Medical Support Services Workers

How to become a Health Care Assistant

Official Chinese title (2022 occupational classification): 健康照护师

Also called: Long Term Care Worker

Uses basic medical and nursing knowledge to give health care and daily living support in homes, hospitals, communities and long term care facilities.

Main tasks

Watching for common health problems and warning signs of illness, suggesting prevention, recovery and care steps and recommending medical help when needed
Noticing common emotional problems and giving simple emotional support
Looking after older people's daily routine, hygiene, sleep and activities, planning sensible meals and exercise, preventing accidents and giving palliative care at the end of life
Looking after pregnant women and new mothers day to day, giving tailored nutrition and exercise care and helping with breastfeeding and recovery after birth
Looking after babies' routines and activities, including feeding, nappies, bathing, baby massage and sleep, and supporting their growth and wellbeing
Looking after the routine, hygiene and activities of patients or people who cannot care for themselves, guiding their diet and activity and helping them take medicines and treatment on time as prescribed
Giving advice on the home environment, nutrition and health

Ways in

Vocational majors: Higher vocational college (高职专科) major: Elderly Health Care and Management (520803). Vocational major 520803 Elderly Health Care and Management (老年保健与管理), 3 years. The Ministry of Education's 2022 major profiles list this occupation among those the major prepares students for (职业面向). Example certificates: Elderly Care; Dementia Care for Older People; Elderly Fitness and Wellness Guidance.; Higher vocational college (高职专科) major: Infant and Toddler Childcare Services and Management (520802). Vocational major 520802 Infant and Toddler Childcare Services and Management (婴幼儿托育服务与管理), 3 years. The Ministry of Education's 2022 major profiles list this occupation among those the major prepares students for (职业面向). Example certificates: Early Childhood Care; Maternal and Infant Care.; Higher vocational college (高职专科) major: Smart Health and Elderly Care Services and Management (590302). Vocational major 590302 Smart Health and Elderly Care Services and Management (智慧健康养老服务与管理), 3 years. The Ministry of Education's 2022 major profiles list this occupation among those the major prepares students for (职业面向). Example certificates: Elderly Care; Dementia Care for Older People; Medical and Elderly Care Case Management; Elderly Fitness and Wellness Guidance; Elderly Care Needs Assessment.; Secondary vocational school (中职) major: Infant and Toddler Childcare (720803). Vocational major 720803 Infant and Toddler Childcare (婴幼儿托育), 3 years. The Ministry of Education's 2022 major profiles list this occupation among those the major prepares students for (职业面向). Example certificates: Early Childhood Care.; Vocational bachelor (职业本科) major: Infant and Toddler Development and Health Management (320802). Vocational major 320802 Infant and Toddler Development and Health Management (婴幼儿发展与健康管理), 4 years. The Ministry of Education's 2022 major profiles list this occupation among those the major prepares students for (职业面向). Example certificates: Early Childhood Care.; Vocational bachelor (职业本科) major: Medical and Elderly Care and Management (320803). Vocational major 320803 Medical and Elderly Care and Management (医养照护与管理), 4 years. The Ministry of Education's 2022 major profiles list this occupation among those the major prepares students for (职业面向). Example certificates: Elderly Care; Elderly Care Needs Assessment; Dementia Care for Older People.; Vocational bachelor (职业本科) major: Smart Health and Elderly Care Management (390302). Vocational major 390302 Smart Health and Elderly Care Management (智慧健康养老管理), 4 years. The Ministry of Education's 2022 major profiles list this occupation among those the major prepares students for (职业面向). Example certificates: Elderly Care; Medical and Elderly Care Case Management; Elderly Care Needs Assessment.

Pay · AI and this job

Median pay in China: CN¥50,000 a year (2025).
Middle half: CN¥37,700 to CN¥67,700. One in ten earn less than CN¥30,000 and one in ten more than CN¥99,100.
This is the figure for the mid group Health, Sports and Leisure Services Workers, not for this job alone.
National figure: wage prices of enterprise employees from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS) enterprise pay survey. The public sector and the self-employed are not covered.
Guangzhou only: median CN¥89,814 a year (2025), middle half CN¥61,803 to CN¥121,907.
This is the figure for the minor group Medical Support Services Workers, not for this job alone.
Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Who does this work

The census group Health, Sports and Leisure Services Workers holds 0.07% of everyone employed in China; 66.5% of its workers are women (2020 Census).
45.1% are under 35, 46.5% are 35 to 54 and 8.5% are 55 or older. The middle age band is 35 to 39.
Census figures for the whole mid group (2020 long-form sample), not for this job alone.

Questions people ask

How do I become a Health Care Assistant?

Ways in include: Higher vocational college (高职专科) major: Elderly Health Care and Management (520803); Higher vocational college (高职专科) major: Infant and Toddler Childcare Services and Management (520802).

How much does a Health Care Assistant earn in China?

Across China, the median pay of enterprise employees is CN¥50,000 a year (Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS), 2025). The public sector and the self-employed are not covered. It is the figure for the mid group Health, Sports and Leisure Services Workers. In Guangzhou alone it is CN¥89,814 a year (2025).

Will AI change the work of a Health Care Assistant?

Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Sources

Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS): 2025 enterprise pay survey information: wage prices of enterprise employees by occupation mid group, and digital occupations (P10 to P90 annual CNY) (2025 (published 2026-07-08)), retrieved 5 October 2026
Guangzhou Human Resources and Social Security Bureau: Guangzhou 2025 labour market wage prices (P10 to P90 annual CNY by occupation) (2025 (enterprise pay survey)), retrieved 4 October 2026
National Bureau of Statistics of China: China Population Census Yearbook 2020, long-form tables 4-6 and 4-7 (employed by occupation mid group, sex, age) (2020 Census long form (10% sample)), retrieved 4 October 2026
International Labour Organization, Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure (ILO Working Paper 140, Gmyrek et al.) (ILO Working Paper 140, May 2025, Annex Table A1), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026

Sources: Occupational Classification of the People's Republic of China (2022 edition, public consultation draft), Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, State Administration for Market Regulation and National Bureau of Statistics; Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, 2025 enterprise pay survey information; Guangzhou Human Resources and Social Security Bureau, 2025 labour market wage prices; National Bureau of Statistics of China (www.stats.gov.cn), 2020 Population Census yearbook; Ministry of Education, vocational education major profiles (2022 revision) and undergraduate major catalogue (2025); Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, national vocational qualifications catalogue (2021); O*NET interest scores (CC BY 4.0); ILO global generative AI exposure index (CC BY 4.0). Figures processed by Peernovo. English text, translations and the matching of occupations to ISCO-08, majors, degree fields and qualifications by Peernovo.

Descriptions and tasks are Peernovo's own words, written from the facts in the Occupational Classification of the People's Republic of China (2022 edition). Job titles and work types are the classification's own.

Updated 5 October 2026