Respite care provider vs direct support professional

The differences between respite care providers and direct support professionals can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a direct support professional has an average salary of $32,077, 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 support professional are direct support, developmental disabilities, and autism.

Respite care provider vs direct support professional overview

	Respite Care Provider	Direct Support Professional
Yearly salary	$26,773	$32,077
Hourly rate	$12.87	$15.42
Growth rate	36%	36%
Number of jobs	94,125	142,034
Job satisfaction	4	4
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 50%	High School Diploma, 30%
Average age	48	48
Years of experience	-	-

Respite care provider vs direct support professional salary

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

	Respite Care Provider	Direct Support Professional
Average salary	$26,773	$32,077
Salary range	Between $19,000 And $36,000	Between $18,000 And $54,000
Highest paying City	Berkeley, CA	Santa Clara, CA
Highest paying state	Oregon	California
Best paying company	University of California, Berkeley	Meta
Best paying industry	Health Care	Government

Differences between respite care provider and direct support professional education

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

	Respite Care Provider	Direct Support Professional
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 50%	High School Diploma, 30%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	-	-

Respite care provider vs direct support professional demographics

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

	Respite Care Provider	Direct Support Professional
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 15.9% Female, 84.1%	Male, 24.4% Female, 75.6%
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, 9.7% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 8.3% White, 61.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between respite care provider and direct support professional 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 support professional example responsibilities.

Work with adults who have disabilities to help manage everyday tasks such as laundry, cooking, preparing groceries, etc.
Provide care to adults with intellectual & developmental disabilities while administering their medication via AMAP certification
Support the development of individuals with autism by promoting community involvement and performing exercises to strengthen their cognitive and social skills.
Assist with toileting, including urinals.
Maintain medical records according to all HIPPA guidelines.
Assist coordinator to train new DCW on assign shift.

Respite care provider vs direct support professional skills

Common respite care provider skills

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

Common direct support professional skills

Direct Support, 19%
Developmental Disabilities, 12%
Autism, 9%
Direct Care, 7%
DSP, 7%
Mental Health, 6%

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Zippia Careers
Personal Care and Attendants Industry
Respite Care Provider
Respite Care Provider vs Direct Support Professional

Updated January 8, 2025

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