Direct Care Worker/ DSP Salary in the United States
How much does a Direct Care Worker/ DSP make in the United States?
As of August 01, 2026, the average salary for a Direct Care Worker/ DSP in the United States is $72,818 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $35.
However, a Direct Care Worker/ DSP's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $84,813
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $68,901 to $79,097
Key Factors That Influence Direct Care Worker/ DSP Salaries
A Direct Care Worker/ DSP'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, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.
How Experience Level Affects Direct Care Worker/ DSP Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of a Direct Care Worker/ DSP'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): $71,111
Early Career (1-2 years): $71,224
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $72,818
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $75,404
Expert (over 8 years): $75,588
Levels
Salary
Entry Level Direct Care Worker/ DSP
$71,111
Intermediate Level Direct Care Worker/ DSP
$71,224
Senior Level Direct Care Worker/ DSP
$72,818
Specialist Level Direct Care Worker/ DSP
$75,404
Expert Level Direct Care Worker/ DSP
$75,588
$71,1110 yr
$71,224< 2 yrs
$72,8182-4 yrs
$75,4045-8 yrs
$75,588> 8 yrs
View as Table
View as Graph
What Am I Worth?
How Do Direct Care Worker/ DSP 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 Care Worker/ DSPs.
For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
District of Columbia: $80,625.
California: $80,319.
Massachusetts: $79,248.
District of Columbia$80,625
California$80,319
Massachusetts$79,248
Washington$78,957
New Jersey$78,928
Alaska$78,826
Connecticut$77,821
New York$77,413
Hawaii$76,110
Rhode Island$75,498
Maryland$75,083
Minnesota$74,515
Colorado$74,297
Illinois$74,224
Oregon$73,947
Delaware$73,743
New Hampshire$73,615
Virginia$73,328
Pennsylvania$72,491
Nevada$72,068
North Dakota$71,930
Michigan$71,712
Wisconsin$71,631
Vermont$71,471
Texas$71,027
Maine$70,998
Arizona$70,954
Ohio$70,903
Georgia$70,233
Indiana$69,898
Wyoming$69,833
Utah$69,731
Iowa$69,687
Kansas$69,338
Louisiana$69,236
North Carolina$69,199
Missouri$69,185
Florida$68,901
Montana$68,748
Nebraska$68,602
Kentucky$68,522
South Carolina$68,231
Tennessee$68,049
Idaho$67,976
New Mexico$67,444
Oklahoma$67,328
Alabama$66,898
South Dakota$66,177
Arkansas$65,784
West Virginia$65,573
Mississippi$64,939
Top Paying Cities for Direct Care Worker/ DSPs
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: $91,846
San Francisco: $90,840
Oakland: $88,926
San Jose, CA$91,846
San Francisco, CA$90,840
Oakland, CA$88,926
New York, NY$83,842
Paramus, NJ$82,823
Queens Village, NY$82,819
Passaic, NJ$82,750
Bergenfield, NJ$82,744
Stamford, CT$82,583
Huntington, NY$82,553
Newark, NJ$82,015
Bridgeport, CT$81,862
Vallejo, CA$81,717
New Brunswick, NJ$81,688
Petaluma, CA$81,644
Middlesex, NJ$81,506
Somerset, NJ$81,455
Santa Cruz, CA$81,360
Boston, MA$80,916
Monterey, CA$80,660
Seattle, WA$80,493
Santa Rosa, CA$80,479
Los Angeles, CA$80,457
Juneau, AK$80,268
Washington, DC$80,188
Orange, CA$79,928
Santa Ana, CA$79,736
Long Beach, CA$79,663
Anaheim, CA$79,649
Anchorage, AK$79,612
Santa Maria, CA$79,394
Everett, WA$79,379
Danbury, CT$79,123
Bremerton, WA$79,023
