How to hire a direct support specialist

How to hire a direct support specialist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step direct support specialist hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a direct support specialist job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new direct support specialist
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a direct support specialist do?

Post a direct support specialist job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a direct support specialist, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a direct support specialist to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a direct support specialist that fits the bill.

   Here's a comparison of direct support specialist salaries for various roles:

   Type of Direct Support Specialist	Description	Hourly rate
   Direct Support Specialist	Personal care aides help clients with self-care and everyday tasks. They also provide social supports and assistance that enable clients to participate in their communities.	$12-25
   Direct Care Provider	A Direct Care Worker specializes in providing care and assistance to patients, typically to the elderly. Their responsibilities include preparing and feeding meals, administering medication and other treatments, and monitoring their conditions, updating the physician or the patients' families regularly... Show more	$9-20
   Direct Care Counselor	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... Show more	$10-23

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Direct Support
   • Mental Health
   • CPR
   • Mental Illness
   • Developmental Disabilities
   • Direct Care
   • Intellectual Disabilities
   • Money Management
   • Medication Administration
   • Behavioral Health
   • Meal Preparation
   • Cleanliness
   • Community Outings
   • Math

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Oversee and assist group home residents with ADL skills and day-to-day group activities.
   • Provide assistance with (ADL) activities of daily living management and supervision.
   • Assist each person (s) with daily ISP program plans; enhancing cognitive skills and developing positive behavior.
   • Document daily individuals support logs, ISP checklist, safety supports, and any other specialize documentation prior to leaving the shifts
   • Promote continuity of care by accurately and completely communicating to other caregivers the status of patients for which care is provided.
   • Document progress and communicate to MHMR case manager.

   More direct support specialist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your direct support specialist job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A direct support specialist can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, direct support specialists' average salary in alabama is 48% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level direct support specialists 52% less than senior-level direct support specialists.
   • Certifications. A direct support specialist with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a direct support specialist's salary.

   Average direct support specialist salary

   $37,771yearly

   $18.16 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level direct support specialist salary

   $26,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average direct support specialist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Washington	$50,328	$24
   2	Oregon	$48,204	$23
   3	Colorado	$43,521	$21
   4	Texas	$41,876	$20
   5	Massachusetts	$40,498	$19
   6	New York	$39,982	$19
   7	Connecticut	$39,159	$19
   8	Minnesota	$38,979	$19
   9	Iowa	$38,651	$19
   10	Rhode Island	$37,082	$18
   11	Pennsylvania	$35,858	$17
   12	Missouri	$34,726	$17
   13	Virginia	$33,804	$16
   14	Louisiana	$32,508	$16
   15	Tennessee	$31,536	$15

   Average direct support specialist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	BP America Inc	$89,959	$43.25
   2	The Kennedy Center Inc.	$49,958	$24.02
   3	Minnesota State Fair	$48,705	$23.42	5
   4	ADAPT Community Network	$45,987	$22.11	11
   5	Salal Credit Union	$45,549	$21.90
   6	The Home For Little Wanderers	$44,807	$21.54	10
   7	East Bay Innovations	$44,147	$21.22	3
   8	The State of Oregon	$41,223	$19.82	3
   9	Texas	$39,261	$18.88	51
   10	Kelly Services	$38,968	$18.73	18
   11	Urban League of Rochester	$37,735	$18.14
   12	Eastridge Workforce Solutions	$37,468	$18.01
   13	Lincoln Financial Group	$37,263	$17.91
   14	The Mosaic Company	$36,444	$17.52	7
   15	Bridgewell	$34,833	$16.75	53
   16	Capitol Care	$34,334	$16.51	2
   17	Devereux Arizona	$33,906	$16.30	240
   18	Pediatric Partners, now a member of the Sevita family	$33,896	$16.30	567
   19	Resources for Human Development	$33,600	$16.15	45
   20	The Reserves Network	$33,400	$16.06

4. Writing a direct support specialist job description

   A job description for a direct support specialist role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a direct support specialist job description:

   Direct support specialist job description example

   Urban League of Rochester is looking for dedicated individuals that want to make a difference in another person's daily activities with Developmental Disabilities. FULL TIME/PART TIME available: Full time is 30+ hours, Part-time is equal to 20 hours with a minimum of 17.5 billable client service hours in specific programs.
   RESPONSIBILITIES:
   1. Assist in evaluating present skills of a developmentally disabled resident
   2. Assist in writing personal goals and objectives in an Individual Program Plan
   3. Provide each developmentally disabled resident with training and supervision in the following appropriate areas: daily living skills, budgeting, and money management, meal planning and preparation, shopping for groceries and other items, housekeeping, leisure time activities, appearance and personal hygiene, travel training, interpersonal and communication skills
   4. Keep written documentation of each resident's progress through daily progress notes
   5. Assist with the maintenance, safety, and security of the facility
   6. Assist residents in obtaining recommended services by making referrals, coordinating services with other agencies, and helping make transportation arrangements
   7. Complete other duties as assigned by the Residence Manager/Case Manager and the Administrative Coordinator
   8. Perform such duties as the supervisor may assign
   9. Attend/support Urban League of Rochester events and fundraising functions, specifically ULR Membership Drive and United Way Campaign
   Requirements
   + Associate’s degree preferred High School diploma or GED considered with equivalent experience
   + Must be at least eighteen (18) years of age.
   + Preference will be given to those with relevant education and/or experience with developmental disabilities. Knowledge of good daily living skills.
   + Ability to relate to and empathize with the Urban League of Rochester clients and issues relating to clients
   Equal Opportunity Employer: The Urban League of Rochester is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment regardless of race, color, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, ability, age, or veteran status.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find direct support specialists for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any direct support specialists they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level direct support specialists with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your direct support specialist job on Zippia to find and recruit direct support specialist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with direct support specialist candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new direct support specialist

   Once you've found the direct support specialist candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new direct support specialist. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a direct support specialist?