Post job

Resident care associate vs direct care aide

The differences between resident care associates and direct care aides can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a resident care associate has an average salary of $30,497, which is higher than the $30,429 average annual salary of a direct care aide.

The top three skills for a resident care associate include resident care, administer medications and RCA. The most important skills for a direct care aide are home health, foster care, and CPR.

Resident care associate vs direct care aide overview

Resident Care AssociateDirect Care Aide
Yearly salary$30,497$30,429
Hourly rate$14.66$14.63
Growth rate36%36%
Number of jobs130,625178,038
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 26%High School Diploma, 35%
Average age4848
Years of experience--

Resident care associate vs direct care aide salary

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

Resident Care AssociateDirect Care Aide
Average salary$30,497$30,429
Salary rangeBetween $24,000 And $38,000Between $22,000 And $41,000
Highest paying CitySalem, ORSpringfield, MA
Highest paying stateOregonVermont
Best paying companyThe Philadelphia CoalitionUniv Of Colorado-Colorado Spgs
Best paying industryMediaEnergy

Differences between resident care associate and direct care aide education

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

Resident Care AssociateDirect Care Aide
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 26%High School Diploma, 35%
Most common majorNursingNursing
Most common college--

Resident care associate vs direct care aide demographics

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

Resident Care AssociateDirect Care Aide
Average age4848
Gender ratioMale, 14.6% Female, 85.4%Male, 20.8% Female, 79.2%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 17.2% Asian, 8.7% White, 58.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%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 resident care associate and direct care aide duties and responsibilities

Resident care associate example responsibilities.

  • Assist Alzheimer patients with daily activities including personal care, administering medications and communicating with their families.
  • Assist in rehabilitation to transfer home.
  • Have been train to administer medication, CPR train, and mechanical lift train.
  • Maintain cleanliness throughout med pass, and practice aseptic technique when pouring and assisting with medication.
  • Assist with ADL's, medication assistance, dinning room service, answering the telephones and front desk monitoring.
  • Care for residents with diagnosis such as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, and arthritis.
  • 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.

Resident care associate vs direct care aide skills

Common resident care associate skills
  • Resident Care, 24%
  • Administer Medications, 13%
  • RCA, 12%
  • Assist Residents, 7%
  • Emergency Situations, 6%
  • Pathogens, 5%
Common direct care aide skills
  • Home Health, 17%
  • Foster Care, 10%
  • CPR, 9%
  • Patients, 7%
  • Meal Prep, 7%
  • Rehabilitation, 6%

Browse personal care and attendants jobs