Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Job outlook for direct support specialists in the United States
Direct support specialist job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected direct support specialist job growth rate is 36% from 2018-2028.
About 1,185,800 new jobs for direct support specialists are projected over the next decade.
Direct support specialist salaries have increased 26% for direct support specialists in the last 5 years.
There are over 210,795 direct support specialists currently employed in the United States.
There are 95,560 active direct support specialist job openings in the US.
The average direct support specialist salary is $37,771.
Are direct support specialist jobs in demand?
Direct support specialist job and salary trends over time
Direct support specialist jobs over time
Direct support specialist job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 210,795 | 0.06% |
| 2020 | 208,870 | 0.06% |
| 2019 | 242,704 | 0.07% |
| 2018 | 878,839 | 0.26% |
| 2017 | 811,706 | 0.25% |
Average direct support specialist salary over time
Direct support specialist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $37,771 | $18.16 | +7.2% |
| 2024 | $35,219 | $16.93 | +7.4% |
| 2023 | $32,801 | $15.77 | +4.0% |
| 2022 | $31,545 | $15.17 | +5.4% |
| 2021 | $29,933 | $14.39 | +4.5% |
Direct support specialist jobs by state
Most common states for direct support specialists
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 2,463 | 36% |
| 2 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 208 | 30% |
| 3 | Delaware | 961,939 | 238 | 25% |
| 4 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 1,345 | 24% |
| 5 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 205 | 24% |
| 6 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 304 | 23% |
| 7 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 170 | 23% |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 2,555 | 20% |
| 9 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 618 | 20% |
| 10 | Missouri | 6,113,532 | 1,154 | 19% |
| 11 | New York | 19,849,399 | 3,543 | 18% |
| 12 | Arkansas | 3,004,279 | 528 | 18% |
| 13 | Michigan | 9,962,311 | 1,646 | 17% |
| 14 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 353 | 17% |
| 15 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 328 | 17% |
| 16 | Alaska | 739,795 | 128 | 17% |
| 17 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 214 | 16% |
| 18 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 168 | 16% |
| 19 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 164 | 16% |
| 20 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 92 | 16% |
Most common cities for direct support specialists
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Windsor | 5 | 19% | $38,493 |
| 2 | Austin | 2 | 8% | $37,634 |
| 3 | Vernon | 2 | 7% | $38,462 |
| 4 | Manchester | 3 | 5% | $38,539 |
| 5 | East Hartford | 2 | 4% | $38,555 |
| 6 | Waterloo | 2 | 3% | $38,651 |
Direct Support Specialist job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of direct support specialist experts
Brown University
Ohio Wesleyan University
J. Brian Atwood
Visiting Scholar in International and Public AffairsBrown University
International and Public Affairs
What soft skills should all Direct Support Specialists possess?
J. Brian Atwood: The most important "soft" skills are empathy, listening carefully, and interpreting what is presented accurately.
What experience really stands out on Direct Support Specialist resumes?
Dr. Andrew Busch: For students looking to get into graduate school and those looking to get hired within the field of Exercise Science (Physiology, Kinesiology, Athletic Training, Physical Therapy, Strength Coaching) the more hands-on experiences one can be exposed to, the better equipped they will be to hit the ground running. I know of many different four-year institutions that hand out degrees in this field where the students never actually work with a real person. Everything is a theory or textbook-based approach, and while those things are certainly important, if a student is never asked to actually apply those concepts, and asked to respond to the issues/questions that arise when those concepts don't always work like advertised in the textbook, they are missing out on the big picture of what a degree should be giving them. If practical experiences are not part of a given academic program, then students should seek out these experiences, because that is what they will be asked about in their interview process with employers. What have you done? Why are you interested in this field? What differences can you make? They are never asked what score they got on their midterm or final exam.