Direct support worker demographics and statistics in the US
Direct support worker demographics research summary. Zippia estimates direct support worker demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our direct support worker 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 workers after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 168,206 direct support workers currently employed in the United States.
- 78.5% of all direct support workers are women, while 21.5% are men.
- The average direct support worker age is 47 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of direct support workers is White (55.8%), followed by Black or African American (16.1%), Hispanic or Latino (14.2%) and Asian (8.1%).
- In 2022, women earned 97% of what men earned.
- 7% of all direct support workers are LGBT.
- Direct support workers are 78% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to government companies.
On this page
Direct support worker demographics by:
Direct support worker gender statistics
78.5% of direct support workers are women and 21.5% of direct support workers are men.
- Female, 78.5%
- Male, 21.5%
Direct support worker gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 78.5% |
| Male | 21.5% |
Direct support worker gender pay gap
Women earn 97¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$30,057
Female income
$29,103
Direct support worker gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in direct support worker positions over time. Currently, 78.5% of direct support workers are female.
Direct support worker gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 17.23% | 82.77% |
| 2011 | 17.82% | 82.18% |
| 2012 | 20.13% | 79.87% |
| 2013 | 19.16% | 80.84% |
| 2014 | 19.38% | 80.62% |
| 2015 | 19.44% | 80.56% |
| 2016 | 20.11% | 79.89% |
| 2017 | 20.74% | 79.26% |
| 2018 | 20.13% | 79.87% |
| 2019 | 20.75% | 79.25% |
| 2020 | 23.54% | 76.46% |
| 2021 | 21.49% | 78.51% |
Direct support worker related jobs gender ratio
We compared direct support workers 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 Worker | 21% | 79% |
| 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 worker demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among direct support workers is White, which makes up 55.8% of all direct support workers. Comparatively, 16.1% of direct support workers are Black or African American and 14.2% of direct support workers are Hispanic or Latino.
- White, 55.8%
- Black or African American, 16.1%
- Hispanic or Latino, 14.2%
- Asian, 8.1%
- Unknown, 4.5%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%
Direct support worker race
| Direct support worker race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 55.8% |
| Black or African American | 16.1% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 14.2% |
| Asian | 8.1% |
| Unknown | 4.5% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.3% |
Direct support worker race and ethnicity over time
See how direct support worker racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Direct support worker race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 64.27% | 17.88% | 4.99% | 9.63% |
| 2011 | 61.37% | 18.89% | 5.67% | 10.24% |
| 2012 | 61.98% | 17.99% | 5.62% | 10.68% |
| 2013 | 62.24% | 17.58% | 5.83% | 10.72% |
| 2014 | 62.48% | 16.90% | 6.08% | 10.77% |
| 2015 | 61.78% | 17.09% | 6.00% | 11.67% |
| 2016 | 60.54% | 17.04% | 6.69% | 12.16% |
| 2017 | 60.17% | 16.00% | 7.56% | 12.33% |
| 2018 | 60.64% | 16.96% | 6.84% | 11.99% |
| 2019 | 62.51% | 15.83% | 6.65% | 11.62% |
| 2020 | 58.73% | 16.33% | 7.55% | 11.59% |
| 2021 | 55.79% | 16.07% | 8.08% | 14.20% |
Direct support worker wage gap by race
According to our data, black or african american direct support workers have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Unknown direct support workers have the lowest average salary at $29,068.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $29,068 |
| White | $29,860 |
| Black or African American | $30,873 |
| Asian | $30,278 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $30,235 |
Average direct support worker age
See how the average age of direct support workers varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Direct support worker 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 worker age breakdown
The average age of direct support workers is 40+ years years old, representing 71% of the direct support worker population.
Direct support worker age breakdown
| Direct Support Worker Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 71% |
| 30-40 years | 16% |
| 20-30 years | 13% |
Direct support worker educational attainment
The most common degree for direct support workers is bachelor's degree, with 34% of direct support workers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are high school diploma degree at 25% and high school diploma degree at 20%.
- Bachelor's, 34%
- High School Diploma, 25%
- Associate, 20%
- Diploma, 10%
- Other Degrees, 11%
Direct support workers by degree level
| Direct support worker degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 34% |
| High School Diploma | 25% |
| Associate | 20% |
| Diploma | 10% |
| Other Degrees | 11% |
Direct support worker jobs you might like
Direct support worker wage gap by degree level
According to the data, direct support workers with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $31,437 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, direct support workers earn a median annual income of $30,761 compared to $30,325 for direct support workers with an Associate degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $31,437 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $29,190 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $30,761 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $30,325 |
Direct support worker employment statistics
Most direct support workers work for a private in the health care industry.
Company size where direct support workers work
Below, you can see the size of companies where direct support workers work.
Direct support worker jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 10% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 24% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 39% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 12% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 13% |
| > 10,000 employees | 2% |
Direct support worker jobs by company type
Employees with the direct support worker job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most direct support workers prefer to work at private companies over government companies.
Direct support worker jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 9% |
| Public | 3% |
| Private | 78% |
| Government | 10% |
Direct support worker jobs by industry
The most common industries for direct support workers are health care, professional and non profits.
Direct support worker industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Health Care | 34% |
| Professional | 15% |
| Non Profits | 13% |
| Government | 6% |
| Education | 6% |
| Technology | 5% |
| Manufacturing | 3% |
| Pharmaceutical | 2% |
| Transportation | 2% |
| Finance | 2% |
| Media | 2% |
| Start-up | 2% |
| Construction | 2% |
| Hospitality | 2% |
| Retail | 2% |
| Internet | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
| Fortune 500 | 1% |
| Automotive | 1% |
| Insurance | 1% |
Direct support worker turnover and employment statistics
Direct support worker unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for direct support workers between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Direct support worker unemployment rate by year
| Year | Direct support worker 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 worker tenure
The average direct support worker stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 1,269 direct support workers resumes in Zippia's database.
Direct support worker tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 25% |
| 1-2 years | 32% |
| 3-4 years | 14% |
| 5-7 years | 17% |
| 8-10 years | 7% |
| 11+ years | 6% |
Direct support worker LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of direct support workers 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Day Care Supervisor | 4.43% | 65,305 |
| Cremator | 5.80% | 1,134 |
| Direct Support Worker | 6.73% | - |
| Recreation Leader | 8.12% | 35,684 |
| Associate Dean Of Person | 12.72% | 31,629 |
| Health And Wellness Instructor | 13.13% | 76,451 |
Similar direct support worker jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Day Care Supervisor | 4.43% | 65,305 |
| Cremator | 5.80% | 1,134 |
| Recreation Leader | 8.12% | 35,684 |
| Associate Dean Of Person | 12.72% | 31,629 |
| Health And Wellness Instructor | 13.13% | 76,451 |
Foreign languages spoken by direct support workers
The most common foreign language among direct support workers is Spanish at 66.7%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 22.2% and Carrier is the third-most popular at 11.1%.
- Spanish, 66.7%
- French, 22.2%
- Carrier, 11.1%
Direct support worker languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 66.7% |
| French | 22.2% |
| Carrier | 11.1% |
