Resident care aide vs direct care staffer

The differences between resident care aides 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 $28,846 average annual salary of a resident care aide.

The top three skills for a resident care aide include CPR, home health and assist residents. The most important skills for a direct care staffer are mental health, developmental disabilities, and CPR.

Resident care aide vs direct care staffer overview

	Resident Care Aide	Direct Care Staffer
Yearly salary	$28,846	$30,480
Hourly rate	$13.87	$14.65
Growth rate	36%	36%
Number of jobs	164,696	117,658
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 35%	Bachelor's Degree, 31%
Average age	48	48
Years of experience	-	-

Resident care aide vs direct care staffer salary

Resident care aides and direct care staffers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Resident Care Aide	Direct Care Staffer
Average salary	$28,846	$30,480
Salary range	Between $22,000 And $37,000	Between $19,000 And $47,000
Highest paying City	-	Salem, OR
Highest paying state	-	Oregon
Best paying company	-	New York University
Best paying industry	-	Manufacturing

Differences between resident care aide and direct care staffer education

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

	Resident Care Aide	Direct Care Staffer
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 35%	Bachelor's Degree, 31%
Most common major	Nursing	Psychology
Most common college	-	-

Resident care aide vs direct care staffer demographics

Here are the differences between resident care aides' and direct care staffers' demographics:

	Resident Care Aide	Direct Care Staffer
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 13.9% Female, 86.1%	Male, 27.5% Female, 72.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.9% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.0% Asian, 8.1% White, 60.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%	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	7%	7%

Differences between resident care aide and direct care staffer duties and responsibilities

Resident care aide example responsibilities.

Recognize by physicians for ability to meticulously prepare patient's chest and attach leads to obtain excellent quality EKG tracings.
Operate medical devices (hoyer, sit to stand, walkers, wheelchairs) [].
Take care of residents per ADL's (dressing, basic hygiene, toileting, medication reminders and ambulation).
Perform wound, catheter, and colostomy care.
Escort residents to meals with walkers or wheel chairs.
Assist in emptying a catheter as well as providing the daily peri-care.

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.

Resident care aide vs direct care staffer skills

Common resident care aide skills

CPR, 18%
Home Health, 15%
Assist Residents, 12%
Patients, 11%
Vital Signs, 6%
RCA, 5%

Common direct care staffer skills

Mental Health, 14%
Developmental Disabilities, 8%
CPR, 8%
Patients, 6%
Autism, 6%
Crisis Intervention, 5%

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Resident Care Aide
Resident Care Aide vs Direct Care Staffer

Updated January 8, 2025

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