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Direct care professional vs direct support associate

The differences between direct care professionals and direct support associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a direct care professional has an average salary of $30,233, which is higher than the $29,934 average annual salary of a direct support associate.

The top three skills for a direct care professional include ADL, developmental disabilities and mental health. The most important skills for a direct support associate are intellectual disabilities, emotional support, and developmental disabilities.

Direct care professional vs direct support associate overview

Direct Care ProfessionalDirect Support Associate
Yearly salary$30,233$29,934
Hourly rate$14.54$14.39
Growth rate36%36%
Number of jobs122,720111,451
Job satisfaction3-
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 35%Bachelor's Degree, 31%
Average age4848
Years of experience--

Direct care professional vs direct support associate salary

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

Direct Care ProfessionalDirect Support Associate
Average salary$30,233$29,934
Salary rangeBetween $21,000 And $41,000Between $16,000 And $52,000
Highest paying CityVacaville, CASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateWashingtonCalifornia
Best paying companyHalliburtonThe Carlyle Group
Best paying industryGovernmentManufacturing

Differences between direct care professional and direct support associate education

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

Direct Care ProfessionalDirect Support Associate
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 35%Bachelor's Degree, 31%
Most common majorPsychologyBusiness
Most common college--

Direct care professional vs direct support associate demographics

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

Direct Care ProfessionalDirect Support Associate
Average age4848
Gender ratioMale, 26.0% Female, 74.0%Male, 26.2% Female, 73.8%
Race ratioBlack 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, 10.3% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 14.8% Asian, 8.8% White, 60.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%
LGBT Percentage7%7%

Differences between direct care professional and direct support associate 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.
  • Show more

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 professional vs direct support associate skills

Common direct care professional skills
  • ADL, 15%
  • Developmental Disabilities, 13%
  • Mental Health, 7%
  • Autism, 7%
  • Direct Support, 6%
  • Social Work, 5%
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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