Relief counselor vs direct care counselor

The differences between relief counselors and direct care counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a relief counselor has an average salary of $36,049, which is higher than the $33,422 average annual salary of a direct care counselor.

The top three skills for a relief counselor include crisis intervention, ADL and behavior management. The most important skills for a direct care counselor are crisis intervention, autism, and CPR.

Relief counselor vs direct care counselor overview

	Relief Counselor	Direct Care Counselor
Yearly salary	$36,049	$33,422
Hourly rate	$17.33	$16.07
Growth rate	36%	36%
Number of jobs	32,787	123,519
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Average age	41	48
Years of experience	4	-

Relief counselor vs direct care counselor salary

Relief counselors and direct care counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Relief Counselor	Direct Care Counselor
Average salary	$36,049	$33,422
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $47,000	Between $22,000 And $49,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between relief counselor and direct care counselor education

There are a few differences between a relief counselor and a direct care counselor in terms of educational background:

	Relief Counselor	Direct Care Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	-

Relief counselor vs direct care counselor demographics

Here are the differences between relief counselors' and direct care counselors' demographics:

	Relief Counselor	Direct Care Counselor
Average age	41	48
Gender ratio	Male, 29.9% Female, 70.1%	Male, 31.5% Female, 68.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 3.2% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%	Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 17.6% Asian, 8.3% White, 57.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	15%	7%

Differences between relief counselor and direct care counselor duties and responsibilities

Relief counselor example responsibilities.

Lead recreational activities for adolescents with ADHD and other behavior disorders.
Evaluate the effectiveness of counseling programs and patients' progress in resolving identify problems and moving towards define objectives.
Provide leadership and direction to new and existing staff members; identify training development assuring that training/certification are obtained and maintain.

Direct care counselor example responsibilities.

Obtain SCIP-R, CPR, and AMAP certifications.
Provide training to residents in improving ADL and independent living skills per the IHP and any/all relate behavior or medical requirements.
Obtain AMAP certification and administer medications under the supervision of assign nursing staff.
Provide direct care assistance for campers with autism, intellectual disabilities, and/or developmental delays.
Perform one-on-one supervision of children with disabilities including autism, complex mental health problems, and complex behavioral problems.
Help develop and carry-out treatment goals for individual clients as outlined in treatment plans and/or ISP goals and objectives.

Relief counselor vs direct care counselor skills

Common relief counselor skills

Crisis Intervention, 14%
ADL, 11%
Behavior Management, 11%
Substance Abuse, 10%
Rehabilitation, 7%
Developmental Disabilities, 6%

Common direct care counselor skills

Crisis Intervention, 12%
Autism, 11%
CPR, 10%
Developmental Disabilities, 10%
Incident Reports, 9%
Data Collection, 8%

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Relief Counselor
Relief Counselor vs Direct Care Counselor

Updated January 8, 2025

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