Direct support staff demographics and statistics in the US
Direct support staff demographics research summary. Zippia estimates direct support staff demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our direct support staff estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about direct support staff after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 198,061 direct support staff currently employed in the United States.
- 75.3% of all direct support staff are women, while 24.7% are men.
- The average direct support staff age is 47 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of direct support staff is White (59.8%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (16.5%), Black or African American (10.0%) and Asian (8.0%).
- Direct support staff are most in-demand in New York, NY.
- Santa Maria, CA pays an annual average wage of $45,664, the highest in the US.
- In 2022, women direct support staff earned 97% of what men earned.
- California is the best state for direct support staff to live.
- Direct support staff are 79% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to government companies.
On this page
Direct support staff demographics by:
Direct support staff gender statistics
75.3% of direct support staff are women and 24.7% of direct support staff are men.
- Female, 75.3%
- Male, 24.7%
Direct support staff gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 75.3% |
| Male | 24.7% |
Direct support staff gender pay gap
Women earn 97¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$33,102
Female income
$31,949
Direct support staff gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in direct support staff positions over time. Currently, 75.3% of direct support staff are female.
Direct support staff gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 19.97% | 80.03% |
| 2011 | 20.64% | 79.36% |
| 2012 | 23.21% | 76.79% |
| 2013 | 22.13% | 77.87% |
| 2014 | 22.38% | 77.62% |
| 2015 | 22.44% | 77.56% |
| 2016 | 23.19% | 76.81% |
| 2017 | 23.89% | 76.11% |
| 2018 | 23.20% | 76.80% |
| 2019 | 23.89% | 76.11% |
| 2020 | 26.97% | 73.03% |
| 2021 | 24.71% | 75.29% |
Direct support staff related jobs gender ratio
We compared direct support staff with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, camp boss and valet have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Infant Childcare Provider | 3% | 97% |
| Daycare Owner | 4% | 96% |
| Professional Nanny | 5% | 95% |
| Direct Support Staff | 25% | 75% |
| Intramural Director | 82% | 18% |
| Valet | 85% | 15% |
| Camp Boss | 88% | 12% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Direct support staff demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among direct support staff is White, which makes up 59.8% of all direct support staff. Comparatively, 16.5% of direct support staff are Hispanic or Latino and 10.0% of direct support staff are Black or African American.
- White, 59.8%
- Hispanic or Latino, 16.5%
- Black or African American, 10.0%
- Asian, 8.0%
- Unknown, 4.4%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%
Direct support staff race
| Direct support staff race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 59.8% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 16.5% |
| Black or African American | 10.0% |
| Asian | 8.0% |
| Unknown | 4.4% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.3% |
Direct support staff race and ethnicity over time
See how direct support staff racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Direct support staff race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 68.32% | 11.79% | 4.89% | 11.98% |
| 2011 | 65.42% | 12.79% | 5.56% | 12.58% |
| 2012 | 66.04% | 11.90% | 5.51% | 13.03% |
| 2013 | 66.30% | 11.49% | 5.72% | 13.06% |
| 2014 | 66.54% | 10.80% | 5.98% | 13.11% |
| 2015 | 65.83% | 11.00% | 5.90% | 14.02% |
| 2016 | 64.59% | 10.94% | 6.58% | 14.51% |
| 2017 | 64.23% | 9.91% | 7.46% | 14.67% |
| 2018 | 64.70% | 10.87% | 6.73% | 14.34% |
| 2019 | 66.56% | 9.74% | 6.54% | 13.96% |
| 2020 | 62.78% | 10.24% | 7.45% | 13.94% |
| 2021 | 59.85% | 9.98% | 7.98% | 16.55% |
Direct support staff wage gap by race
According to our data, black or african american direct support staff have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Unknown direct support staff have the lowest average salary at $31,906.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $31,906 |
| White | $32,863 |
| Black or African American | $34,090 |
| Asian | $33,369 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $33,318 |
Average direct support staff age
See how the average age of direct support staff varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Direct support staff age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 45 | 48 |
| Unknown | 37 | 47 |
| Asian | 56 | 54 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 41 | 49 |
| White | 47 | 51 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 45 | 47 |
Direct support staff age breakdown
The average age of direct support staff is 40+ years years old, representing 71% of the direct support staff population.