Tacoma, WA$78,760
New Suffolk, NY$78,759
Sacramento, CA$78,739
Santa Barbara, CA$78,658
Trenton, NJ$78,578
San Diego, CA$78,578
Brockton, MA$78,498
Fairbanks, AK$78,320
Lompoc, CA$78,134
Lowell, MA$78,075
Ventura, CA$78,061
Nashua, NH$78,047
Stockton, CA$78,039
Modesto, CA$77,508
Poughkeepsie, NY$77,348
Olympia, WA$77,209
Kennewick, WA$77,209
New Haven, CT$77,180
Lawrence, MA$76,918
Hartford, CT$76,845
Riverside, CA$76,831
New Bedford, MA$76,758
Richland, WA$76,758
Bakersfield, CA$76,656
San Bernardino, CA$76,627
New Britain, CT$76,620
Atlantic City, NJ$76,620
New London, CT$76,590
Norwich, CT$76,569
Portsmouth, NH$76,554
Boulder, CO$76,400
Portland, OR$76,299
Worcester, MA$76,292
Minneapolis, MN$76,066
Philadelphia, PA$75,964
Honolulu, HI$75,724
Saint Paul, MN$75,689
Vineland, NJ$75,673
Providence, RI$75,462
Chicago, IL$75,251
Bellingham, WA$75,163
Springfield, MA$75,105
Baltimore, MD$75,083
Chico, CA$74,901
Pittsfield, MA$74,704
Manchester, NH$74,566
Spokane, WA$74,246
Denver, CO$74,238
Albany, NY$73,896
Troy, NY$73,867
Nassau, NY$73,789
Schenectady, NY$73,714
Wilmington, DE$73,656
Burlington, VT$73,554
Salem, OR$73,525
Portland, ME$73,299
Yakima, WA$73,226
Rochester, MN$73,000
Reno, NV$72,964
Fresno, CA$72,964
Milwaukee, WI$72,899
Detroit, MI$72,826
Ann Arbor, MI$72,813
Allentown, PA$72,804
Colorado Springs, CO$72,680
Syracuse, NY$72,644
Carson City, NV$72,644
Houston, TX$72,542
Eugene, OR$72,505
Gary, IN$72,418
Springfield, OR$72,360
Bismarck, ND$72,345
Galveston, TX$72,294
Medford, OR$72,185
Fort Collins, CO$72,156
Concord, NH$72,119
Austin, TX$72,097
Mesa, AZ$71,945
Reading, PA$71,937
Phoenix, AZ$71,930
Dallas, TX$71,908
Saint Cloud, MN$71,838
Madison, WI$71,741
Utica, NY$71,544
Rochester, NY$71,428
Des Moines, IA$71,420
Raleigh, NC$71,413
Atlanta, GA$71,304
Battle Creek, MI$71,282
Salt Lake City, UT$71,260
Lancaster, PA$71,151
Harrisburg, PA$71,049
Kansas City, MO$70,976
Champaign, IL$70,962
Kansas City, KS$70,962
Fort Worth, TX$70,954
Columbus, OH$70,942
Boca Raton, FL$70,925
Pittsburgh, PA$70,896
Richmond, VA$70,867
Indianapolis, IN$70,852
Cleveland, OH$70,845
Las Vegas, NV$70,758
Cincinnati, OH$70,758
Petersburg, VA$70,648
Huntsville, AL$70,539
Lansing, MI$70,490
Lebanon, PA$70,481
Pueblo, CO$70,474
Appleton, WI$70,452
Buffalo, NY$70,423
Dayton, OH$70,401
Racine, WI$70,386
Charlotte, NC$70,379
Saint Louis, MO$70,357
York, PA$70,313
Elkhart, IN$70,313
Gastonia, NC$70,300
Billings, MT$70,282
Beaumont, TX$70,262
Lorain, OH$70,248
Benton Harbor, MI$70,233
Toledo, OH$70,219
Binghamton, NY$70,182
Rock Hill, SC$70,175
Rockford, IL$70,139
Springfield, IL$70,110
Elyria, OH$70,102
Fargo, ND$70,102
Flagstaff, AZ$70,051
Fort Lauderdale, FL$70,008
Duluth, MN$69,964
Miami, FL$69,964
Cheyenne, WY$69,913
Grand Forks, ND$69,913
Bangor, ME$69,753
Cedar Rapids, IA$69,673
Durham, NC$69,642
Louisville, KY$69,636
Grand Rapids, MI$69,622
Hialeah, FL$69,614
Casper, WY$69,512
Scranton, PA$69,425
New Orleans, LA$69,403
Virginia Beach, VA$69,396
Akron, OH$69,360
Peoria, IL$69,265
Sarasota, FL$69,250
Nashville, TN$69,199
Omaha, NE$69,199
Green Bay, WI$69,199
Baton Rouge, LA$69,163
Charleston, SC$69,148
Jamestown, NY$69,112
Davenport, IA$69,112
Tucson, AZ$69,076
Saint Petersburg, FL$69,032
Tampa, FL$69,017
Evansville, IN$68,974
Port Arthur, TX$68,974
Bradenton, FL$68,944
Santa Fe, NM$68,813
