Direct support professional demographics and statistics in the US
Direct support professional demographics research summary. Zippia estimates direct support professional demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our direct support professional estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about direct support professionals after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 210,771 direct support professionals currently employed in the United States.
- 75.6% of all direct support professionals are women, while 24.4% are men.
- The average direct support professional age is 47 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of direct support professionals is White (61.6%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (15.1%), Black or African American (9.7%) and Asian (8.3%).
- Direct support professionals are most in-demand in New York, NY.
- The government industry is the highest-paying for direct support professionals.
- Santa Clara, CA pays an annual average wage of $60,753, the highest in the US.
- In 2022, women direct support professionals earned 97% of what men earned.
- 7% of all direct support professionals are LGBT.
- California is the best state for direct support professionals to live.
- Direct support professionals are 72% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to government companies.
On this page
Direct support professional demographics by:
Direct support professional gender statistics
75.6% of direct support professionals are women and 24.4% of direct support professionals are men.
- Female, 75.6%
- Male, 24.4%
Direct support professional gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 75.6% |
| Male | 24.4% |
Direct support professional gender pay gap
Women earn 97¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$33,954
Female income
$32,774
Direct support professional gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in direct support professional positions over time. Currently, 75.6% of direct support professionals are female.
Direct support professional gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 19.74% | 80.26% |
| 2011 | 20.40% | 79.60% |
| 2012 | 22.95% | 77.05% |
| 2013 | 21.88% | 78.12% |
| 2014 | 22.13% | 77.87% |
| 2015 | 22.18% | 77.82% |
| 2016 | 22.93% | 77.07% |
| 2017 | 23.62% | 76.38% |
| 2018 | 22.94% | 77.06% |
| 2019 | 23.63% | 76.37% |
| 2020 | 26.68% | 73.32% |
| 2021 | 24.44% | 75.56% |
Direct support professional related jobs gender ratio
We compared direct support professionals with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, camp boss and valet have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Infant Childcare Provider | 3% | 97% |
| Daycare Owner | 4% | 96% |
| Professional Nanny | 5% | 95% |
| Direct Support Professional | 24% | 76% |
| Intramural Director | 82% | 18% |
| Valet | 85% | 15% |
| Camp Boss | 88% | 12% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Direct support professional demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among direct support professionals is White, which makes up 61.6% of all direct support professionals. Comparatively, 15.1% of direct support professionals are Hispanic or Latino and 9.7% of direct support professionals are Black or African American.
- White, 61.6%
- Hispanic or Latino, 15.1%
- Black or African American, 9.7%
- Asian, 8.3%
- Unknown, 4.3%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
Direct support professional race
| Direct support professional race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 61.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 15.1% |
| Black or African American | 9.7% |
| Asian | 8.3% |
| Unknown | 4.3% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.0% |
Direct support professional race and ethnicity over time
See how direct support professional racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Direct support professional race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 70.06% | 11.47% | 5.20% | 10.51% |
| 2011 | 67.16% | 12.48% | 5.88% | 11.11% |
| 2012 | 67.77% | 11.58% | 5.83% | 11.55% |
| 2013 | 68.04% | 11.17% | 6.04% | 11.59% |
| 2014 | 68.28% | 10.49% | 6.30% | 11.64% |
| 2015 | 67.57% | 10.68% | 6.22% | 12.54% |
| 2016 | 66.33% | 10.63% | 6.90% | 13.04% |
| 2017 | 65.97% | 9.59% | 7.78% | 13.20% |
| 2018 | 66.44% | 10.56% | 7.05% | 12.86% |
| 2019 | 68.30% | 9.42% | 6.86% | 12.49% |
| 2020 | 64.52% | 9.92% | 7.76% | 12.47% |
| 2021 | 61.59% | 9.66% | 8.29% | 15.07% |
Direct support professional wage gap by race
According to our data, black or african american direct support professionals have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Unknown direct support professionals have the lowest average salary at $32,730.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $32,730 |
| White | $33,709 |
| Black or African American | $34,966 |
| Asian | $34,228 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $34,175 |
Average direct support professional age
See how the average age of direct support professionals varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Direct support professional age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 45 | 48 |
| Unknown | 37 | 47 |
| Asian | 56 | 54 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 41 | 49 |
| White | 47 | 51 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 45 | 47 |
Direct support professional age breakdown
The average age of direct support professionals is 40+ years years old, representing 71% of the direct support professional population.
