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The differences between life skills instructors and direct care staffers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a life skills instructor has an average salary of $30,844, which is higher than the $30,480 average annual salary of a direct care staffer.
The top three skills for a life skills instructor include developmental disabilities, CPR and kids. The most important skills for a direct care staffer are mental health, developmental disabilities, and CPR.
| Life Skills Instructor | Direct Care Staffer | |
| Yearly salary | $30,844 | $30,480 |
| Hourly rate | $14.83 | $14.65 |
| Growth rate | 19% | 36% |
| Number of jobs | 64,039 | 117,658 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 31% |
| Average age | 37 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 12 | - |
A life skills instructor advises people that are seeking support and coaching. They are responsible for helping them learn and develop skills like doing day-to-day tasks, interacting with other people, caring for themselves, as well as doing basic duties. Also, they can offer to coach for playing sports, learning new things, doing different exercises, and tips for employment.
A Direct Care Staffer specializes in providing personal care and supervision to the disabled or elderly. Among the responsibilities include administering medication, managing schedules, assisting in hygienic tasks, preparing meals, and doing light to moderate household chores. Furthermore, A Direct Care Staffer also helps in transportation and preparation of daily meals, running various errands, purchasing groceries and daily necessities, and as well as monitoring health conditions. It is also essential for a Daily Care Staffer to update supervisors and guardians regularly.
Life skills instructors and direct care staffers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Life Skills Instructor | Direct Care Staffer | |
| Average salary | $30,844 | $30,480 |
| Salary range | Between $21,000 And $44,000 | Between $19,000 And $47,000 |
| Highest paying City | Norwich, CT | Salem, OR |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | Oregon |
| Best paying company | University of California, Berkeley | New York University |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a life skills instructor and a direct care staffer in terms of educational background:
| Life Skills Instructor | Direct Care Staffer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 31% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | - |
Here are the differences between life skills instructors' and direct care staffers' demographics:
| Life Skills Instructor | Direct Care Staffer | |
| Average age | 37 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 33.9% Female, 66.1% | Male, 27.5% Female, 72.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.1% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 10.6% Asian, 5.1% White, 71.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.7% Asian, 8.2% White, 57.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 13% | 7% |