Geriatric aide vs direct support professional

The differences between geriatric aides and direct support professionals can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a direct support professional has an average salary of $32,077, 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 support professional are direct support, developmental disabilities, and autism.

Geriatric aide vs direct support professional overview

	Geriatric Aide	Direct Support Professional
Yearly salary	$29,936	$32,077
Hourly rate	$14.39	$15.42
Growth rate	36%	36%
Number of jobs	44,150	142,034
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 42%	High School Diploma, 30%
Average age	48	48
Years of experience	-	-

Geriatric aide vs direct support professional salary

Geriatric aides and direct support professionals have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Geriatric Aide	Direct Support Professional
Average salary	$29,936	$32,077
Salary range	Between $22,000 And $39,000	Between $18,000 And $54,000
Highest paying City	-	Santa Clara, CA
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	Meta
Best paying industry	-	Government

Differences between geriatric aide and direct support professional education

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

	Geriatric Aide	Direct Support Professional
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 42%	High School Diploma, 30%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	-	-

Geriatric aide vs direct support professional demographics

Here are the differences between geriatric aides' and direct support professionals' demographics:

	Geriatric Aide	Direct Support Professional
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 8.8% Female, 91.3%	Male, 24.4% Female, 75.6%
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, 9.7% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 8.3% White, 61.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between geriatric aide and direct support professional 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 support professional example responsibilities.

Work with adults who have disabilities to help manage everyday tasks such as laundry, cooking, preparing groceries, etc.
Provide care to adults with intellectual & developmental disabilities while administering their medication via AMAP certification
Support the development of individuals with autism by promoting community involvement and performing exercises to strengthen their cognitive and social skills.
Assist with toileting, including urinals.
Maintain medical records according to all HIPPA guidelines.
Assist coordinator to train new DCW on assign shift.

Geriatric aide vs direct support professional skills

Common geriatric aide skills

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

Common direct support professional skills

Direct Support, 19%
Developmental Disabilities, 12%
Autism, 9%
Direct Care, 7%
DSP, 7%
Mental Health, 6%

Geriatric Aide vs. similar jobs

Geriatric Aide related careers

Geriatric Aide related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Personal Care and Attendants Industry
Geriatric Aide
Geriatric Aide vs Direct Support Professional

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse personal care and attendants jobs