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Care provider vs direct care provider

The differences between care providers and direct care providers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a care provider has an average salary of $29,652, which is higher than the $29,470 average annual salary of a direct care provider.

The top three skills for a care provider include senior care, patients and administer medications. The most important skills for a direct care provider are CPR, developmental disabilities, and mental health.

Care provider vs direct care provider overview

Care ProviderDirect Care Provider
Yearly salary$29,652$29,470
Hourly rate$14.26$14.17
Growth rate36%36%
Number of jobs169,562117,168
Job satisfaction5-
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 30%Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Average age4848
Years of experience--

What does a care provider do?

A care provider is responsible for assisting patients with their healthcare needs at the highest quality service. Care providers work in various medical organizations or are privately employed by a household. They perform medical procedures such as taking the patient's temperature and vital signs, monitoring their food intake, administering medications, collecting specimens for laboratory tests, and reporting the patient's condition to the attending physician or other health care professionals. A care provider must have excellent communication and organization skills, especially when consulting with patients for their needs and developing healthcare plans.

What does a direct care provider do?

A Direct Care Worker specializes in providing care and assistance to patients, typically to the elderly. Their responsibilities include preparing and feeding meals, administering medication and other treatments, and monitoring their conditions, updating the physician or the patients' families regularly. They must also assist patients in various hygienic tasks such as bathing, dressing, brushing teeth, or going to the toilet. There are instances when Direct Care Workers must perform various household tasks such as laundry, washing the dishes, shopping for groceries, and running errands as needed.

Care provider vs direct care provider salary

Care providers and direct care providers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Care ProviderDirect Care Provider
Average salary$29,652$29,470
Salary rangeBetween $17,000 And $51,000Between $20,000 And $42,000
Highest paying CityAttleboro, MAOlympia, WA
Highest paying stateMassachusettsAlaska
Best paying companyBeth Israel Deaconess Medical CenterWashington State University
Best paying industryGovernmentHealth Care

Differences between care provider and direct care provider education

There are a few differences between a care provider and a direct care provider in terms of educational background:

Care ProviderDirect Care Provider
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 30%Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Most common majorBusinessPsychology
Most common college--

Care provider vs direct care provider demographics

Here are the differences between care providers' and direct care providers' demographics:

Care ProviderDirect Care Provider
Average age4848
Gender ratioMale, 22.1% Female, 77.9%Male, 23.6% Female, 76.4%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 22.3% Asian, 8.3% White, 54.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4%Black or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 15.9% Asian, 7.8% White, 61.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage7%7%

Differences between care provider and direct care provider duties and responsibilities

Care provider example responsibilities.

  • Manage provider network to include verifying claims and benefits for healthcare providers/members and insurance companies.
  • Aid and facilitate higher functioning patients reach their fullest potential while managing behavioral episodes as needed.
  • Accompany to medical appointments, administer medications, assist with ADL's, community integration, personal care, and therapeutic activities
  • Review appeals for Medicare non-participating providers following CMS specific guidelines for these providers.
  • Provide direct patient care to critical and non-critical emergency department patients as an experience EMT-Paramedic.
  • Change tracheal tube and catheter.
    • Show more

Direct care provider example responsibilities.

  • Require certification in MANDT and CPR.
  • Coach and train clients to improve their daily living (ADL), social interaction and job skills.
  • Provide instruction and assist the consumers with active daily living (ADL) skills such as cooking, bathing, dressing.
  • Provide caring and companionship to elderly and developmentally disable consumers and provide primary resident care and assistance with daily living activities.
  • Facilitate exercise, vocational, arts-n-crafts, and daily living skills groups for consumers with DD.

Care provider vs direct care provider skills

Common care provider skills
  • Senior Care, 23%
  • Patients, 13%
  • Administer Medications, 6%
  • Direct Care, 6%
  • Meal Prep, 6%
  • Patient Care, 6%
Common direct care provider skills
  • CPR, 24%
  • Developmental Disabilities, 23%
  • Mental Health, 5%
  • Direct Care, 4%
  • Intellectual Disabilities, 4%
  • Home Health, 4%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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