Resident care aide vs direct care worker

The differences between resident care aides and direct care workers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a direct care worker has an average salary of $29,343, 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 worker are direct care, patients, and CPR.

Resident care aide vs direct care worker overview

	Resident Care Aide	Direct Care Worker
Yearly salary	$28,846	$29,343
Hourly rate	$13.87	$14.11
Growth rate	36%	36%
Number of jobs	164,696	140,788
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 35%	High School Diploma, 32%
Average age	48	48
Years of experience	-	-

Resident care aide vs direct care worker salary

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

	Resident Care Aide	Direct Care Worker
Average salary	$28,846	$29,343
Salary range	Between $22,000 And $37,000	Between $23,000 And $36,000
Highest paying City	-	Portland, ME
Highest paying state	-	Washington
Best paying company	-	Arizona Training & Evaluation Center
Best paying industry	-	Professional

Differences between resident care aide and direct care worker education

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

	Resident Care Aide	Direct Care Worker
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 35%	High School Diploma, 32%
Most common major	Nursing	Psychology
Most common college	-	-

Resident care aide vs direct care worker demographics

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

	Resident Care Aide	Direct Care Worker
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 13.9% Female, 86.1%	Male, 23.4% Female, 76.6%
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, 12.6% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 13.7% Asian, 7.6% White, 61.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between resident care aide and direct care worker 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 worker example responsibilities.

Provide caring companionship to elderly and developmentally disable patients with or without chronic health diagnosis.
Assist individuals with developmental/intellectual disabilities with ADL's.
Conduct socialization groups to aid individuals in development of ADL and socialization skills.
Prepare daily documents administer medications handle patients hygiene house cleaning and provide transportation to and from appointment
Provide caring and companionship to elderly and developmentally disable consumers and provide primary resident care and assistance with daily living activities.
Provide day to day services that include transport, nutrition, hygiene, housekeeping and activities to MRDD clients.

Resident care aide vs direct care worker skills

Common resident care aide skills

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

Common direct care worker skills

Direct Care, 22%
Patients, 11%
CPR, 7%
Developmental Disabilities, 4%
Crisis Intervention, 4%
Vital Signs, 4%

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Personal Care and Attendants Industry
Resident Care Aide
Resident Care Aide vs Direct Care Worker

Updated January 8, 2025

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