Geriatric aide vs direct care worker

The differences between geriatric aides and direct care workers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a geriatric aide has an average salary of $29,936, which is higher than the $29,343 average annual salary of a direct care worker.

The top three skills for a geriatric aide include ADL, patient care and vital signs. The most important skills for a direct care worker are direct care, patients, and CPR.

Geriatric aide vs direct care worker overview

	Geriatric Aide	Direct Care Worker
Yearly salary	$29,936	$29,343
Hourly rate	$14.39	$14.11
Growth rate	36%	36%
Number of jobs	44,150	140,788
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 42%	High School Diploma, 32%
Average age	48	48
Years of experience	-	-

Geriatric aide vs direct care worker salary

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

	Geriatric Aide	Direct Care Worker
Average salary	$29,936	$29,343
Salary range	Between $22,000 And $39,000	Between $23,000 And $36,000
Highest paying City	-	Portland, ME
Highest paying state	-	Washington
Best paying company	-	Arizona Training & Evaluation Center
Best paying industry	-	Professional

Differences between geriatric aide and direct care worker education

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

	Geriatric Aide	Direct Care Worker
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 42%	High School Diploma, 32%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	-	-

Geriatric aide vs direct care worker demographics

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

	Geriatric Aide	Direct Care Worker
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 8.8% Female, 91.3%	Male, 23.4% Female, 76.6%
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, 12.6% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 13.7% Asian, 7.6% White, 61.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between geriatric aide and direct care worker 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 worker example responsibilities.

Provide caring companionship to elderly and developmentally disable patients with or without chronic health diagnosis.
Assist individuals with developmental/intellectual disabilities with ADL's.
Conduct socialization groups to aid individuals in development of ADL and socialization skills.
Prepare daily documents administer medications handle patients hygiene house cleaning and provide transportation to and from appointment
Provide caring and companionship to elderly and developmentally disable consumers and provide primary resident care and assistance with daily living activities.
Provide day to day services that include transport, nutrition, hygiene, housekeeping and activities to MRDD clients.

Geriatric aide vs direct care worker 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 worker skills

Direct Care, 22%
Patients, 11%
CPR, 7%
Developmental Disabilities, 4%
Crisis Intervention, 4%
Vital Signs, 4%