What are the main factors that influence a Direct Support Professional's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

How does experience change A Direct Support Professional's salary?

A Direct Support Professional's salary grows with experience: a Direct Support Professional (0-0 years)earns $35,239, a Home Care Aide I (0-1 years)earns $31,799, a Home Care Aide II (1-3 years)earns $38,219, a Home Care Aide III (3-5 years)earns $42,653, a Home Care Aide Coordinator (5+ years)earns $42,711,

What are the highest paying states for a Direct Support Professional?

Direct Support Professional salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Direct Support Professional roles are District of Columbia $39,221, California $39,072, Massachusetts $38,551. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Direct Support Professional roles make?

Salaries for Direct Support Professional level roles vary by specialization: Direct Support Professional 2: $64,775; Direct Support Professional Supervisor: $62,319; Direct Support Professional Caregiver: $39,583; Direct Support Professional-SCL: $39,410; Direct Support Professional IDD: $38,756.

How do different companies affect a Direct Support Professional's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Direct Support Professional roles. Large, established industry leaders like New York Police Department ($97,099) and State of New York - Metropolitan Transportation Authority ($95,962) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $75,106.

Direct Support Professional Salary in the United States

How much does a Direct Support Professional make in the United States?

As of June 01, 2026, the average salary for a Direct Support Professional in the United States is $35,424 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $17.

However, a Direct Support Professional's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

Top Earners (90th percentile): $40,214
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $32,983 to $37,931
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $30,761

Compensation Planning

Develop a Job Description

Pay Equity

2025 Compensation Trend

AI-Powered Talent

AI Onboarding

Salary Salary + Bonus Benefits

View as table

Direct Support Professional Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$37,931	$3,161	$729	$18
Average	$35,424	$2,952	$681	$17
25th Percentile	$32,983	$2,749	$634	$16

You may get higher pay by adjusting the following factors:

Change Search Criteria

Check out Direct Support Professional Job Openings in the United States

Direct Support Professional

Sevita - Bardwell, OH

Direct Support Professional

Sevita - Cambridge, OH

Direct Support Professional

Sevita - Chagrin Falls, OH

Direct Support Professional

Sevita - New Concord, OH

Search More Direct Support Professional Jobs in the United States

Key Factors That Influence Direct Support Professional Salaries

A Direct Support Professional's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Direct Support Professional Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Direct Support Professional's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $35,239
Early Career (1-2 years): $31,799
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $38,219
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $42,653
Expert (over 8 years): $42,711

Levels	Salary
Direct Su... Level Direct Support Professional	$35,239
Home Care... Level Direct Support Professional	$31,799
Home Care... Level Direct Support Professional	$38,219
Home Care... Level Direct Support Professional	$42,653
Home Care... Level Direct Support Professional	$42,711

View as Graph

What Am I Worth?

How Do Direct Support Professional Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Direct Support Professionals. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $39,221.
California: $39,072.
Massachusetts: $38,551.

District of Columbia $39,221 California $39,072 Massachusetts $38,551 Washington $38,410 New Jersey $38,396 Alaska $38,346 Connecticut $37,857 New York $37,659

Hawaii $37,025 Rhode Island $36,727 Maryland $36,525 Minnesota $36,249 Colorado $36,143 Illinois $36,107 Oregon $35,973 Delaware $35,873

New Hampshire $35,811 Virginia $35,671 Pennsylvania $35,264 Nevada $35,059 North Dakota $34,991 Michigan $34,885 Wisconsin $34,846 Vermont $34,768

Texas $34,552 Maine $34,538 Arizona $34,517 Ohio $34,492 Georgia $34,166 Indiana $34,003 Wyoming $33,971 Utah $33,922

Iowa $33,900 Kansas $33,730 Louisiana $33,681 North Carolina $33,663 Missouri $33,656 Florida $33,518 Montana $33,443 Nebraska $33,372

Kentucky $33,334 South Carolina $33,192 Tennessee $33,103 Idaho $33,068 New Mexico $32,809 Oklahoma $32,753 Alabama $32,544 South Dakota $32,193

