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Personal support worker vs direct care aide

The differences between personal support workers and direct care aides can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a personal support worker has an average salary of $37,301, which is higher than the $30,429 average annual salary of a direct care aide.

The top three skills for a personal support worker include CPR, meal preparation and home health. The most important skills for a direct care aide are home health, foster care, and CPR.

Personal support worker vs direct care aide overview

Personal Support WorkerDirect Care Aide
Yearly salary$37,301$30,429
Hourly rate$17.93$14.63
Growth rate36%36%
Number of jobs126,563178,038
Job satisfaction5-
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 46%High School Diploma, 35%
Average age4848
Years of experience--

Personal support worker vs direct care aide salary

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

Personal Support WorkerDirect Care Aide
Average salary$37,301$30,429
Salary rangeBetween $25,000 And $54,000Between $22,000 And $41,000
Highest paying City-Springfield, MA
Highest paying state-Vermont
Best paying company-Univ Of Colorado-Colorado Spgs
Best paying industry-Energy

Differences between personal support worker and direct care aide education

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

Personal Support WorkerDirect Care Aide
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 46%High School Diploma, 35%
Most common majorPsychologyNursing
Most common college--

Personal support worker vs direct care aide demographics

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

Personal Support WorkerDirect Care Aide
Average age4848
Gender ratioMale, 28.7% Female, 71.3%Male, 20.8% Female, 79.2%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 16.0% Asian, 8.3% White, 61.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%Black or African American, 12.1% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 13.3% Asian, 8.0% White, 61.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage7%7%

Differences between personal support worker and direct care aide duties and responsibilities

Personal support worker example responsibilities.

  • Assist patient in performing ADL's daily.
  • Perform first aid or CPR when need.
  • SKIP, CPR, Defibulator and CDL certify.
  • Provide assistance for patients with alzheimer's and dementia in their home.
  • Provide community support, ADL care, medication administration, clinical documentation
  • Dispense medication to individuals with disabilities by distributing and administering medications according to the AMAP policy and procedures.
  • Show more

Direct care aide example responsibilities.

  • Provide individuals appropriate assistance in completing ADL's, such as showering, toileting, transferring, dressing, and feeding.
  • Assist mentally disable adults with ADL's such as showering, grooming, oral care, eating, dressing and toileting.
  • Provide emotional and mental support to unstable patients and are experience in dealing with aggressive residents
  • Provide caring and companionship to elderly and developmentally disable consumers and provide primary resident care and assistance with daily living activities.
  • Advocate for disable children, help them thrive through completion of goals and one-on-one supervision SCIP, AMAP and CPR certify.
  • Dispense and administer medication to patients according to AMAP policies and procedures.

Personal support worker vs direct care aide skills

Common personal support worker skills
  • CPR, 15%
  • Meal Preparation, 15%
  • Home Health, 15%
  • Developmental Disabilities, 11%
  • Direct Care, 8%
  • Support Person, 6%
Common direct care aide skills
  • Home Health, 17%
  • Foster Care, 10%
  • CPR, 9%
  • Patients, 7%
  • Meal Prep, 7%
  • Rehabilitation, 6%

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