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Job outlook for direct support professionals in the United States
Direct support professional job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected direct support professional job growth rate is 36% from 2018-2028.
About 1,185,800 new jobs for direct support professionals are projected over the next decade.
Direct support professional salaries have increased 26% for direct support professionals in the last 5 years.
There are over 210,771 direct support professionals currently employed in the United States.
There are 142,034 active direct support professional job openings in the US.
The average direct support professional salary is $32,077.
Are direct support professional jobs in demand?
Yes, direct support professional jobs are in demand. Direct support professional demand is projected to grow 36% from 2018 to 2028.
Direct support professional job and salary trends over time
Compare the number of direct support professional jobs and the average direct support professional salary over time.
Direct support professional jobs over time
Direct support professional job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 210,771 | 0.06% |
| 2020 | 207,731 | 0.06% |
| 2019 | 244,581 | 0.07% |
| 2018 | 927,401 | 0.28% |
| 2017 | 855,936 | 0.26% |
Average direct support professional salary over time
Direct support professional salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $32,077 | $15.42 | +7.2% |
| 2024 | $29,909 | $14.38 | +7.4% |
| 2023 | $27,856 | $13.39 | +4.0% |
| 2022 | $26,789 | $12.88 | +5.4% |
| 2021 | $25,421 | $12.22 | +4.5% |
Direct support professional jobs by state
The map below shows you the number of direct support professional job openings in each state. The darker areas on the map show where direct support professionals earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.
Average salary: Job openings:
Most common states for direct support professionals
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 2,290 | 33% |
| 2 | Delaware | 961,939 | 264 | 27% |
| 3 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 228 | 26% |
| 4 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 1,285 | 23% |
| 5 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 294 | 22% |
| 6 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 1,541 | 21% |
| 7 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 160 | 21% |
| 8 | Missouri | 6,113,532 | 1,249 | 20% |
| 9 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 140 | 20% |
| 10 | Michigan | 9,962,311 | 1,899 | 19% |
| 11 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 392 | 19% |
| 12 | South Carolina | 5,024,369 | 891 | 18% |
| 13 | Arkansas | 3,004,279 | 544 | 18% |
| 14 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 2,113 | 17% |
| 15 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 600 | 17% |
| 16 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 533 | 17% |
| 17 | California | 39,536,653 | 6,174 | 16% |
| 18 | New York | 19,849,399 | 3,093 | 16% |
| 19 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 1,425 | 16% |
| 20 | Nevada | 2,998,039 | 482 | 16% |
Most common cities for direct support professionals
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mankato | 45 | 108% | $28,807 |
| 2 | Minot | 51 | 105% | $33,419 |
| 3 | Middletown | 29 | 105% | $32,930 |
| 4 | Saint Paul | 140 | 46% | $29,624 |
| 5 | Santa Clarita | 29 | 16% | $54,656 |
| 6 | Minneapolis | 57 | 14% | $29,628 |
| 7 | Durham | 26 | 10% | $23,849 |
| 8 | Chandler | 24 | 10% | $41,108 |
| 9 | Glendale | 24 | 10% | $41,556 |
| 10 | Columbus | 49 | 6% | $25,991 |
| 11 | Baltimore | 37 | 6% | $30,021 |
| 12 | New York | 245 | 3% | $33,019 |
| 13 | Phoenix | 44 | 3% | $41,435 |
| 14 | Fort Worth | 29 | 3% | $34,250 |
| 15 | Los Angeles | 64 | 2% | $53,814 |
| 16 | Philadelphia | 31 | 2% | $30,629 |