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The differences between direct support professionals and desk clerks supervisors 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 $31,772 average annual salary of a support staff.
The top three skills for a direct support professional include direct support, developmental disabilities and autism. The most important skills for a support staff are customer service, developmental disabilities, and mental health.
| Direct Support Professional | Support Staff | |
| Yearly salary | $32,077 | $31,772 |
| Hourly rate | $15.42 | $15.28 |
| Growth rate | 36% | 36% |
| Number of jobs | 142,034 | 161,915 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 30% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Average age | 48 | 47 |
| Years of experience | - | 6 |
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.
School support staff provide specialized instructional and student support while utilizing school facilities. They often include diverse staff members whose main role is to ensure that students learn in a supportive and safe learning environment. It is also their duty to enhance school climate by promoting the involvement of parent and family in education as well as to encourage trusting, positive student relationships. They should inhibit positive behavior and send uplifting messages to students as they often connect with them throughout the day.
Direct support professionals and desk clerks supervisors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Direct Support Professional | Support Staff | |
| Average salary | $32,077 | $31,772 |
| Salary range | Between $18,000 And $54,000 | Between $25,000 And $40,000 |
| Highest paying City | Santa Clara, CA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | California | New York |
| Best paying company | Meta | Lakeland Electric |
| Best paying industry | Government | Finance |
There are a few differences between a direct support professional and a support staff in terms of educational background:
| Direct Support Professional | Support Staff | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 30% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Business |
| Most common college | - | Duke University |
Here are the differences between direct support professionals' and desk clerks supervisors' demographics:
| Direct Support Professional | Support Staff | |
| Average age | 48 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 24.4% Female, 75.6% | Male, 31.2% Female, 68.8% |
| 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, 8.8% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 6.2% White, 62.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 8% |