Payroll for Arizona Home Care and Home Health Agencies

Why home care payroll is different

Home care and home health agencies pay people for visits spread across many patients' homes, often with changing schedules, part-time and PRN caregivers, and frequent new hires. That makes the path from a visit to a paycheck more complicated than in a single office.

• Many visits, many locations. Hours may come from a scheduling app, visit records, or an electronic visit verification (EVV) system rather than a time clock.
• Time between visits. Caregivers often travel from one client to the next. Know how visit time and travel time are recorded so your pay policies can be applied correctly.
• Different pay rates. Pay can vary by visit type, client, shift, weekend, or holiday.
• Mileage and reimbursements. If you reimburse mileage, ask how it's entered and kept separate from wages.
• Frequent hiring. New caregivers need onboarding paperwork, tax forms, and direct deposit set up quickly.

Overtime rules for home care workers

Federal overtime rules for home care workers employed by agencies have been under review by the U.S. Department of Labor. Before setting or changing pay policies, check the current status on the Department of Labor's home care page or with an employment attorney. A payroll provider can apply the rules you set, but the policy decision is yours.

Arizona basics every agency should know

• Minimum wage: $15.15 an hour statewide in 2026, with higher local rates in Flagstaff ($18.35) and Tucson ($15.45). Rates are adjusted each January. Industrial Commission of Arizona
• Paid sick time: employees earn at least one hour for every 30 hours worked, up to 40 hours a year at employers with 15 or more employees and 24 hours at smaller employers, unless you allow more. A.R.S. § 23-372

What to ask a payroll provider or PEO

• Can hours come straight from our scheduling, visit-tracking, or EVV system, and who fixes mismatches?
• Can one caregiver be paid different rates in the same pay period, with overtime calculated correctly?
• How are mileage reimbursements handled?
• How quickly can a new caregiver be set up for their first paycheck?
• Who answers caregivers' pay questions, and during what hours?
• For a PEO: which benefit plans are available for part-time and full-time staff, and is workers' compensation included?
• What is included in the quote, and what could cost extra?

For the full checklist, including switching providers and costs, see our healthcare payroll guide. To compare payroll only, standalone benefits, and a PEO, see payroll options.

A note on patient information

Running payroll generally involves employee information, not patient records. If a connection to your scheduling or EVV system would touch patient information, ask what it would access and how it's protected. Please don't send patient information to us.

Information checked October 2026. General information, not legal or tax advice.