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The differences between residential 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 $26,176 average annual salary of a residential aide.
The top three skills for a residential aide include autism, developmental disabilities and compassion. The most important skills for a direct care worker are direct care, patients, and CPR.
| Residential Aide | Direct Care Worker | |
| Yearly salary | $26,176 | $29,343 |
| Hourly rate | $12.58 | $14.11 |
| Growth rate | 36% | 36% |
| Number of jobs | 74,826 | 140,788 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 29% | High School Diploma, 32% |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A residential aide is responsible for assisting residents and patients in a community facility, supporting them in their daily activities and personal routines. Residential aides monitor the patients' health conditions, coordinate with medical professionals, and ensure that they receive the proper medications. They also assist the residents with their inquiries and concerns, as well as developing community programs and events, sustaining the healthy welfare of the citizens. A residential aide must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially when communicating with management and other organizations for assistance on charity works.
A Direct Care Worker's responsibility revolves around overseeing clients' welfare and health care from different ages and conditions. Most of the duties will involve assistance in basic hygienic tasks such as bathing or going to the toilet, performing light chores such as preparing healthy meals and cleaning a bedroom, and ensuring the patient's medication intake aligns with the schedule. Furthermore, it is also the duty of a Direct Care Worker to empathize and build rapport with clients to make them feel more at ease.
Residential aides and direct care workers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Residential Aide | Direct Care Worker | |
| Average salary | $26,176 | $29,343 |
| Salary range | Between $20,000 And $33,000 | Between $23,000 And $36,000 |
| Highest paying City | Beverly, MA | Portland, ME |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Washington |
| Best paying company | Mercy Housing and Shelter | Arizona Training & Evaluation Center |
| Best paying industry | Education | Professional |
There are a few differences between a residential aide and a direct care worker in terms of educational background:
| Residential Aide | Direct Care Worker | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 29% | High School Diploma, 32% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between residential aides' and direct care workers' demographics:
| Residential Aide | Direct Care Worker | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 26.8% Female, 73.2% | Male, 23.4% Female, 76.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.5% Asian, 8.1% White, 59.7% 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% |