Activities counselor vs direct care counselor

The differences between activities counselors and direct care counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a direct care counselor has an average salary of $33,422, which is higher than the $31,084 average annual salary of an activities counselor.

The top three skills for an activities counselor include CPR, youth ages and direct supervision. The most important skills for a direct care counselor are crisis intervention, autism, and CPR.

Activities counselor vs direct care counselor overview

	Activities Counselor	Direct Care Counselor
Yearly salary	$31,084	$33,422
Hourly rate	$14.94	$16.07
Growth rate	10%	36%
Number of jobs	31,248	123,519
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 65%	Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Average age	42	48
Years of experience	4	-

Activities counselor vs direct care counselor salary

Activities counselors and direct care counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Activities Counselor	Direct Care Counselor
Average salary	$31,084	$33,422
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $39,000	Between $22,000 And $49,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between activities counselor and direct care counselor education

There are a few differences between an activities counselor and a direct care counselor in terms of educational background:

	Activities Counselor	Direct Care Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 65%	Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	Northwestern University	-

Activities counselor vs direct care counselor demographics

Here are the differences between activities counselors' and direct care counselors' demographics:

	Activities Counselor	Direct Care Counselor
Average age	42	48
Gender ratio	Male, 38.8% Female, 61.2%	Male, 31.5% Female, 68.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 13.4% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.3% Asian, 5.0% White, 61.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 17.6% Asian, 8.3% White, 57.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	8%	7%

Differences between activities counselor and direct care counselor duties and responsibilities

Activities counselor example responsibilities.

Lead groups of children and youth weekly in spiritual growth, bible study, and fellowship.
Educate campers to manage their diabetes independently bypracticing in team excercises.
Provide supervision and manage delinquent youthful offenders, in a secure residential correctional treatment facility.
Certify lifeguard, CPR, archery instructor, and adventure course team member.
Certify lifeguard, first-aid, & CPR leader who ensure safety and well-being for all campers.
Plan and run children's activities on the ship.

Direct care counselor example responsibilities.

Obtain SCIP-R, CPR, and AMAP certifications.
Provide training to residents in improving ADL and independent living skills per the IHP and any/all relate behavior or medical requirements.
Obtain AMAP certification and administer medications under the supervision of assign nursing staff.
Provide direct care assistance for campers with autism, intellectual disabilities, and/or developmental delays.
Perform one-on-one supervision of children with disabilities including autism, complex mental health problems, and complex behavioral problems.
Help develop and carry-out treatment goals for individual clients as outlined in treatment plans and/or ISP goals and objectives.

Activities counselor vs direct care counselor skills

Common activities counselor skills

CPR, 26%
Youth Ages, 21%
Direct Supervision, 11%
Mental Health, 6%
Front Desk, 5%
RAN, 3%

Common direct care counselor skills

Crisis Intervention, 12%
Autism, 11%
CPR, 10%
Developmental Disabilities, 10%
Incident Reports, 9%
Data Collection, 8%

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Personal Care and Attendants Industry
Activities Counselor
Activities Counselor vs Direct Care Counselor

Updated January 8, 2025

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