Geriatric aide vs direct care counselor

The differences between geriatric aides and direct care counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a direct care counselor has an average salary of $33,422, which is higher than the $29,936 average annual salary of a geriatric aide.

The top three skills for a geriatric aide include ADL, patient care and vital signs. The most important skills for a direct care counselor are crisis intervention, autism, and CPR.

Geriatric aide vs direct care counselor overview

	Geriatric Aide	Direct Care Counselor
Yearly salary	$29,936	$33,422
Hourly rate	$14.39	$16.07
Growth rate	36%	36%
Number of jobs	44,150	123,519
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 42%	Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Average age	48	48
Years of experience	-	-

Geriatric aide vs direct care counselor salary

Geriatric aides and direct care counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Geriatric Aide	Direct Care Counselor
Average salary	$29,936	$33,422
Salary range	Between $22,000 And $39,000	Between $22,000 And $49,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between geriatric aide and direct care counselor education

There are a few differences between a geriatric aide and a direct care counselor in terms of educational background:

	Geriatric Aide	Direct Care Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 42%	Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	-	-

Geriatric aide vs direct care counselor demographics

Here are the differences between geriatric aides' and direct care counselors' demographics:

	Geriatric Aide	Direct Care Counselor
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 8.8% Female, 91.3%	Male, 31.5% Female, 68.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 22.8% Asian, 13.6% White, 47.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%	Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 17.6% Asian, 8.3% White, 57.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between geriatric aide and direct care counselor duties and responsibilities

Geriatric aide example responsibilities.

Sit with residents and assist with food trays.
Provide companionship on a daily basis by lending an ear or a shoulder to lean on.
Conduct individual exercise instruction as prescribed by supervising therapist, significantly resulting in improving the overall well being of many patients.
Conduct qualifying assessments for prospective GED exam candidates.

Direct care counselor example responsibilities.

Obtain SCIP-R, CPR, and AMAP certifications.
Provide training to residents in improving ADL and independent living skills per the IHP and any/all relate behavior or medical requirements.
Obtain AMAP certification and administer medications under the supervision of assign nursing staff.
Provide direct care assistance for campers with autism, intellectual disabilities, and/or developmental delays.
Perform one-on-one supervision of children with disabilities including autism, complex mental health problems, and complex behavioral problems.
Help develop and carry-out treatment goals for individual clients as outlined in treatment plans and/or ISP goals and objectives.

Geriatric aide vs direct care counselor skills

Common geriatric aide skills

ADL, 86%
Patient Care, 8%
Vital Signs, 4%
Body Mechanics, 1%
Individual Treatment Plan, 1%
Companionship, 0%

Common direct care counselor skills

Crisis Intervention, 12%
Autism, 11%
CPR, 10%
Developmental Disabilities, 10%
Incident Reports, 9%
Data Collection, 8%