Direct service provider vs direct care counselor

The differences between direct service providers 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 $28,496 average annual salary of a direct service provider.

The top three skills for a direct service provider include direct care, mental illness and intellectual disabilities. The most important skills for a direct care counselor are crisis intervention, autism, and CPR.

Direct service provider vs direct care counselor overview

	Direct Service Provider	Direct Care Counselor
Yearly salary	$28,496	$33,422
Hourly rate	$13.70	$16.07
Growth rate	36%	36%
Number of jobs	49,939	123,519
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Average age	48	48
Years of experience	-	-

Direct service provider vs direct care counselor salary

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

	Direct Service Provider	Direct Care Counselor
Average salary	$28,496	$33,422
Salary range	Between $21,000 And $37,000	Between $22,000 And $49,000
Highest paying City	Juneau, AK	-
Highest paying state	Alaska	-
Best paying company	North Carolina A&T State University	-
Best paying industry	Professional	-

Differences between direct service provider and direct care counselor education

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

	Direct Service Provider	Direct Care Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	-	-

Direct service provider vs direct care counselor demographics

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

	Direct Service Provider	Direct Care Counselor
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 28.6% Female, 71.4%	Male, 31.5% Female, 68.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.6% Asian, 7.8% White, 61.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%	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 service provider and direct care counselor duties and responsibilities

Direct service provider example responsibilities.

Train and experience in adult and child first aid and CPR.
Certify medicine administer, CPR and first aid certify, CPI certify.
Assist residents in activities of daily living (ADL's) on a daily basis.
Prepare documents on the computer for annual ISP meetings with clients and their team members.
Pass medications, attend ISP meetings, help with personal hygiene, work on state goals.
Job duties include job coaching, skill training, ADL management, and implementing behavior management plans.

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 service provider vs direct care counselor skills

Common direct service provider skills

Direct Care, 29%
Mental Illness, 20%
Intellectual Disabilities, 18%
Developmental Disabilities, 6%
Direct Services, 4%
CPR, 4%

Common direct care counselor skills

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

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Personal Care and Attendants Industry
Direct Service Provider
Direct Service Provider vs Direct Care Counselor

Updated January 8, 2025

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