Respite care provider vs direct care worker

The differences between respite care providers 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 $26,773 average annual salary of a respite care provider.

The top three skills for a respite care provider include CPR, ABA and autism. The most important skills for a direct care worker are direct care, patients, and CPR.

Respite care provider vs direct care worker overview

	Respite Care Provider	Direct Care Worker
Yearly salary	$26,773	$29,343
Hourly rate	$12.87	$14.11
Growth rate	36%	36%
Number of jobs	94,125	140,788
Job satisfaction	4	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 50%	High School Diploma, 32%
Average age	48	48
Years of experience	-	-

Respite care provider vs direct care worker salary

Respite care providers and direct care workers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Respite Care Provider	Direct Care Worker
Average salary	$26,773	$29,343
Salary range	Between $19,000 And $36,000	Between $23,000 And $36,000
Highest paying City	Berkeley, CA	Portland, ME
Highest paying state	Oregon	Washington
Best paying company	University of California, Berkeley	Arizona Training & Evaluation Center
Best paying industry	Health Care	Professional

Differences between respite care provider and direct care worker education

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

	Respite Care Provider	Direct Care Worker
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 50%	High School Diploma, 32%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	-	-

Respite care provider vs direct care worker demographics

Here are the differences between respite care providers' and direct care workers' demographics:

	Respite Care Provider	Direct Care Worker
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 15.9% Female, 84.1%	Male, 23.4% Female, 76.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 20.5% Asian, 7.9% White, 58.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%	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 respite care provider and direct care worker duties and responsibilities

Respite care provider example responsibilities.

Aid and facilitate higher functioning patients reach their fullest potential while managing behavioral episodes as needed.
Certify as head agency trainer for CPR and first aid.
Assist with medication, ADL's, and recreational activities within the home.
Promote care for disable individuals, helping with their ADL's and IADL's.
Complete ongoing mandatory training and periodic renewal of specific certifications such as CPR, first aid, OIS, etc.
Provide emotional and physical support to caregivers of children with autism.

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.

Respite care provider vs direct care worker skills

Common respite care provider skills

CPR, 15%
ABA, 15%
Autism, 10%
Child Care, 10%
Applied Behavior Analysis, 9%
Developmental Disabilities, 9%

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
Respite Care Provider
Respite Care Provider vs Direct Care Worker

Updated January 8, 2025

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