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The differences between direct support specialists and developmental specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a developmental specialist has an average salary of $42,829, which is higher than the $37,771 average annual salary of a direct support specialist.
The top three skills for a direct support specialist include direct support, mental health and CPR. The most important skills for a developmental specialist are social work, developmental disabilities, and autism.
| Direct Support Specialist | Developmental Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $37,771 | $42,829 |
| Hourly rate | $18.16 | $20.59 |
| Growth rate | 36% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 95,560 | 7,776 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 44% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Average age | 48 | 43 |
| Years of experience | - | 12 |
A direct support specialist provides care and assistance to individuals with intellectual and physical disabilities. They may work at nursing facilities, government institutions, or at the patients' homes. Their responsibilities usually revolve around helping patients with daily tasks such as bathing, dressing, going to the toilet, and attending appointments. They may also assist patients in taking medications, handle the laundry and dishes, cook and prepare meals according to nutrition plans, and run errands as necessary. Moreover, they are also responsible for coordinating with physicians, maintaining daily records, and processing documents.
A developmental specialist typically works in the human resources department. Your job involves training employees and encouraging their peers to participate. Other duties include evaluating the company's HR and training programs, identifying the best type of training to ensure employee and company success, and designing and developing employee discussions, simulations, and exercises. In addition, you are expected to network with prospective donors and look for new funding sources. You are also expected to promote the organization's cause or work through advertisements, soirees, and literature.
Direct support specialists and developmental specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Direct Support Specialist | Developmental Specialist | |
| Average salary | $37,771 | $42,829 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $54,000 | Between $31,000 And $58,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | San Jose, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Alaska |
| Best paying company | BP America Inc | UMass Memorial Health |
| Best paying industry | Real Estate | Professional |
There are a few differences between a direct support specialist and a developmental specialist in terms of educational background:
| Direct Support Specialist | Developmental Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 44% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | - | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between direct support specialists' and developmental specialists' demographics:
| Direct Support Specialist | Developmental Specialist | |
| Average age | 48 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 27.7% Female, 72.3% | Male, 19.1% Female, 80.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 7.7% White, 59.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% | Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 7.0% White, 58.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 11% |