How Much Should I Charge for Private Care in 2025?

Carers Deserve Fair Pay... But What's "Fair" in 2025?

If you work in care (whether as a self-employed carer, personal assistant or through your own agency) you've probably wondered how much should I charge per hour?

The truth is, there's no "one-size-fits-all" answer. Rates vary by location, experience, and the level of care you provide. But in 2025, with rising living costs, fuel prices and new compliance standards, undercharging can quickly turn meaningful work into a financial strain.

In this guide we'll break down what affects your rates, what other carers are charging and how you can calculate a sustainable hourly price that supports your care agency's income & independence.

Typical Private Care Rates in 2025

Across the UK, private carers charge between £18 and £30 per hour.

Here’s a snapshot of what carers typically earn based on care type:

Care Type	Average Hourly Rate (2025)	Notes
Companionship / Domestic Support	£16 – £22	Light cleaning, errands, meals
Personal Care (washing, dressing, medication)	£20 – £28	Requires training & insurance
Specialist Care (dementia, palliative, complex needs)	£25 – £35+	Usually NVQ-qualified carers

Keep in mind, these are client-facing rates. To make a living, your personal rate must account for costs like travel, training and time off.

What to Include When Calculating Your Hourly Rate

Many carers only think about "time with clients," but you need to make sure that your hourly rate covers everything that keeps your service running.

1. Your Base Pay

Start with what you would like to personally earn per hour after costs. If you want £15/hour take-home after tax, you'll need to charge higher to make that realistic.

2. Travel Time & Mileage

Every minute and mile counts. If you spend 30 minutes between your clients every day, that's an unpaid hour. It's important to make sure that not only are you being paid for your time, but you're also covering the costs of your vehicle. Fuel, Insurance, Car Tax & the depreciation of your car aren't cheap. Make sure to account for your travel time, and mileage. For a guide on how better to track this, you can use HMRC's 45p per mile rate.

3. Training & Qualifications

Ongoing learning & CPD (Continuous Professional Development) is beyond important in care. Spread your yearly training costs (eg, £200-300) across your total hours worked.

Here's a rough equation to figure out to spread your training costs:

$$\frac{\text{Yearly Cost of Training}}{\text{Hours Worked per Week} \times 52}$$

4. Insurance

Public Liability & Professional Indemnity Cover are both required (by law and for peace of mind) to provide care in the UK. It will typically cost £100-200 per year, which need to be factored into your costs.

4. Equipment & PPE

Don't forget to factor in the cost of gloves, aprons, mobile phone and first-aid kits when pricing your care services. Yes, they're small expenses, however they add up really fast.

5. Holiday & Sick Pay

If you're paying employees (or if you're a Solo-Agency and want to take a break here and there), make sure you're factoring in roughly 12-15% extra to cover this. It's the law.

6. Tax & National Insurance

When HMRC come knocking at your door, you want to make sure that you've got all of your taxes filed & ready to pay.

Make sure that you keep accurate records of your income and expenses, and that you've got enough set aside for the tax bill at the end of the year. Depending on your care agency's circumstances, make sure that you have between 20-25% of your profit set aside for tax.

Note: This is not tax advise! We recommend going to a reputable accountant who can get this all sorted for you.

Example: Calculating a Fair Hourly Rate

Let's say you work around 35 hours per week across 48 weeks per year. This equals 1,680 hours.

Here's a realistic cost breakdown:

Expense	Annual Cost
Insurance	£150
Training	£250
Fuel & Travel	£1,200
Equipment & Supplies	£300
Unpaid Holiday (4 weeks × £20/hr × 35 hrs)	£2,800
Admin & Marketing	£400
Total Annual Costs	£4,900

If, personally, you would like to earn £30,000 per year:

£30,000 + £4,900 = £34,900 total required income

£34,900 ÷ 1,680 hours = £20.77 / hour

Regional Variations Across the UK

Your location plays a big part in what's realistic to charge for care services in the UK. Here's a quick breakdown of what the typical rates are across the country:

Region	Typical Range
London & South East	£25 - £35 per hour
East Midlands	£20 - £28 per hour
West Midlands	£20 - £28 per hour
North East & North West	£18 - £25 per hour
Wales / Scotland	£19 - £26 per hour

Tip: Check your local council's "framework rates" for home care. Tehy often reflect market prices agencies already charge.

Should You Charge Different Rates for Different Clients?

Absolutely. Many carers use tiered pricing:

• Standard Rate: Regular weekday visits
• Premium Rate: Weekends or evenings
• Complex Care Rate: Dementia, palliative, or high-dependency clients Clear pricing helps you build trust with families, and helps you stay consistent when quoting new clients.

Make It Easy: Use the Care Rate Calculator

Spreadsheets aren't everyone's cup of tea. That's why we built the Care Rate Calculator, a free web tool designed for UK carers.

It helps you:

• Enter your hours, travel time, and costs
• Automatically calculate your ideal hourly rate
• Adjust for unpaid holidays and tax

Try the Care Rate Calculator to see what your ideal rate should be in 2025.

Final Thoughts: Know Your Worth

Care work is a lot of things: skilled, emotional, essential, demanding and rewarding - but passion alone doesn't pay the bills.

Setting a realistic hourly rate isn't about charging as much as possible, but about protecting your wellbeing and running a sustainable care business.

Know your worth, and charge it confidently.