Direct care supervisor vs direct support professional

The differences between direct care supervisors and direct support professionals can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a direct care supervisor has an average salary of $35,451, which is higher than the $32,077 average annual salary of a direct support professional.

The top three skills for a direct care supervisor include mental health, substance abuse and CPR. The most important skills for a direct support professional are direct support, developmental disabilities, and autism.

Direct care supervisor vs direct support professional overview

	Direct Care Supervisor	Direct Support Professional
Yearly salary	$35,451	$32,077
Hourly rate	$17.04	$15.42
Growth rate	36%	36%
Number of jobs	88,940	142,034
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 42%	High School Diploma, 30%
Average age	48	48
Years of experience	-	-

Direct care supervisor vs direct support professional salary

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

	Direct Care Supervisor	Direct Support Professional
Average salary	$35,451	$32,077
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $50,000	Between $18,000 And $54,000
Highest paying City	East Orange, NJ	Santa Clara, CA
Highest paying state	New Jersey	California
Best paying company	Ethos Veterinary Health	Meta
Best paying industry	Construction	Government

Differences between direct care supervisor and direct support professional education

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

	Direct Care Supervisor	Direct Support Professional
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 42%	High School Diploma, 30%
Most common major	Business	Psychology
Most common college	-	-

Direct care supervisor vs direct support professional demographics

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

	Direct Care Supervisor	Direct Support Professional
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 42.1% Female, 57.9%	Male, 24.4% Female, 75.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.1% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.9% Asian, 7.6% White, 57.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%	Black or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 8.3% White, 61.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between direct care supervisor and direct support professional duties and responsibilities

Direct care supervisor example responsibilities.

Keep coil tubing's frac tanks full of good filter water for duration of plug drill outs.
Prepare files for file audits, as well as keeping the file up to Medicaid and DDS standards.
Plug mill out and Frac assist.
Certify in CPR and perform several XS.
Rig in a junk catcher and sand trap.
Conduct lessons and run daily activities of the program.

Direct support professional example responsibilities.

Work with adults who have disabilities to help manage everyday tasks such as laundry, cooking, preparing groceries, etc.
Provide care to adults with intellectual & developmental disabilities while administering their medication via AMAP certification
Support the development of individuals with autism by promoting community involvement and performing exercises to strengthen their cognitive and social skills.
Assist with toileting, including urinals.
Maintain medical records according to all HIPPA guidelines.
Assist coordinator to train new DCW on assign shift.

Direct care supervisor vs direct support professional skills

Common direct care supervisor skills

Mental Health, 11%
Substance Abuse, 10%
CPR, 9%
Social Work, 8%
Home Health, 7%
Crisis Intervention, 5%

Common direct support professional skills

Direct Support, 19%
Developmental Disabilities, 12%
Autism, 9%
Direct Care, 7%
DSP, 7%
Mental Health, 6%

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Personal Care and Attendants Industry
Direct Care Supervisor
Direct Care Supervisor vs Direct Support Professional

Updated January 8, 2025

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