Direct service professional vs direct care worker

The differences between direct service professionals and direct care workers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a direct service professional has an average salary of $114,053, which is higher than the $29,343 average annual salary of a direct care worker.

The top three skills for a direct service professional include direct care, CPR and mental health. The most important skills for a direct care worker are direct care, patients, and CPR.

Direct service professional vs direct care worker overview

	Direct Service Professional	Direct Care Worker
Yearly salary	$114,053	$29,343
Hourly rate	$54.83	$14.11
Growth rate	36%	36%
Number of jobs	60,020	140,788
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	High School Diploma, 32%
Average age	48	48
Years of experience	-	-

Direct service professional vs direct care worker salary

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

	Direct Service Professional	Direct Care Worker
Average salary	$114,053	$29,343
Salary range	Between $68,000 And $188,000	Between $23,000 And $36,000
Highest paying City	-	Portland, ME
Highest paying state	-	Washington
Best paying company	-	Arizona Training & Evaluation Center
Best paying industry	-	Professional

Differences between direct service professional and direct care worker education

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

	Direct Service Professional	Direct Care Worker
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	High School Diploma, 32%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	-	-

Direct service professional vs direct care worker demographics

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

	Direct Service Professional	Direct Care Worker
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 32.3% Female, 67.7%	Male, 23.4% Female, 76.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 8.3% White, 60.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%	Black or African American, 12.6% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 13.7% Asian, 7.6% White, 61.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between direct service professional and direct care worker duties and responsibilities

Direct service professional example responsibilities.

Assist consumers with their ADL skills, such as showering, administering medications, and laundry.
Ensure completion of ISP goals, as well as input and come up with new ideas for new ISP's.
Administer medications, assist with ADL's, and communicate with interdisciplinary team members to ensure continuity of care
Provide caring and companionship to elderly and developmentally disable consumers and provide primary resident care and assistance with daily living activities.
Provide clients family members, DCF workers, and/or probation officers with up to date of treatment planning and progress.

Direct care worker example responsibilities.

Provide caring companionship to elderly and developmentally disable patients with or without chronic health diagnosis.
Assist individuals with developmental/intellectual disabilities with ADL's.
Conduct socialization groups to aid individuals in development of ADL and socialization skills.
Prepare daily documents administer medications handle patients hygiene house cleaning and provide transportation to and from appointment
Provide caring and companionship to elderly and developmentally disable consumers and provide primary resident care and assistance with daily living activities.
Provide day to day services that include transport, nutrition, hygiene, housekeeping and activities to MRDD clients.

Direct service professional vs direct care worker skills

Common direct service professional skills

Direct Care, 11%
CPR, 9%
Mental Health, 7%
Development Disabilities, 7%
Direct Support, 5%
DSP, 5%

Common direct care worker skills

Direct Care, 22%
Patients, 11%
CPR, 7%
Developmental Disabilities, 4%
Crisis Intervention, 4%
Vital Signs, 4%

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Personal Care and Attendants Industry
Direct Service Professional
Direct Service Professional vs Direct Care Worker

Updated January 8, 2025

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