Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between direct support associates and companions can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a direct support associate has an average salary of $29,934, which is higher than the $29,246 average annual salary of a companion.
The top three skills for a direct support associate include intellectual disabilities, emotional support and developmental disabilities. The most important skills for a companion are companionship, patients, and home health.
| Direct Support Associate | Companion | |
| Yearly salary | $29,934 | $29,246 |
| Hourly rate | $14.39 | $14.06 |
| Growth rate | 36% | 36% |
| Number of jobs | 111,451 | 75,753 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 31% | High School Diploma, 28% |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
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.
A companion is responsible for assisting sick and recovered patients, as well as the elderly. Companions perform housekeeping duties, ensuring that a facility is well-maintained and safe for the use of the patients. They also monitor the patients' medication, prepare their meals based on a medical professional's prescription, support them on their daily activities, respond to the patients' needs and special requests as allowed, and report any developments to their family or guardians. A companion must be compassionate enough to extend physical and emotional support, depending on the client's condition.
Direct support associates and companions have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Direct Support Associate | Companion | |
| Average salary | $29,934 | $29,246 |
| Salary range | Between $16,000 And $52,000 | Between $22,000 And $38,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | The Carlyle Group | Merck |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Non Profits |
There are a few differences between a direct support associate and a companion in terms of educational background:
| Direct Support Associate | Companion | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 31% | High School Diploma, 28% |
| Most common major | Business | Nursing |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between direct support associates' and companions' demographics:
| Direct Support Associate | Companion | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 26.2% Female, 73.8% | Male, 12.1% Female, 87.9% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 18.9% Asian, 7.7% White, 57.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |