Direct care counselor vs direct support associate

The differences between direct care counselors and direct support associates 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 $29,934 average annual salary of a direct support associate.

The top three skills for a direct care counselor include crisis intervention, autism and CPR. The most important skills for a direct support associate are intellectual disabilities, emotional support, and developmental disabilities.

Direct care counselor vs direct support associate overview

	Direct Care Counselor	Direct Support Associate
Yearly salary	$33,422	$29,934
Hourly rate	$16.07	$14.39
Growth rate	36%	36%
Number of jobs	123,519	111,451
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 50%	Bachelor's Degree, 31%
Average age	48	48
Years of experience	-	-

What does a direct care counselor do?

A direct care counselor provides direct counseling and assistance to the elderly or individuals with disabilities and mental issues. They usually work at rehabilitation centers or care facilities and work together with nurses or caregivers to administer different treatment plans, monitor and support the patients' progress, and help the patients carry out daily activities such as performing hygienic or routine living tasks. Moreover, a direct care counselor may also develop and implement various healthcare programs and recreational activities while adhering to the facility's policies and regulations.

What does a direct support associate do?

Direct Support Associates are responsible for aiding individuals with developmental, mental, or physical disabilities in their daily living activities. Their duties include administering prescribed medications, coach patients to develop money management, housekeeping, and social skills, and provide feedback to patients in areas of improvement. They are also involved in supervising skills-building activities, meal preparations, schedule organization, and produces patient progress report. Direct Support Associates also maintain a supportive relationship with the client to foster social engagement and community inclusion.

Direct care counselor vs direct support associate salary

Direct care counselors and direct support associates have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Direct Care Counselor	Direct Support Associate
Average salary	$33,422	$29,934
Salary range	Between $22,000 And $49,000	Between $16,000 And $52,000
Highest paying City	-	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	The Carlyle Group
Best paying industry	-	Manufacturing

Differences between direct care counselor and direct support associate education

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

	Direct Care Counselor	Direct Support Associate
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 50%	Bachelor's Degree, 31%
Most common major	Psychology	Business
Most common college	-	-

Direct care counselor vs direct support associate demographics

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

	Direct Care Counselor	Direct Support Associate
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 31.5% Female, 68.5%	Male, 26.2% Female, 73.8%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 14.8% Asian, 8.8% White, 60.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between direct care counselor and direct support associate duties and responsibilities

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.

Direct support associate example responsibilities.

Assist patients with ADL's, while individualizing patient care, and allowing patients to be as independent as possible.
Assist individuals with ADL's such as grooming, toileting, feeding, and escorting on community outings.
Assist clients with everyday living task/skills, transportation into the community, developmental skills, ISP, medication administration.
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.

Direct care counselor vs direct support associate skills

Common direct care counselor skills

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

Common direct support associate skills

Intellectual Disabilities, 19%
Emotional Support, 18%
Developmental Disabilities, 15%
Administer Medications, 4%
Autism, 4%
Group Homes, 4%

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Personal Care and Attendants Industry
Direct Care Counselor
Direct Care Counselor vs Direct Support Associate

Updated January 8, 2025

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