Direct support professional vs direct care counselor

The differences between direct support professionals 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 $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 direct care counselor are crisis intervention, autism, and CPR.

Direct support professional vs direct care counselor overview

	Direct Support Professional	Direct Care Counselor
Yearly salary	$32,077	$33,422
Hourly rate	$15.42	$16.07
Growth rate	36%	36%
Number of jobs	142,034	123,519
Job satisfaction	4	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 30%	Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Average age	48	48
Years of experience	-	-

What does a direct support professional do?

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.

What does a direct care counselor do?

A direct care counselor provides direct counseling and assistance to the elderly or individuals with disabilities and mental issues. They usually work at rehabilitation centers or care facilities and work together with nurses or caregivers to administer different treatment plans, monitor and support the patients' progress, and help the patients carry out daily activities such as performing hygienic or routine living tasks. Moreover, a direct care counselor may also develop and implement various healthcare programs and recreational activities while adhering to the facility's policies and regulations.

Direct support professional vs direct care counselor salary

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

	Direct Support Professional	Direct Care Counselor
Average salary	$32,077	$33,422
Salary range	Between $18,000 And $54,000	Between $22,000 And $49,000
Highest paying City	Santa Clara, CA	-
Highest paying state	California	-
Best paying company	Meta	-
Best paying industry	Government	-

Differences between direct support professional and direct care counselor education

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

	Direct Support Professional	Direct Care Counselor
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 30%	Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	-	-

Direct support professional vs direct care counselor demographics

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

	Direct Support Professional	Direct Care Counselor
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 24.4% Female, 75.6%	Male, 31.5% Female, 68.5%
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, 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 support professional and direct care counselor 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.

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 support professional vs direct care counselor 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 counselor skills

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

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Zippia Careers
Personal Care and Attendants Industry
Direct Support Professional
Direct Support Professional vs Direct Care Counselor

Updated January 8, 2025

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