for Residential Care Homes, pay must not be lower than the latest C&SD median. According to the 2026 Policy Address Supplement, the scheme has approved around 13,000 quotas since it launched in 2023 (figures to end June 2026).

Key rules of the Special Scheme

• Who can apply: licensed residential care homes for the elderly or for persons with disabilities, and exempted nursing homes. Individuals and families cannot use it.
• Ratio: private and self-financing homes can hire one imported worker for every full-time local employee. Subvented and contract homes are capped at one for every two local staff.
• Contract: up to 24 months, with the visa usually tied to that period.
• Hours: no more than 12 hours of work, including overtime, in any 24-hour period.
• Employer costs: return airfare, medical exam, visa fees, free medical treatment and employees' compensation insurance.
• Accommodation: for quota approvals issued from 3 July 2026, homes can deduct up to 20% of wages (excluding overtime) for housing they provide, up from 10%.

According to the Social Welfare Department, the eleventh application round opens in January 2027, with details due in December 2026.

What Do Local Personal Care Workers and Health Workers Earn?

Local caregivers earn noticeably more than imported staff. These figures come from JobsDB's October 2026 salary pages, which are based on pay ranges disclosed in job ads.

Source: JobsDB salary pages (October 2026).

The jump from care worker to health worker is the most important step in this career. In care homes, operators are not allowed to employ anyone as a health worker unless they are registered with the Social Welfare Department.

Hourly and part-time care staff are covered by the statutory minimum wage, which the Labour Department sets at HK$43.1 an hour from 1 May 2026. Live-in domestic workers are exempt from it. See our minimum wage guide for how it is calculated.

What Is the Carer Allowance in Hong Kong?

If you look after a family member yourself, you may qualify for a monthly allowance. The Social Welfare Department runs two schemes:

Source: Social Welfare Department service briefs (2026); 2026 Policy Address.

The 2026 Policy Address says both allowances will rise by 10% to HK$3,300 a month, benefiting more than 10,000 low-income families. It did not give a start date, so check with the department before you budget on the higher figure.

Who qualifies for the elderly carer allowance?

• The elderly person must be a Hong Kong resident assessed as needing community or residential care, be on the Central Waiting List for subsidised long-term care, and live at home.
• The carer must be a Hong Kong resident with no employment relationship with the elderly person. Paid helpers cannot claim it.
• Household income must be within the limit, set at 75% of the 2025 median for economically active households: HK$18,750 for one person, HK$25,125 for two, HK$31,500 for three and HK$39,675 for four.
• Excluded groups: holders of listed talent admission schemes and their dependants are not eligible.

You can apply by post, in person or online with iAM Smart+ through the SWD carer allowance page. Most expat families on talent visas will not qualify, which surprises people.

How Do You Become a Trained Caregiver in Hong Kong?

There are three practical routes, depending on who you are.

1. Free elderly care training for your helper. The Social Welfare Department runs free classes for foreign domestic helpers caring for frail elderly people through District Elderly Community Centres in all 18 districts. The core course is 12 hours (feeding, medication, fall prevention, first aid, transfers) with optional modules on dementia and stroke. The Policy Address makes it permanent from April 2027. Enrol through the SWD helper elderly care training page.
2. Health worker training. Approved Health Worker Training Courses are pitched at Qualifications Framework Level 3. Care workers without Form 5 who have Form 3 and three years' care home experience can take the Certificate in Progression Training for Care Workers first.
3. Professional diploma. Registered health workers with three years' experience can apply for the SWD's Professional Diploma Subsidy Scheme (2026 to 2029), which covers tuition up to HK$80,000, in return for two years' work as a health and care practitioner.

If you are a qualified nurse from overseas, the pay ceiling is much higher. Read our guide on overseas doctors and nurses in Hong Kong and our overview of allied health jobs.

Which Visa Do Foreign Caregivers Need?

There are three routes for foreign caregivers:

• Foreign domestic helper visa: for live-in work in a private home. The employer applies through the Immigration Department, must have household income of at least HK$15,000 a month per helper (or equivalent assets) and must provide suitable accommodation. New visas take about four to six weeks once documents are complete. Apply through the Immigration Department's foreign domestic helper page.
• Foreign domestic carer pilot: expected from the second half of 2027. Rules are not out yet.
• Special Scheme for care homes: quotas go to licensed homes only, and the worker is tied to that home.

