Research Summary. Using a combination of public government and company data as well as data gathered from thousands of job postings, the Zippia data team has created average salary estimates for jobs across the US. Using that data set, the team has identified the types of direct support professionals that are the highest paid based on their average annual salaries.
Here is a summary of our findings for the highest-paying types of direct support professionals:
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Community Support Specialist is the highest-paid type of direct support professional with an average salary of $39,320 and an average hourly rate of $18.90.
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The second highest-paying type of direct support professional is hair stylist, with an average salary of $38,221.
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The average direct support professional salary is $32,077 per year, and the average hourly pay is $15.42.
Table Of Contents: Background | Table | Methodology | FAQs
Background
Choosing a career path can be difficult, and while pay shouldn’t be the only thing you consider in your decision, it is a significant factor. So if you’d like to work as a direct support professional, it helps to have an idea of what the highest-paid types of direct support professionals are so that you can plan your career progression.
Here are the top salaries for different types of direct support professionals:
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Community Support Specialist
Average Salary: $39,320
A community support specialist is responsible for supporting and providing care services for citizens with mental health conditions and other medical illnesses. Community support specialists coordinate with organizations and health institutions to generate resources that would help the patients in their daily activities, medications, and treatment plans. They also strategize community events and activities to observe the patients’ social and personal behaviors and endorse them to a mental health professional for in-depth examination and counseling.
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Hair Stylist
Average Salary: $38,221
A Hair Stylist’s role is to provide services such as haircuts, treatments, coloring, styling, and even maintenance. Most of the time, the clients choose which style or treatment they would prefer, which is why a Hair Stylist must have extensive knowledge and keep up the current trends in Hair Styling. Moreover, a Hair Stylist can also recommend styling and treatments that would suit the client, even sell Hair Care products. Aside from providing quality service, it is also essential for a Hair Stylist to build rapport with clients to ensure customer satisfaction and have a robust client base.
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Direct Support Specialist
Average Salary: $37,771
A direct support specialist provides care and assistance to individuals with intellectual and physical disabilities. They may work at nursing facilities, government institutions, or at the patients’ homes. Their responsibilities usually revolve around helping patients with daily tasks such as bathing, dressing, going to the toilet, and attending appointments. They may also assist patients in taking medications, handle the laundry and dishes, cook and prepare meals according to nutrition plans, and run errands as necessary. Moreover, they are also responsible for coordinating with physicians, maintaining daily records, and processing documents.
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Support Worker
Average Salary: $37,039
A support worker is responsible for supporting the community programs and development efforts to sustain and ensure the citizens’ stability, providing them resources for their daily needs, and helping them with financial assistance requests. Support workers conduct family counseling to identify their challenges and needs and coordinate with the necessary organizations to process their requests. They must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in filing documents and guiding the citizens in achieving their healthy lifestyle and make a positive difference.
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Support
Average Salary: $36,227
A support employee is responsible for assisting the business operations and responding to customers’ inquiries and concerns regarding its goods and services. Support logs all customers’ interaction and escalates potential complaints to the appropriate department. They also help with implementing strategic procedures to improve operations and reach maximum productivity. A support employee must have excellent communication and customer service skills, ensuring clients’ satisfaction with the services and maintain good feedback to boost the company’s brand, attract more clients, and increase revenues.
Below is a full table of the average pay for various direct support professional that pay the most followed by a more detailed explanation of our methodology.
Highest-Paying Types Of Direct Support Professionals
| Rank | Job Title | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Community Support Specialist | |
| 2 | Hair Stylist | |
| 3 | Direct Support Specialist | |
| 4 | Support Worker | |
| 5 | Support | |
| 6 | Habilitation Specialist | |
| 7 | Direct Care Counselor | |
| 8 | Support Staff | |
| 9 | Child Care Worker | |
| 10 | Direct Support Staff | |
| 11 | Direct Care Staffer | |
| 12 | Direct Care Aide | |
| 13 | Direct Care Professional | |
| 14 | Direct Support Associate | |
| 15 | Residential Instructor | |
| 16 | Direct Care Provider | |
| 17 | Direct Care Worker | |
| 18 | Direct Service Provider | |
| 19 | Residential Program Worker | |
| 20 | Residential Aide |
Methodology
Zippia uses publicly published information from government sources such as the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Foreign Labor Certification Data Center (FLC), and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to create its salary estimates.
Our data science team also checks job postings and company-published resources for additional up-to-date salary information for direct support professionals.
Once they’ve gathered the data, the team calculates a weighted average for each job title they’re estimating a salary for. For more details on our salary estimates, you can read the detailed methodology.
Highest-Paying Types Of Direct Support Professional Jobs FAQs
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What is the highest-paid direct support professional job?
The highest-paid direct support professional job is a community support specialist. Community Support Specialists earn an average salary of $39,320, which is $ 18.90 hourly.
A community support specialist is responsible for supporting and providing care services for citizens with mental health conditions and other medical illnesses. Community support specialists coordinate with organizations and health institutions to generate resources that would help the patients in their daily activities, medications, and treatment plans. They also strategize community events and activities to observe the patients’ social and personal behaviors and endorse them to a mental health professional for in-depth examination and counseling.
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What is a good salary for a direct support professional?
A good salary for a direct support professional is $32,077 or more. The average direct support professional salary is $32,077, so those making at least $32,077 are earning above-average paychecks.
Keep in mind, however, that the average direct support professional salary does fluctuate based on location, as companies will adjust their pay scales based on the cost of living in that area. Research what the average salary is in your area for someone of your expertise and experience level to get a more accurate view on how well you’re being paid.
In addition, if you’re just starting your career as a direct support professional, the average entry level salary is $0, so don’t base your opinion of your salary on the $32,077 average, as this includes all direct support professionals of all skill and experience levels.
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Do Direct Support Professional jobs pay well?
No, direct support professional jobs don’t pay well. As in any industry, some direct support professional jobs pay better than others, but the average direct support professional salary of $32,077 is times the average national salary of about $44,225 per year.
In addition to this, many direct support professional jobs have high earning potential, with the top 10% of direct support professionals earning $0 a year on average.
Direct Support Professionals’ salaries will fluctuate based on their experience level, industry, and location, so pay attention to these factors when you’re looking for a job as a direct support professional. Do your research on the going rate for a direct support professional in your area with your expertise, and don’t be afraid to negotiate your salary based on that information.
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Where do direct support professionals get paid the most?
Direct Support Professionals get paid the most in California. In California, direct support professionals earn an average annual salary of $54,935 and an average hourly wage of $26.41.
Following CA, the states with the highest-paid direct support professionals are Nevada, Washington, and Massachusetts, with average annual salaries of $40,140, $36,222, and $34,731 respectively.
The cities with the highest-paid direct support professional salaries are:
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Santa Clara, CA – $60,753
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Phoenix, AZ – $41,435
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Las Vegas, NV – $39,677
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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.
