Residential counselor vs direct care counselor

The differences between residential counselors and direct care counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a residential counselor has an average salary of $34,117, which is higher than the $33,422 average annual salary of a direct care counselor.

The top three skills for a residential counselor include direct care, medication administration and mental health. The most important skills for a direct care counselor are crisis intervention, autism, and CPR.

Residential counselor vs direct care counselor overview

	Residential Counselor	Direct Care Counselor
Yearly salary	$34,117	$33,422
Hourly rate	$16.40	$16.07
Growth rate	12%	36%
Number of jobs	81,287	123,519
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Average age	41	48
Years of experience	4	-

What does a residential counselor do?

A residential counselor is responsible for guiding and providing the residents with their basic needs and other resources to support them in their daily living. Residential counselors' duties include maintaining the safety of the community by enforcing safety guidelines and procedures for the residents' compliance, organizing productive and engaging community activities, updating the residents of any changes and policies in the community, and resolving conflicts by counseling and understanding each resident's differences. A residential counselor must have excellent communication and decision-making skills to ensure the development of residents in a living facility.

What does a direct care counselor do?

A direct care counselor provides direct counseling and assistance to the elderly or individuals with disabilities and mental issues. They usually work at rehabilitation centers or care facilities and work together with nurses or caregivers to administer different treatment plans, monitor and support the patients' progress, and help the patients carry out daily activities such as performing hygienic or routine living tasks. Moreover, a direct care counselor may also develop and implement various healthcare programs and recreational activities while adhering to the facility's policies and regulations.

Residential counselor vs direct care counselor salary

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

	Residential Counselor	Direct Care Counselor
Average salary	$34,117	$33,422
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $42,000	Between $22,000 And $49,000
Highest paying City	Seattle, WA	-
Highest paying state	Washington	-
Best paying company	The Evergreens	-
Best paying industry	Education	-

Differences between residential counselor and direct care counselor education

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

	Residential Counselor	Direct Care Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	-

Residential counselor vs direct care counselor demographics

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

	Residential Counselor	Direct Care Counselor
Average age	41	48
Gender ratio	Male, 33.0% Female, 67.0%	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 residential counselor and direct care counselor duties and responsibilities

Residential counselor example responsibilities.

Lead recreational activities for adolescents with ADHD and other behavior disorders.
Engage, educate and empower participants to access community base resources in order to achieve greater self-determination, rehabilitation and recovery.
Train in AMAP, SCIP, and first aid procedures.
Assist residents with ADL, occasionally accompany to medical appointments, administer medications.
Refine an understanding of HIPAA and DMH programs.
Assist special needs students to reach their IEP and treatment plan goals in 1:1 and group settings.

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.

Residential counselor vs direct care counselor skills

Common residential counselor skills

Direct Care, 9%
Medication Administration, 9%
Mental Health, 8%
Social Work, 7%
Developmental Disabilities, 6%
Mental Illness, 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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Community and Social Services Industry
Residential Counselor
Residential Counselor vs Direct Care Counselor

Updated January 8, 2025

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