Direct care staffer vs direct support associate

The differences between direct care staffers and direct support associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a direct care staffer has an average salary of $30,480, which is higher than the $29,934 average annual salary of a direct support associate.

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

Direct care staffer vs direct support associate overview

	Direct Care Staffer	Direct Support Associate
Yearly salary	$30,480	$29,934
Hourly rate	$14.65	$14.39
Growth rate	36%	36%
Number of jobs	117,658	111,451
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 31%	Bachelor's Degree, 31%
Average age	48	48
Years of experience	-	-

What does a direct care staffer do?

A Direct Care Staffer specializes in providing personal care and supervision to the disabled or elderly. Among the responsibilities include administering medication, managing schedules, assisting in hygienic tasks, preparing meals, and doing light to moderate household chores. Furthermore, A Direct Care Staffer also helps in transportation and preparation of daily meals, running various errands, purchasing groceries and daily necessities, and as well as monitoring health conditions. It is also essential for a Daily Care Staffer to update supervisors and guardians regularly.

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 staffer vs direct support associate salary

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

	Direct Care Staffer	Direct Support Associate
Average salary	$30,480	$29,934
Salary range	Between $19,000 And $47,000	Between $16,000 And $52,000
Highest paying City	Salem, OR	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Oregon	California
Best paying company	New York University	The Carlyle Group
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Manufacturing

Differences between direct care staffer and direct support associate education

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

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

Direct care staffer vs direct support associate demographics

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

	Direct Care Staffer	Direct Support Associate
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 27.5% Female, 72.5%	Male, 26.2% Female, 73.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.7% Asian, 8.2% 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 staffer and direct support associate duties and responsibilities

Direct care staffer example responsibilities.

Provide and care for highly volatile patients, administering CPI when require.
Train and supervise individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities.
Assist consumers in development and maintenance of adaptive daily living skills.
Maintain client and community safety through appropriate application of CPI NVCI training.
Assist residence with disabilities, by bathing them, feeding and showing compassion.
Work with Kronos (timekeeping system) and making schedules for the DSP.

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 staffer vs direct support associate skills

Common direct care staffer skills

Mental Health, 14%
Developmental Disabilities, 8%
CPR, 8%
Patients, 6%
Autism, 6%
Crisis Intervention, 5%

Common direct support associate skills

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

Direct Care Staffer vs. similar jobs

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Zippia Careers
Personal Care and Attendants Industry
Direct Care Staffer
Direct Care Staffer vs Direct Support Associate

Updated January 8, 2025

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