How much do family care givers make an hour?

My father insisted I be paid for caring for him and my mother during his final illness. We agreed on $20/hour although I would have done it for free. I also get paid that amount for my work as Trustee for my mother. It took me a long time not to feel guilty about it because these are my parents, and I would do anything for them, but in reality, it became a full-time job. Had my dad not insisted, I wouldn't have taken anything.

However, it really depends on how much the person being cared for can afford. Nine weeks of 24/7 care for my folks came out to $31,000, so it adds up fast.

It depends on the level of care that is involved.
Someone that just needs "companionship" and no medications, no help with most ADL's you should be able to get a "companion" or "sitter"
If the person needs help with bathing, toileting, fixing a meal, and many other aspects then that would cost more.
The next level would be if this person needs medication during the day as well as other care then that would be more.
If you hire through an agency the employees are NOT permitted to give medications unless it is a nurse.
If you hire privately you can instruct anyone to do what you need them to do including giving medications.
If you hire privately you need to be sure you are following the "rules" and taking out taxes. If you get someone through an agency that is done by the agency.
If you go through an agency they do background checks. If you hire privately you need to do background checks.
Background checks do not guarantee that the employee will not steal or is honest, it just means they have not been convicted. So you still need to be careful.
Costs also depend greatly on where you live. I live in an area near Chicago Illinois, I am going to pay more than if I were in a small community in the middle of nowhere (although I probably have a larger pool of people that want the work so finding someone might be easier)

Call a few agencies and find out what they charge for the type of work that needs to be done. The agency will take a % of that and the employee will be paid the rest so if they tell you it will cost $20.00 per hour for what you need the worker may only be getting paid $15.00 per hour. (taxes and all the rest of the stuff will come out of that, and the agency gets the rest for ..administrative fees, administrator salaries, insurance and all that other stuff)

If you are a family member and want to get paid for caring for another member of the family you need a GOOD caregiver contract, make sure taxes are being paid, workers comp is paid, or the homeowners insurance will cover any injury that you might sustain while caring for this person. And you need to CLEARLY spell out that if at ANY time you feel that you can no longer care for this person safely (and that is your safety as well as theirs) you will give notice that another solution must be found. That could be placement or getting another caregiver in or providing proper equipment that will enable you to continue safely.
You also need to spell out time off and vacation time as you will need it to prevent burnout. No one can be a good caregiver 24/7/365 it is just not possible.

That depends entirely on what the elderly parents can afford to pay. Some states have some small payments through Medicaid, but it is only for those on Medicaid.

most are not paid because their parents cannot afford it, but have too much in assets and income to get Medicaid.

if this was through an agency the cost is about $20 per hour with more for the overnight shift.

There is no set standard.  I have used agencies in Atlanta and Florida that charge between 17-21 an hour, and they handle all taxes, etc.  Many charge more for nights, holidays. 

If you are asking what a relative should be paid, it depends.   If you are trying to have this be regarded as a payment accepted for the Medicaid spend down, you will need a written agreement setting for the hours, duties, and it must be notarized before the services/payments start.  If the person needing care is not competent, the agreement will have to be signed by the holder of a POA (or guardian, not fun to get that).  If the caregiver and the POA are the same person, I would advise consulting an elder law attorney.

The caregiver will have to pay tax and FICA on the income.

I strongly recommend that if one sibling is the primary caregiver, that person be paid rather than saying, oh I will remember you in my will.

Not much, if anything. Ask the person who you are wanting to care for how much they intend to pay you.

It varies, some none. It depends on parents financial resources. There are very few programs that pay family caregivers payment usually comes from parents by way of a caregiver contract. See an elder law attorney for assistance.