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Direct support professional vs direct care aide

The differences between direct support professionals and direct care aides can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a direct support professional has an average salary of $32,077, which is higher than the $30,429 average annual salary of a direct care aide.

The top three skills for a direct support professional include direct support, developmental disabilities and autism. The most important skills for a direct care aide are home health, foster care, and CPR.

Direct support professional vs direct care aide overview

Direct Support ProfessionalDirect Care Aide
Yearly salary$32,077$30,429
Hourly rate$15.42$14.63
Growth rate36%36%
Number of jobs142,034178,038
Job satisfaction4-
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 30%High School Diploma, 35%
Average age4848
Years of experience--

Direct support professional vs direct care aide salary

Direct support professionals and direct care aides have different pay scales, as shown below.

Direct Support ProfessionalDirect Care Aide
Average salary$32,077$30,429
Salary rangeBetween $18,000 And $54,000Between $22,000 And $41,000
Highest paying CitySanta Clara, CASpringfield, MA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaVermont
Best paying companyMetaUniv Of Colorado-Colorado Spgs
Best paying industryGovernmentEnergy

Differences between direct support professional and direct care aide education

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

Direct Support ProfessionalDirect Care Aide
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 30%High School Diploma, 35%
Most common majorPsychologyNursing
Most common college--

Direct support professional vs direct care aide demographics

Here are the differences between direct support professionals' and direct care aides' demographics:

Direct Support ProfessionalDirect Care Aide
Average age4848
Gender ratioMale, 24.4% Female, 75.6%Male, 20.8% Female, 79.2%
Race ratioBlack 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, 12.1% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 13.3% Asian, 8.0% White, 61.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage7%7%

Differences between direct support professional and direct care aide duties and responsibilities

Direct support professional example responsibilities.

  • Work with adults who have disabilities to help manage everyday tasks such as laundry, cooking, preparing groceries, etc.
  • Provide care to adults with intellectual & developmental disabilities while administering their medication via AMAP certification
  • Support the development of individuals with autism by promoting community involvement and performing exercises to strengthen their cognitive and social skills.
  • Assist with toileting, including urinals.
  • Maintain medical records according to all HIPPA guidelines.
  • Assist coordinator to train new DCW on assign shift.
  • Show more

Direct care aide example responsibilities.

  • Provide individuals appropriate assistance in completing ADL's, such as showering, toileting, transferring, dressing, and feeding.
  • Assist mentally disable adults with ADL's such as showering, grooming, oral care, eating, dressing and toileting.
  • Provide emotional and mental support to unstable patients and are experience in dealing with aggressive residents
  • Provide caring and companionship to elderly and developmentally disable consumers and provide primary resident care and assistance with daily living activities.
  • Advocate for disable children, help them thrive through completion of goals and one-on-one supervision SCIP, AMAP and CPR certify.
  • Dispense and administer medication to patients according to AMAP policies and procedures.

Direct support professional vs direct care aide skills

Common direct support professional skills
  • Direct Support, 19%
  • Developmental Disabilities, 12%
  • Autism, 9%
  • Direct Care, 7%
  • DSP, 7%
  • Mental Health, 6%
Common direct care aide skills
  • Home Health, 17%
  • Foster Care, 10%
  • CPR, 9%
  • Patients, 7%
  • Meal Prep, 7%
  • Rehabilitation, 6%

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