Direct support staff age breakdown
| Direct Support Staff Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 71% |
| 30-40 years | 16% |
| 20-30 years | 13% |
Direct support staff educational attainment
The most common degree for direct support staff is bachelor's degree, with 30% of direct support staff earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are high school diploma degree at 29% and high school diploma degree at 22%.
- Bachelor's, 30%
- High School Diploma, 29%
- Associate, 22%
- Diploma, 9%
- Other Degrees, 10%
Direct support staff by degree level
| Direct support staff degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 30% |
| High School Diploma | 29% |
| Associate | 22% |
| Diploma | 9% |
| Other Degrees | 10% |
Direct support staff jobs you might like
Direct support staff wage gap by degree level
According to the data, direct support staff with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $34,776 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, direct support staff earn a median annual income of $33,955 compared to $33,426 for direct support staff with an Associate degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $34,776 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $32,054 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $33,955 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $33,426 |
Direct support staff employment statistics
Most direct support staff work for a private in the health care industry.
Company size where direct support staff work
Below, you can see the size of companies where direct support staff work.
Direct support staff jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 6% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 22% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 43% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 14% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 12% |
| > 10,000 employees | 2% |
Direct support staff jobs by company type
Employees with the direct support staff job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most direct support staff prefer to work at private companies over government companies.
Direct support staff jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 4% |
| Public | 4% |
| Private | 79% |
| Government | 14% |
Direct support staff jobs by industry
The most common industries for direct support staff are health care, professional and non profits.
Direct support staff industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Health Care | 34% |
| Professional | 21% |
| Non Profits | 14% |
| Government | 9% |
| Manufacturing | 4% |
| Technology | 3% |
| Hospitality | 3% |
| Education | 2% |
| Finance | 2% |
| Pharmaceutical | 1% |
| Retail | 1% |
| Media | 1% |
| Start-up | 1% |
| Agriculture | 1% |
Direct support staff turnover and employment statistics
Direct support staff unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for direct support staff between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Direct support staff unemployment rate by year
| Year | Direct support staff unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 10.10% |
| 2011 | 11.06% |
| 2012 | 9.90% |
| 2013 | 8.83% |
| 2014 | 7.61% |
| 2015 | 6.51% |
| 2016 | 5.54% |
| 2017 | 5.18% |
| 2018 | 4.93% |
| 2019 | 4.32% |
| 2020 | 5.81% |
| 2021 | 7.35% |
Average direct support staff tenure
The average direct support staff stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 12,045 direct support staff resumes in Zippia's database.
Direct support staff tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 29% |
| 1-2 years | 32% |
| 3-4 years | 12% |
| 5-7 years | 16% |
| 8-10 years | 5% |
| 11+ years | 5% |
Direct support staff LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of direct support staff that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Child Care Worker | 4.43% | 136,963 |
| Doula | 5.80% | 67 |
| Direct Support Staff | 6.73% | - |
| Junior Counselor | 8.12% | 38,145 |
| House Adviser | 12.72% | 33,842 |
| Boxing Trainer | 13.13% | 21,353 |
Similar direct support staff jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Child Care Worker | 4.43% | 136,963 |
| Doula | 5.80% | 67 |
| Junior Counselor | 8.12% | 38,145 |
| House Adviser | 12.72% | 33,842 |
| Boxing Trainer | 13.13% | 21,353 |
Foreign languages spoken by direct support staff
The most common foreign language among direct support staff is Spanish at 68.9%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 8.2% and Portuguese is the third-most popular at 4.6%.
- Spanish, 68.9%
- French, 8.2%
- Portuguese, 4.6%
- Italian, 2.6%
- German, 2.0%
- Other, 13.7%
Direct support staff languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 68.9% |
| French | 8.2% |
| Portuguese | 4.6% |
| Italian | 2.6% |
| German | 2.0% |
| Other | 13.7% |
