Direct care professional vs direct care counselor

The differences between direct care professionals and direct care counselors 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 $30,233 average annual salary of a direct care professional.

The top three skills for a direct care professional include ADL, developmental disabilities and mental health. The most important skills for a direct care counselor are crisis intervention, autism, and CPR.

Direct care professional vs direct care counselor overview

	Direct Care Professional	Direct Care Counselor
Yearly salary	$30,233	$33,422
Hourly rate	$14.54	$16.07
Growth rate	36%	36%
Number of jobs	122,720	123,519
Job satisfaction	3	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 35%	Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Average age	48	48
Years of experience	-	-

Direct care professional vs direct care counselor salary

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

	Direct Care Professional	Direct Care Counselor
Average salary	$30,233	$33,422
Salary range	Between $21,000 And $41,000	Between $22,000 And $49,000
Highest paying City	Vacaville, CA	-
Highest paying state	Washington	-
Best paying company	Halliburton	-
Best paying industry	Government	-

Differences between direct care professional and direct care counselor education

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

	Direct Care Professional	Direct Care Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 35%	Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	-	-

Direct care professional vs direct care counselor demographics

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

	Direct Care Professional	Direct Care Counselor
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 26.0% Female, 74.0%	Male, 31.5% Female, 68.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.9% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 16.1% Asian, 7.9% White, 59.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%	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%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between direct care professional and direct care counselor duties and responsibilities

Direct care professional example responsibilities.

Help each individual patient accomplish their specific ISP goals on a daily, weekly and monthly basis.
Provide round the clock care alone with daily help of ADL's, transport consumers to and from appointments.
Provide ongoing consultation and support to parents of students with autism and facilitate ongoing collaboration with parents and staff members.
Provide services and supports to individuals with mental retardation and relate disabilities, head or spinal cord injuries, or autism.
Provide caring and companionship to elderly and developmentally disable consumers and provide primary resident care and assistance with daily living activities.
Preform necessary SCIP safety moves to prevent consumers from hurting themselves or others.

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 care professional vs direct care counselor skills

Common direct care professional skills

ADL, 15%
Developmental Disabilities, 13%
Mental Health, 7%
Autism, 7%
Direct Support, 6%
Social Work, 5%

Common direct care counselor skills

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

Direct Care Professional vs. similar jobs

Direct Care Professional related careers

Direct Care Professional related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Personal Care and Attendants Industry
Direct Care Professional
Direct Care Professional vs Direct Care Counselor

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse personal care and attendants jobs