Helpers must live in your home and cannot take part-time work for anyone else, even with your consent.

Do You Need Insurance for a Caregiver?

Yes. Employees' compensation insurance is compulsory, and the Labour Department says failing to buy it can mean a fine of up to HK$100,000 and two years in prison. Because you must pay your helper's medical bills, it also strongly advises full medical and hospital cover. Our guide to domestic helper insurance compares the main options.

How Can Families Compare Caregiver Costs?

Start with the monthly cash cost, then add the hidden ones.

Source: Labour Department, Social Welfare Department, JobsDB (October 2026). Carer pilot figure is our estimate from reported percentages.

Our view: for moderate care needs, a helper who completes the free SWD elderly care course is still the best value. For heavy nursing needs, wait for the pilot details or budget for a local health worker or care home place.

FAQs: Caregiver Salary in Hong Kong

What is the minimum salary for a caregiver in Hong Kong?

A foreign domestic helper doing elderly care must be paid at least HK$5,220 a month (contracts signed from 3 October 2026), plus food or a HK$1,236 food allowance. Imported care home workers must get at least HK$15,500, the C&SD median for care workers.

How much more will foreign carers earn than domestic helpers?

According to reports quoting the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, foreign domestic carers would earn 10% to 20% more than helpers. Based on the current HK$5,220 minimum, that is roughly HK$5,742 to HK$6,264 a month. The official rate has not been published.

When does the foreign carer pilot scheme start?

The 2026 Policy Address confirms the pilot but gives no date. Officials have said carers could arrive from the second half of 2027 at the earliest, with full details expected by mid-2027.

Can I hire a foreign caregiver for my elderly parent now?

Yes, through the existing foreign domestic helper visa, as long as you meet the HK$15,000 monthly household income requirement and provide accommodation. Many families already hire helpers mainly for elderly care this way.

How much does a care worker earn in a Hong Kong elderly home?

The Social Welfare Department cites a C&SD median of HK$15,500 a month for care workers. Health workers earn more, around HK$20,000 to HK$22,000 in October 2026 JobsDB ads.

How much is the carer allowance in Hong Kong?

The Social Welfare Department pays HK$3,000 a month to eligible low-income carers of elderly people or persons with disabilities, or up to HK$6,000 for caring for more than one person. The 2026 Policy Address plans to raise this to HK$3,300.

Does my helper get a day off if she cares for my elderly parent?

Yes. Every helper must get a continuous 24-hour rest day every seven days, plus statutory holidays and annual leave, so arrange other care for those days.

Is there free caregiver training for domestic helpers?

Yes. The Social Welfare Department offers free elderly care training for helpers through District Elderly Community Centres in all 18 districts, with a 12-hour core course. It becomes a permanent programme from April 2027.

Do I need a qualification to work as a health worker in a care home?

Yes. You must complete an approved Health Worker Training Course at Qualifications Framework Level 3 and register with the Social Welfare Department. Care homes cannot employ unregistered health workers.

Key Takeaways

• The Minimum Allowable Wage for foreign domestic helpers, including those doing elderly care, is HK$5,220 a month for contracts signed from 3 October 2026, plus food or a HK$1,236 food allowance.
• The 2026 Policy Address confirms a pilot to admit foreign domestic carers for elderly people at home; reports put pay at 10% to 20% above helpers and the start at the second half of 2027.
• Imported care home workers must earn at least the C&SD median wage for care workers, currently HK$15,500 a month.
• JobsDB puts advertised pay for local caregivers and health workers at HK$20,000 to HK$22,000 a month in October 2026.
• Low-income family carers can claim HK$3,000 a month from the Social Welfare Department, with a planned rise to HK$3,300.
• Helpers caring for elderly people get a 24-hour rest day every week, 15 statutory holidays in 2026 and compulsory employees' compensation insurance.
• Free SWD elderly care training for helpers becomes permanent from April 2027.

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