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The differences between direct support professionals and community support specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a community support specialist has an average salary of $39,320, which is higher than the $32,077 average annual salary of a direct support professional.
The top three skills for a direct support professional include direct support, developmental disabilities and autism. The most important skills for a community support specialist are social work, mental health, and rehabilitation.
| Direct Support Professional | Community Support Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $32,077 | $39,320 |
| Hourly rate | $15.42 | $18.90 |
| Growth rate | 36% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 142,034 | 111,431 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 30% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 48 | 43 |
| Years of experience | - | 12 |
Direct support professionals are responsible for taking care of patients with physical or mental limitations. They do a variety of tasks for their patients, such as doing household chores, running errands for them, cooking for them, feeding them, bathing and dressing them, and helping them with their medication, among others. They also provide their patients with companionship, accompanying their patients to appointments, providing emotional support, and being with their patients for the most part of the day. They should be familiar with their patients' prescribed medicines, meal plans, therapy schedules, and other items related to the betterment of the patients' condition. Direct support professionals help the patients overcome their challenges and assist them in acclimating themselves with their current environment.
A community support specialist is responsible for supporting and providing care services for citizens with mental health conditions and other medical illnesses. Community support specialists coordinate with organizations and health institutions to generate resources that would help the patients in their daily activities, medications, and treatment plans. They also strategize community events and activities to observe the patients' social and personal behaviors and endorse them to a mental health professional for in-depth examination and counseling.
Direct support professionals and community support specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Direct Support Professional | Community Support Specialist | |
| Average salary | $32,077 | $39,320 |
| Salary range | Between $18,000 And $54,000 | Between $27,000 And $56,000 |
| Highest paying City | Santa Clara, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | California | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Meta | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Government | Non Profits |
There are a few differences between a direct support professional and a community support specialist in terms of educational background:
| Direct Support Professional | Community Support Specialist | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 30% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | - | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between direct support professionals' and community support specialists' demographics:
| Direct Support Professional | Community Support Specialist | |
| Average age | 48 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 24.4% Female, 75.6% | Male, 28.8% Female, 71.2% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 12.6% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 7.0% White, 59.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 11% |