Direct care counselor vs residential instructor

The differences between direct care counselors and residential instructors 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 $29,695 average annual salary of a residential instructor.

The top three skills for a direct care counselor include crisis intervention, autism and CPR. The most important skills for a residential instructor are direct care, autism, and data collection.

Direct care counselor vs residential instructor overview

	Direct Care Counselor	Residential Instructor
Yearly salary	$33,422	$29,695
Hourly rate	$16.07	$14.28
Growth rate	36%	12%
Number of jobs	123,519	60,002
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 50%	Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Average age	48	26
Years of experience	-	-

Direct care counselor vs residential instructor salary

Direct care counselors and residential instructors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Direct Care Counselor	Residential Instructor
Average salary	$33,422	$29,695
Salary range	Between $22,000 And $49,000	Between $22,000 And $39,000
Highest paying City	-	Bell, CA
Highest paying state	-	North Dakota
Best paying company	-	Boston Higashi School
Best paying industry	-	Education

Differences between direct care counselor and residential instructor education

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

	Direct Care Counselor	Residential Instructor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 50%	Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	-	University of Pennsylvania

Direct care counselor vs residential instructor demographics

Here are the differences between direct care counselors' and residential instructors' demographics:

	Direct Care Counselor	Residential Instructor
Average age	48	26
Gender ratio	Male, 31.5% Female, 68.5%	Male, 29.8% Female, 70.2%
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, 12.8% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 13.0% Asian, 7.3% White, 60.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	7%	13%

Differences between direct care counselor and residential instructor 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.

Residential instructor example responsibilities.

Engage, educate and empower participants to access community base resources in order to achieve greater self-determination, rehabilitation and recovery.
Participate in monthly ISP meetings regarding status and progress of each individual consumer.
Complete daily ADL s with clients per POC provide by behaviorists, therapists, etc.
Assist clients with all ADL's (activities of daily living), as needed while promoting independence.
Maintain documentation for administrating medication, daily logs, ISP information and other require data.
Engage, educate and empower participants to access community base resources in order to achieve greater self-determination, rehabilitation and recovery.

Direct care counselor vs residential instructor skills

Common direct care counselor skills

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

Common residential instructor skills

Direct Care, 10%
Autism, 7%
Data Collection, 7%
Developmental Disabilities, 6%
Direct Supervision, 6%
Community Integration, 5%

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Personal Care and Attendants Industry
Direct Care Counselor
Direct Care Counselor vs Residential Instructor

Updated January 8, 2025

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