Direct support professional age breakdown
| Direct Support Professional Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 71% |
| 30-40 years | 16% |
| 20-30 years | 13% |
Direct support professional educational attainment
The most common degree for direct support professionals is high school diploma, with 30% of direct support professionals earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 29% and bachelor's degree degree at 20%.
- High School Diploma, 30%
- Bachelor's, 29%
- Associate, 20%
- Diploma, 10%
- Other Degrees, 11%
Direct support professionals by degree level
| Direct support professional degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma | 30% |
| Bachelor's | 29% |
| Associate | 20% |
| Diploma | 10% |
| Other Degrees | 11% |
Direct support professional jobs you might like
Direct support professional wage gap by degree level
According to the data, direct support professionals with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $35,667 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, direct support professionals earn a median annual income of $34,827 compared to $34,286 for direct support professionals with an Associate degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $35,667 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $32,881 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $34,827 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $34,286 |
Direct support professional employment statistics
Most direct support professionals work for a private in the health care industry.
Company size where direct support professionals work
Below, you can see the size of companies where direct support professionals work.
Direct support professional jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 8% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 20% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 43% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 13% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 14% |
| > 10,000 employees | 3% |
Direct support professional jobs by company type
Employees with the direct support professional job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most direct support professionals prefer to work at private companies over government companies.
Direct support professional jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 6% |
| Public | 5% |
| Private | 72% |
| Government | 16% |
Direct support professional jobs by industry
The most common industries for direct support professionals are health care, professional and non profits.
Direct support professional industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Health Care | 31% |
| Professional | 19% |
| Non Profits | 18% |
| Government | 10% |
| Technology | 5% |
| Education | 4% |
| Hospitality | 2% |
| Manufacturing | 2% |
| Media | 1% |
| Pharmaceutical | 1% |
| Transportation | 1% |
| Telecommunication | 1% |
| Internet | 1% |
| Start-up | 1% |
| Fortune 500 | 1% |
| Retail | 1% |
| Agriculture | 1% |
| Finance | 1% |
Direct support professional turnover and employment statistics
Direct support professional unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for direct support professionals between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Direct support professional unemployment rate by year
| Year | Direct support professional unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 10.10% |
| 2011 | 11.06% |
| 2012 | 9.90% |
| 2013 | 8.83% |
| 2014 | 7.61% |
| 2015 | 6.51% |
| 2016 | 5.54% |
| 2017 | 5.18% |
| 2018 | 4.93% |
| 2019 | 4.32% |
| 2020 | 5.81% |
| 2021 | 7.35% |
Average direct support professional tenure
The average direct support professional stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 80,150 direct support professionals resumes in Zippia's database.
Direct support professional tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 26% |
| 1-2 years | 28% |
| 3-4 years | 15% |
| 5-7 years | 21% |
| 8-10 years | 5% |
| 11+ years | 5% |
Direct support professional LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of direct support professionals that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Infant Childcare Provider | 4.43% | 19,162 |
| Ticket Dispenser Changer | 5.80% | 1,116 |
| Direct Support Professional | 6.73% | - |
| Unit Leader | 8.12% | 63,952 |
| Cottage Parent | 12.72% | 1,255 |
| Yoga Instructor | 13.13% | 25,406 |
Similar direct support professional jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Infant Childcare Provider | 4.43% | 19,162 |
| Ticket Dispenser Changer | 5.80% | 1,116 |
| Unit Leader | 8.12% | 63,952 |
| Cottage Parent | 12.72% | 1,255 |
| Yoga Instructor | 13.13% | 25,406 |
Foreign languages spoken by direct support professionals
The most common foreign language among direct support professionals is Spanish at 67.1%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 12.3% and German is the third-most popular at 2.6%.
- Spanish, 67.1%
- French, 12.3%
- German, 2.6%
- Somali, 1.9%
- Arabic, 1.9%
- Other, 14.2%
Direct support professional languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 67.1% |
| French | 12.3% |
| German | 2.6% |
| Somali | 1.9% |
| Arabic | 1.9% |
| Other | 14.2% |
