What it's really like working as a carer

Over 1,500 real carers have told us what it’s like working for their employers and what their job is really like:

Read on to see what they say.

Or skip to the bit that matters to you:

What do carers do?
How much do carers get paid?
How old do you have to be to work as a carer?
What do carers really think of their job?
Do carers get paid breaks?
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A bit of background to being a carer

A care worker support people who needs help with daily tasks, enabling them to live their best life.

A care worker for example could work in a care home with the elderly or with people who have learning disabilities.

You'll be helping them with things like personal care such as showering and dressing. Helping them eat and drink and assisting them with things like shopping. You may also do some basic medical things like helping them take medications and monitor things like their temperature, pulse, respiration and weight.

How much do carers get paid?

Age	Pay range
Under 18	£6.04–10.52
18-20	£8.71–10.77
21-24	£9.40–11.00
25 or older	£9.50–11.50

How old do you have to be to work as a carer?

You can work as a carer in some roles from the age of 16.

During term time, you can work a maximum of 12 hours a week. On Saturdays, you can work a maximum of 8 hours. That’s a full day!

However, on both school days and Sundays, you are limited to just 2 hours.

You also cannot work before 7 am and after 7 pm.

During the school holiday, you can work a maximum of 35 hours a week.

This includes a maximum of 8 hours Monday to Saturday.

On Sunday you’re only allowed to work a maximum of 2 hours.

What do carers think of their job?

The good 👍

70% of carers report they enjoy their job.

94% of carers say they are paid at or above the legal minimum wage.

70% of students report this is a good job if you’re studying.

70% of carers report they don’t worry about getting enough hours.

The bad 👎

83% of carers say they often feel stressed at work.

76% of carers say they don’t get paid breaks.

85% of carers say they wouldn’t get paid if they were sick but scheduled to work. 44% of carers with changing schedules report getting one week's notice or less.