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Personal attendant vs direct care staffer

The differences between personal attendants and direct care staffers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a direct care staffer has an average salary of $30,480, which is higher than the $27,243 average annual salary of a personal attendant.

The top three skills for a personal attendant include direct care, CPR and developmental disabilities. The most important skills for a direct care staffer are mental health, developmental disabilities, and CPR.

Personal attendant vs direct care staffer overview

Personal AttendantDirect Care Staffer
Yearly salary$27,243$30,480
Hourly rate$13.10$14.65
Growth rate36%36%
Number of jobs169,833117,658
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 34%Bachelor's Degree, 31%
Average age4848
Years of experience--

Personal attendant vs direct care staffer salary

Personal attendants and direct care staffers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Personal AttendantDirect Care Staffer
Average salary$27,243$30,480
Salary rangeBetween $21,000 And $34,000Between $19,000 And $47,000
Highest paying CitySeattle, WASalem, OR
Highest paying stateAlaskaOregon
Best paying companyProvidence Health & ServicesNew York University
Best paying industryHospitalityManufacturing

Differences between personal attendant and direct care staffer education

There are a few differences between a personal attendant and a direct care staffer in terms of educational background:

Personal AttendantDirect Care Staffer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 34%Bachelor's Degree, 31%
Most common majorPsychologyPsychology
Most common college--

Personal attendant vs direct care staffer demographics

Here are the differences between personal attendants' and direct care staffers' demographics:

Personal AttendantDirect Care Staffer
Average age4848
Gender ratioMale, 25.2% Female, 74.8%Male, 27.5% Female, 72.5%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 25.7% Asian, 8.5% White, 50.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%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 Percentage7%7%

Differences between personal attendant and direct care staffer duties and responsibilities

Personal attendant example responsibilities.

  • Assist in ADL, grooming and cleaning work area.
  • help the elderly with ADL help prepare meals drive them to doctors appointments and to do grocery shopping also do light housekeeping
  • Develop and coordinate daily activities for individual with Alzheimer's disease.
  • Promote continuity of care by accurately and completely communicating to other caregivers the status of patients for which care is provided.
  • Provide colostomy care and administer medication for pain management in accordance with current physician recommendations.

Direct care staffer example responsibilities.

  • Provide and care for highly volatile patients, administering CPI when require.
  • Train and supervise individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities.
  • Assist consumers in development and maintenance of adaptive daily living skills.
  • Maintain client and community safety through appropriate application of CPI NVCI training.
  • Assist residence with disabilities, by bathing them, feeding and showing compassion.
  • Work with Kronos (timekeeping system) and making schedules for the DSP.
  • Show more

Personal attendant vs direct care staffer skills

Common personal attendant skills
  • Direct Care, 15%
  • CPR, 10%
  • Developmental Disabilities, 10%
  • Adaptive, 9%
  • Autism, 7%
  • Companionship, 7%
Common direct care staffer skills
  • Mental Health, 14%
  • Developmental Disabilities, 8%
  • CPR, 8%
  • Patients, 6%
  • Autism, 6%
  • Crisis Intervention, 5%

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