Arkansas $32,002 West Virginia $31,899 Mississippi $31,591

Top Paying Cities for Direct Support Professionals

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

San Jose: $44,680
San Francisco: $44,190
Oakland: $43,259

San Jose, CA $44,680

San Francisco, CA $44,190

Oakland, CA $43,259

New York, NY $40,786

Paramus, NJ $40,290

Queens Village, NY $40,289

Passaic, NJ $40,255

Bergenfield, NJ $40,252

Stamford, CT $40,174

Huntington, NY $40,159

Newark, NJ $39,897

Bridgeport, CT $39,823

Vallejo, CA $39,752

New Brunswick, NJ $39,738

Petaluma, CA $39,717

Middlesex, NJ $39,650

Somerset, NJ $39,625

Santa Cruz, CA $39,579

Boston, MA $39,363

Monterey, CA $39,238

Seattle, WA $39,157

Santa Rosa, CA $39,150

Los Angeles, CA $39,139

Juneau, AK $39,047

Washington, DC $39,008

Orange, CA $38,882

Santa Ana, CA $38,789

Long Beach, CA $38,753

Anaheim, CA $38,746

Anchorage, AK $38,729

Santa Maria, CA $38,622

Everett, WA $38,615

Danbury, CT $38,490

Bremerton, WA $38,442

Tacoma, WA $38,314

New Suffolk, NY $38,313

Sacramento, CA $38,303

Santa Barbara, CA $38,264

Trenton, NJ $38,225

San Diego, CA $38,225

Brockton, MA $38,187

Fairbanks, AK $38,100

Lompoc, CA $38,009

Lowell, MA $37,981

Ventura, CA $37,974

Nashua, NH $37,967

Stockton, CA $37,963

Modesto, CA $37,705

Poughkeepsie, NY $37,627

Olympia, WA $37,560

Kennewick, WA $37,560

New Haven, CT $37,545

Lawrence, MA $37,418

Hartford, CT $37,382

Riverside, CA $37,375

New Bedford, MA $37,340

Richland, WA $37,340

Bakersfield, CA $37,290

San Bernardino, CA $37,276

New Britain, CT $37,273

Atlantic City, NJ $37,273

New London, CT $37,258

Norwich, CT $37,248

Portsmouth, NH $37,241

Boulder, CO $37,166

Portland, OR $37,117

Worcester, MA $37,113

Minneapolis, MN $37,003

Philadelphia, PA $36,954

Honolulu, HI $36,837

Saint Paul, MN $36,820

Vineland, NJ $36,812

Providence, RI $36,709

Chicago, IL $36,607

Bellingham, WA $36,564

Springfield, MA $36,536

Baltimore, MD $36,525

Chico, CA $36,437

Pittsfield, MA $36,341

Manchester, NH $36,274

Spokane, WA $36,118

Denver, CO $36,114

Albany, NY $35,948

Troy, NY $35,934

Nassau, NY $35,896

Schenectady, NY $35,859

Wilmington, DE $35,831

Burlington, VT $35,781

Salem, OR $35,767

Portland, ME $35,657

Yakima, WA $35,622

Rochester, MN $35,512

Reno, NV $35,494

Fresno, CA $35,494

Milwaukee, WI $35,462

Detroit, MI $35,427

Ann Arbor, MI $35,421

Allentown, PA $35,416

Colorado Springs, CO $35,356

Syracuse, NY $35,338

Carson City, NV $35,338

Houston, TX $35,289

Eugene, OR $35,271

Gary, IN $35,229

Springfield, OR $35,200

Bismarck, ND $35,193

Galveston, TX $35,168

Medford, OR $35,115

Fort Collins, CO $35,101

Concord, NH $35,083

Austin, TX $35,073

Mesa, AZ $34,998

Reading, PA $34,995

Phoenix, AZ $34,991

Dallas, TX $34,981

Saint Cloud, MN $34,947

Madison, WI $34,899

Utica, NY $34,804

Rochester, NY $34,747

Des Moines, IA $34,743

Raleigh, NC $34,740

Atlanta, GA $34,687

Battle Creek, MI $34,676

Salt Lake City, UT $34,665

Lancaster, PA $34,612

Harrisburg, PA $34,563

Kansas City, MO $34,527

Champaign, IL $34,520

Kansas City, KS $34,520

Fort Worth, TX $34,517

Columbus, OH $34,511

Boca Raton, FL $34,502

Pittsburgh, PA $34,488

Richmond, VA $34,474

Indianapolis, IN $34,467

Cleveland, OH $34,464

Las Vegas, NV $34,421

Cincinnati, OH $34,421

Petersburg, VA $34,368

Huntsville, AL $34,315

Lansing, MI $34,291

Lebanon, PA $34,286

Pueblo, CO $34,283

Appleton, WI $34,272

Buffalo, NY $34,258

Dayton, OH $34,247

Racine, WI $34,240

Charlotte, NC $34,237

Saint Louis, MO $34,226

York, PA $34,205

Elkhart, IN $34,205

Gastonia, NC $34,198

Billings, MT $34,190

Beaumont, TX $34,180

Lorain, OH $34,173

Benton Harbor, MI $34,166

