Primary care provider vs direct support professional

The differences between primary care providers and direct support professionals can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a primary care provider has an average salary of $35,422, which is higher than the $32,077 average annual salary of a direct support professional.

The top three skills for a primary care provider include patients, internal medicine and family practice. The most important skills for a direct support professional are direct support, developmental disabilities, and autism.

Primary care provider vs direct support professional overview

	Primary Care Provider	Direct Support Professional
Yearly salary	$35,422	$32,077
Hourly rate	$17.03	$15.42
Growth rate	36%	36%
Number of jobs	103,863	142,034
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 42%	High School Diploma, 30%
Average age	48	48
Years of experience	-	-

What does a primary care provider do?

Primary Care Providers, also known as general practitioners instead of specialists, are doctors trained to be the first point of contact for a patient entering the health care system. They diagnose, treat, and prevent a broad range of injuries and illnesses from allergies and colds to longer-term conditions such as Diabetes Mellitus. Their duties include performing lab tests to identify a condition, prescribing medications, checking for drug interactions, provide wound care, executing spirometry tests and electrocardiograms, and coordinating specialist care for your condition. A Primary Care Provider will also help create self-care plans prescribing a certain diet and recommending exercise routines.

What does a direct support professional do?

Direct support professionals are responsible for taking care of patients with physical or mental limitations. They do a variety of tasks for their patients, such as doing household chores, running errands for them, cooking for them, feeding them, bathing and dressing them, and helping them with their medication, among others. They also provide their patients with companionship, accompanying their patients to appointments, providing emotional support, and being with their patients for the most part of the day. They should be familiar with their patients' prescribed medicines, meal plans, therapy schedules, and other items related to the betterment of the patients' condition. Direct support professionals help the patients overcome their challenges and assist them in acclimating themselves with their current environment.

Primary care provider vs direct support professional salary

Primary care providers and direct support professionals have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Primary Care Provider	Direct Support Professional
Average salary	$35,422	$32,077
Salary range	Between $21,000 And $58,000	Between $18,000 And $54,000
Highest paying City	Santa Rosa, CA	Santa Clara, CA
Highest paying state	Connecticut	California
Best paying company	AstraZeneca	Meta
Best paying industry	-	Government

Differences between primary care provider and direct support professional education

There are a few differences between a primary care provider and a direct support professional in terms of educational background:

	Primary Care Provider	Direct Support Professional
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 42%	High School Diploma, 30%
Most common major	Nursing	Psychology
Most common college	-	-

Primary care provider vs direct support professional demographics

Here are the differences between primary care providers' and direct support professionals' demographics:

	Primary Care Provider	Direct Support Professional
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 26.8% Female, 73.2%	Male, 24.4% Female, 75.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.7% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 19.9% Asian, 9.7% White, 53.8% 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 primary care provider and direct support professional duties and responsibilities

Primary care provider example responsibilities.

Manage provider network to include verifying claims and benefits for healthcare providers/members and insurance companies.
Work alongside ABA therapists to continue to apply appropriate behavioral techniques.
Examine patients and carefully analyze test results and information gather during examinations to properly diagnose illnesses and diseases.
Used strong oral and written communications skills to develop and maintain effective relationships with patients, co-workers and international medical professionals.
Provide caring companionship to developmentally disabled/elderly residents.
Assist with toileting, including bedpans, urinals and commode chairs.

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.

Primary care provider vs direct support professional skills

Common primary care provider skills

Patients, 31%
Internal Medicine, 13%
Family Practice, 12%
Patient Care, 11%
Urgent Care, 10%
NP, 4%

Common direct support professional skills

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

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Personal Care and Attendants Industry
Primary Care Provider
Primary Care Provider vs Direct Support Professional

Updated January 8, 2025

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