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The differences between senior caregivers 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 $28,771 average annual salary of a senior caregiver.
The top three skills for a senior caregiver include companionship, senior care and in-home care. The most important skills for a direct care worker are direct care, patients, and CPR.
| Senior Caregiver | Direct Care Worker | |
| Yearly salary | $28,771 | $29,343 |
| Hourly rate | $13.83 | $14.11 |
| Growth rate | 36% | 36% |
| Number of jobs | 67,227 | 140,788 |
| Job satisfaction | 2 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 37% | High School Diploma, 32% |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A senior caregiver is responsible for supporting the elderly, disabled patients, and other persons with illnesses or has difficulty managing themselves alone and assist them with their daily activities. Senior caregivers monitor the patients' behaviors, keep records of health conditions, administer medications, and prepare the patients for medical procedures. They also coordinate with the attending physicians and other medical health professionals in developing quality care plans and services for the patients, following the standard procedures and health safety requirements.
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.
Senior caregivers and direct care workers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Caregiver | Direct Care Worker | |
| Average salary | $28,771 | $29,343 |
| Salary range | Between $22,000 And $37,000 | Between $23,000 And $36,000 |
| Highest paying City | Portland, OR | Portland, ME |
| Highest paying state | Vermont | Washington |
| Best paying company | CARE | Arizona Training & Evaluation Center |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Professional |
There are a few differences between a senior caregiver and a direct care worker in terms of educational background:
| Senior Caregiver | Direct Care Worker | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 37% | High School Diploma, 32% |
| Most common major | Business | Psychology |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between senior caregivers' and direct care workers' demographics:
| Senior Caregiver | Direct Care Worker | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 12.2% Female, 87.8% | Male, 23.4% Female, 76.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.0% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 20.1% Asian, 8.0% White, 56.4% 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% |