Salary
Average Salary: $62,090
Expected Lifetime Earnings: $2,592,133
Isn't the joy of knowing that you're helping someone enough? No? In that case, consider this: you'll make between $35,000 and $82,000 a year (in hourly terms, that's between $16 to $40 an hour), with the average hovering around $62,000. The wide gulf in the pay scale depends on how many hours a week you feel like working, but generally speaking, home care nursing can be quite lucrative (source).
Expert Shmoop tip: don't skimp on the schooling. The more degrees and certifications you have, the better paid you'll be (source).
However, there are some downsides. You do get to create your own schedule, but you'll need to be super flexible since the needs of your patients will pretty much rule your world. You may spend a lot of your day just traveling to your next patient, so get a car that you love (source).
Oh, and make sure you figure out some kind of health coverage of your own. Only about half of home care nurses get both medical and dental insurance, and over two-fifths of home care nurses have no coverage at all (source).