Toledo, OH $34,159

Binghamton, NY $34,141

Rock Hill, SC $34,138

Rockford, IL $34,120

Springfield, IL $34,106

Elyria, OH $34,102

Fargo, ND $34,102

Flagstaff, AZ $34,077

Fort Lauderdale, FL $34,056

Duluth, MN $34,035

Miami, FL $34,035

Cheyenne, WY $34,010

Grand Forks, ND $34,010

Bangor, ME $33,932

Cedar Rapids, IA $33,893

Durham, NC $33,878

Louisville, KY $33,875

Grand Rapids, MI $33,868

Hialeah, FL $33,865

Casper, WY $33,815

Scranton, PA $33,773

New Orleans, LA $33,762

Virginia Beach, VA $33,759

Akron, OH $33,741

Peoria, IL $33,695

Sarasota, FL $33,688

Nashville, TN $33,663

Omaha, NE $33,663

Green Bay, WI $33,663

Baton Rouge, LA $33,645

Charleston, SC $33,638

Jamestown, NY $33,620

Davenport, IA $33,620

Tucson, AZ $33,603

Saint Petersburg, FL $33,581

Tampa, FL $33,574

Evansville, IN $33,553

Port Arthur, TX $33,553

Bradenton, FL $33,539

Santa Fe, NM $33,475

Orlando, FL $33,411

Clearwater, FL $33,401

Canton, OH $33,326

La Crosse, WI $33,326

Albuquerque, NM $33,305

Newport News, VA $33,302

High Point, NC $33,291

Ogden, UT $33,277

Corpus Christi, TX $33,248

Norfolk, VA $33,227

Laramie, WY $33,227

Rock Island, IL $33,206

Saginaw, MI $33,199

Jacksonville, FL $33,195

Salisbury, NC $33,188

Boise, ID $33,181

Moline, IL $33,163

Fort Myers, FL $33,153

Memphis, TN $33,146

Tulsa, OK $33,128

Waterloo, IA $33,107

Spartanburg, SC $33,071

Lincoln, NE $33,054

Fort Wayne, IN $33,047

Provo, UT $33,043

Cedar Falls, IA $33,001

San Antonio, TX $32,986

Greensboro, NC $32,972

South Bend, IN $32,969

Savannah, GA $32,930

Muskegon, MI $32,916

Birmingham, AL $32,912

Winston Salem, NC $32,895

Lake Charles, LA $32,809

Anderson, IN $32,802

Lexington, KY $32,792

Augusta, GA $32,781

Greenville, SC $32,781

Lima, OH $32,753

Wichita, KS $32,749

Tuscaloosa, AL $32,749

Columbia, SC $32,717

Springfield, OH $32,710

Asheville, NC $32,653

Bloomington, IN $32,629

Knoxville, TN $32,501

Shreveport, LA $32,498

Wilmington, NC $32,451

Roanoke, VA $32,451

Topeka, KS $32,388

Frankfort, KY $32,384

Oklahoma City, OK $32,359

Chillicothe, OH $32,345

Longview, TX $32,342

Melbourne, FL $32,338

Sioux Falls, SD $32,281

Mobile, AL $32,278

Terre Haute, IN $32,264

Altoona, PA $32,242

Amarillo, TX $32,218

Killeen, TX $32,207

Fayetteville, AR $32,179

Chattanooga, TN $32,168

Sioux City, IA $32,136

Idaho Falls, ID $32,129

Lynchburg, VA $32,101

Gainesville, FL $32,055

Portsmouth, OH $32,037

Little Rock, AR $32,030

Lafayette, LA $32,016

Youngstown, OH $32,016

Daytona Beach, FL $31,995

Clarksville, TN $31,991

Pensacola, FL $31,987

Temple, TX $31,985

Hopkinsville, KY $31,881

Erie, PA $31,874

Florence, SC $31,860

Charleston, WV $31,803

Great Falls, MT $31,786

Macon, GA $31,736

Tallahassee, FL $31,732

Fayetteville, NC $31,725

Waco, TX $31,718

Helena, MT $31,693

Pine Bluff, AR $31,680

Vincennes, IN $31,637

Lubbock, TX $31,623

Alamogordo, NM $31,601

Twin Falls, ID $31,569

Rapid City, SD $31,559

Jackson, MS $31,495

Huntington, WV $31,493

Greenville, MS $31,491

Parkersburg, WV $31,455

Montgomery, AL $31,449

Wichita Falls, TX $31,414

Springfield, MO $31,414

Biloxi, MS $31,396

Monroe, LA $31,360

Johnstown, PA $31,336

Sumter, SC $31,321

Columbus, GA $31,318

Pascagoula, MS $31,251

Abilene, TX $31,251

Kingsport, TN $31,159

Albany, GA $31,159

Gulfport, MS $31,148

Alexandria, LA $31,031

Fort Smith, AR $30,942

El Paso, TX $30,847

Las Cruces, NM $30,687

Harlingen, TX $30,597

Pocatello, ID $30,592

Florence, AL $30,546

Brownsville, TX $30,539

Mcallen, TX $30,464

Dothan, AL $30,415

Columbus, MS $30,204

Altus, OK $30,039

Lawton, OK $29,972

Pierre, SD $29,844

What Skills Can Increase a Direct Support Professional's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Commitment (Mentioned in 5.83% Job Postings): An agreement or pledge to do something in the future a commitment to improve conditions at the prison especially : an engagement to assume a financial obligation at a future date.
Medication Administration (Mentioned in 5.59% Job Postings): Medication administration is the direct application of a prescribed medication whether by injection, inhalation, ingestion, or other means to the body of the individual by an individual legally authorized to do so.
Service Quality (Mentioned in 3.86% Job Postings): Service quality is a measure of how an organization delivers its services compared to the expectations of its customers.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Commitment	5.83%
Medication Administration	5.59%
Service Quality	3.86%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Direct Support Professional's salary.

Social Work: Can increase your salary by up to 12%.
Leadership: Can increase your salary by up to 9%.
Analysis: Can increase your salary by up to 9%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Social Work	$39,674	12%
Leadership	$38,612	9%
Analysis	$38,612	9%
Patient Care	$37,195	5%
Initiative	$36,840	4%
Written Communication	$36,840	4%

Get Latest Data

Direct Support Professional Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Direct Support Professional's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on June 01, 2026

$32,983

Average $35,424/year

$37,931

$2,749

Average $2,952/month

$3,161

$634

Average $681/week

$729

$16

Average $17/hour

$18

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$37,931	$3,161	$729	$18
Average	$35,424	$2,952	$681	$17
25th Percentile	$32,983	$2,749	$634	$16

Salaries of jobs related to Direct Support Professional

Salary Trends for Direct Support Professional

Salaries for a Direct Support Professional can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $39,948 in 2023 to around $39,795 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Direct Support Professional salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Direct Support Professional Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$39,948

2024

$40,155

2025

$39,795

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$39,948
2024	$40,155
2025	$39,795
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Direct Support Professional

Social Security

401(k)

Disability

Healthcare

Pension

Time Off (days)

For Employers

If your compensation planning software is too rigid to deploy winning incentive strategies, it’s time to find an adaptable solution.

Compensation Planning

Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit

the United States

Find Your Next Direct Support Professional Job

Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current Direct Support Professional job openings on our job board. Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.

For Employees

Get a Salary Increase

Analyze the market and your qualifications to negotiate your salary with confidence.

Search Job Openings

Search thousands of open positions to find your next opportunity.

For Employers

Adjust Employee Salary

Individualize employee pay based on unique job requirements and personal qualifications.

Price My Industry Jobs

Get the latest market price for benchmark jobs and jobs in your industry.

Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

Are you an HR manager or compensation specialist?

Salary.com's CompAnalyst platform offers:

Detailed skills and competency reports for specific positions
Job and employee pricing reports
Compensation data tools, salary structures, surveys and benchmarks.

Learn about