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The differences between companions and direct care workers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a direct care worker has an average salary of $29,343, which is higher than the $29,246 average annual salary of a companion.
The top three skills for a companion include companionship, patients and home health. The most important skills for a direct care worker are direct care, patients, and CPR.
| Companion | Direct Care Worker | |
| Yearly salary | $29,246 | $29,343 |
| Hourly rate | $14.06 | $14.11 |
| Growth rate | 36% | 36% |
| Number of jobs | 75,753 | 140,788 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 28% | High School Diploma, 32% |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A companion is responsible for assisting sick and recovered patients, as well as the elderly. Companions perform housekeeping duties, ensuring that a facility is well-maintained and safe for the use of the patients. They also monitor the patients' medication, prepare their meals based on a medical professional's prescription, support them on their daily activities, respond to the patients' needs and special requests as allowed, and report any developments to their family or guardians. A companion must be compassionate enough to extend physical and emotional support, depending on the client's condition.
A Direct Care Worker's responsibility revolves around overseeing clients' welfare and health care from different ages and conditions. Most of the duties will involve assistance in basic hygienic tasks such as bathing or going to the toilet, performing light chores such as preparing healthy meals and cleaning a bedroom, and ensuring the patient's medication intake aligns with the schedule. Furthermore, it is also the duty of a Direct Care Worker to empathize and build rapport with clients to make them feel more at ease.
Companions and direct care workers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Companion | Direct Care Worker | |
| Average salary | $29,246 | $29,343 |
| Salary range | Between $22,000 And $38,000 | Between $23,000 And $36,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | Portland, ME |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Washington |
| Best paying company | Merck | Arizona Training & Evaluation Center |
| Best paying industry | Non Profits | Professional |
There are a few differences between a companion and a direct care worker in terms of educational background:
| Companion | Direct Care Worker | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 28% | High School Diploma, 32% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Psychology |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between companions' and direct care workers' demographics:
| Companion | Direct Care Worker | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 12.1% Female, 87.9% | Male, 23.4% Female, 76.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 18.9% Asian, 7.7% White, 57.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% | Black or African American, 12.6% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 13.7% Asian, 7.6% White, 61.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |