Research Summary. Extensive research by the Zippia data science team has revealed the following key insights into direct care worker salaries across the United States as of 2026:
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Washington remains the top-paying state for direct care workers with an average salary of $34,899.
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Mississippi continues to have the lowest average salary for direct care workers at $20,974.
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The national average salary for direct care workers is $29,343.
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The national hourly pay for direct care workers is $14.11.
You can read more about the specific methodology.
Background
Salary remains the foremost consideration for job seekers across various demographics. Many individuals ask themselves, “How much do direct care workers earn in my area?”
While individual salaries can vary based on specific locations and experience, comprehensive data on average salaries for direct care workers by state is available. These averages provide a solid estimate of potential earnings in the field.
As a reminder, Washington holds the distinction of the highest salary for direct care workers.
Here’s a brief overview of the top ten states for direct care worker salaries:
Let’s delve deeper into how we arrived at these figures and provide a full ranking of all states.
Highest-Paid Direct Care Workers By State
| Rank | State | Average Direct Care Worker Salary | 10th Percentile | 90th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $34,899 | $27,000 | $43,000 |
| 2 | Hawaii | $34,468 | $29,000 | $40,000 |
| 3 | Maine | $33,187 | $28,000 | $38,000 |
| 4 | California | $33,078 | $24,000 | $43,000 |
| 5 | New Jersey | $32,908 | $26,000 | $41,000 |
| 6 | Oregon | $32,835 | $25,000 | $41,000 |
| 7 | Alaska | $31,872 | $27,000 | $36,000 |
| 8 | New York | $31,611 | $25,000 | $39,000 |
| 9 | North Dakota | $31,477 | $26,000 | $37,000 |
| 10 | Minnesota | $30,795 | $25,000 | $37,000 |
| 11 | Connecticut | $30,652 | $25,000 | $37,000 |
| 12 | Massachusetts | $30,515 | $25,000 | $35,000 |
| 13 | Wisconsin | $30,437 | $24,000 | $38,000 |
| 14 | Vermont | $30,348 | $26,000 | $35,000 |
| 15 | New Hampshire | $29,610 | $25,000 | $34,000 |
| 16 | Texas | $29,240 | $21,000 | $39,000 |
| 17 | Michigan | $28,677 | $22,000 | $36,000 |
| 18 | South Dakota | $28,584 | $22,000 | $35,000 |
| 19 | Montana | $28,314 | $22,000 | $34,000 |
| 20 | Pennsylvania | $28,300 | $22,000 | $35,000 |
| 21 | Rhode Island | $28,292 | $23,000 | $33,000 |
| 22 | Maryland | $27,830 | $21,000 | $35,000 |
| 23 | Illinois | $27,690 | $21,000 | $35,000 |
| 24 | Arizona | $27,667 | $20,000 | $36,000 |
| 25 | West Virginia | $27,624 | $21,000 | $35,000 |
| 26 | Idaho | $27,528 | $21,000 | $35,000 |
| 27 | Colorado | $27,105 | $20,000 | $35,000 |
| 28 | Ohio | $26,627 | $20,000 | $34,000 |
| 29 | Nevada | $26,417 | $20,000 | $34,000 |
| 30 | Nebraska | $26,410 | $20,000 | $33,000 |
| 31 | Delaware | $25,547 | $19,000 | $32,000 |
| 32 | Iowa | $25,450 | $20,000 | $32,000 |
| 33 | Utah | $25,437 | $19,000 | $33,000 |
| 34 | New Mexico | $25,214 | $19,000 | $33,000 |
| 35 | Alabama | $24,996 | $18,000 | $33,000 |
| 36 | Indiana | $24,973 | $19,000 | $32,000 |
| 37 | Wyoming | $24,720 | $19,000 | $31,000 |
| 38 | Kentucky | $24,570 | $18,000 | $31,000 |
| 39 | Missouri | $24,225 | $18,000 | $31,000 |
| 40 | North Carolina | $24,003 | $18,000 | $31,000 |
| 41 | Tennessee | $23,924 | $18,000 | $31,000 |
| 42 | Virginia | $23,708 | $18,000 | $30,000 |
| 43 | Kansas | $23,272 | $17,000 | $30,000 |
| 44 | South Carolina | $23,258 | $17,000 | $30,000 |
| 45 | Oklahoma | $22,736 | $17,000 | $29,000 |
| 46 | Georgia | $22,368 | $16,000 | $29,000 |
| 47 | Florida | $22,306 | $16,000 | $30,000 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $22,034 | $16,000 | $28,000 |
| 49 | Louisiana | $21,138 | $15,000 | $28,000 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $20,974 | $15,000 | $27,000 |
Methodology: Direct Care Worker Salary By State
To gain a comprehensive understanding of direct care worker compensation by state, Zippia has aggregated data from diverse sources, including the BLS, FLC, and OPM. This data is further supplemented by actual salaries listed in job postings. Our data science team computes a weighted average of these inputs to establish average pay for direct care workers by state.
The average annual salary data for direct care workers was compiled from these estimates to rank each state based on its average salary for direct care workers.
Direct Care Worker Salary By State FAQs
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What is the highest-paid state for direct care workers?
The highest-paid state for direct care workers is Washington with an average salary of $34,899 per year.
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What city pays direct care workers the most?
Portland, ME offers the highest salaries for direct care workers, averaging $33,181 per year.
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What is the lowest-paying state for direct care workers?
The lowest-paying state for direct care workers is Mississippi with an average salary of $20,974 per year.
Author
Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.