Orlando, FL$68,682
Clearwater, FL$68,660
Canton, OH$68,508
La Crosse, WI$68,508
Albuquerque, NM$68,464
Newport News, VA$68,457
High Point, NC$68,435
Ogden, UT$68,406
Corpus Christi, TX$68,347
Norfolk, VA$68,304
Laramie, WY$68,304
Rock Island, IL$68,260
Saginaw, MI$68,245
Jacksonville, FL$68,238
Salisbury, NC$68,224
Boise, ID$68,209
Moline, IL$68,173
Fort Myers, FL$68,151
Memphis, TN$68,136
Tulsa, OK$68,100
Waterloo, IA$68,056
Spartanburg, SC$67,983
Lincoln, NE$67,947
Fort Wayne, IN$67,932
Provo, UT$67,925
Cedar Falls, IA$67,838
San Antonio, TX$67,808
Greensboro, NC$67,779
South Bend, IN$67,772
Savannah, GA$67,692
Muskegon, MI$67,663
Birmingham, AL$67,656
Winston Salem, NC$67,620
Lake Charles, LA$67,444
Anderson, IN$67,430
Lexington, KY$67,408
Augusta, GA$67,386
Greenville, SC$67,386
Lima, OH$67,328
Wichita, KS$67,321
Tuscaloosa, AL$67,321
Columbia, SC$67,255
Springfield, OH$67,241
Asheville, NC$67,124
Bloomington, IN$67,073
Knoxville, TN$66,811
Shreveport, LA$66,804
Wilmington, NC$66,709
Roanoke, VA$66,709
Topeka, KS$66,578
Frankfort, KY$66,570
Oklahoma City, OK$66,520
Chillicothe, OH$66,490
Longview, TX$66,483
Melbourne, FL$66,476
Sioux Falls, SD$66,359
Mobile, AL$66,352
Terre Haute, IN$66,323
Altoona, PA$66,279
Amarillo, TX$66,228
Killeen, TX$66,206
Fayetteville, AR$66,148
Chattanooga, TN$66,126
Sioux City, IA$66,061
Idaho Falls, ID$66,046
Lynchburg, VA$65,988
Gainesville, FL$65,893
Portsmouth, OH$65,857
Little Rock, AR$65,842
Lafayette, LA$65,813
Youngstown, OH$65,813
Daytona Beach, FL$65,770
Clarksville, TN$65,762
Pensacola, FL$65,755
Temple, TX$65,750
Hopkinsville, KY$65,537
Erie, PA$65,522
Florence, SC$65,493
Charleston, WV$65,376
Great Falls, MT$65,340
Macon, GA$65,238
Tallahassee, FL$65,231
Fayetteville, NC$65,216
Waco, TX$65,202
Helena, MT$65,151
Pine Bluff, AR$65,123
Vincennes, IN$65,034
Lubbock, TX$65,005
Alamogordo, NM$64,961
Twin Falls, ID$64,896
Rapid City, SD$64,874
Jackson, MS$64,743
Huntington, WV$64,738
Greenville, MS$64,736
Parkersburg, WV$64,661
Montgomery, AL$64,648
Wichita Falls, TX$64,575
Springfield, MO$64,575
Biloxi, MS$64,539
Monroe, LA$64,466
Johnstown, PA$64,415
Sumter, SC$64,386
Columbus, GA$64,379
Pascagoula, MS$64,240
Abilene, TX$64,240
Kingsport, TN$64,051
Albany, GA$64,051
Gulfport, MS$64,029
Alexandria, LA$63,789
Fort Smith, AR$63,607
El Paso, TX$63,410
Las Cruces, NM$63,083
Harlingen, TX$62,898
Pocatello, ID$62,886
Florence, AL$62,791
Brownsville, TX$62,777
Mcallen, TX$62,624
Dothan, AL$62,522
Columbus, MS$62,089
Altus, OK$61,750
Lawton, OK$61,612
Pierre, SD$61,350
What Skills Can Increase a Direct Care Worker/ DSP's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Leadership (Mentioned in 5.05% Job Postings): Knowledge of and ability to employ effective strategies that motivate and guide other members within our business to achieve optimum results.
Acute Care (Mentioned in 2.99% Job Postings): Acute care is a branch of secondary health care where a patient receives active but short-term treatment for a severe injury or episode of illness, an urgent medical condition, or during recovery from surgery. In medical terms, care for acute health conditions is the opposite from chronic care, or longer term care. Acute care services are generally delivered by teams of health care professionals from a range of medical and surgical specialties. Acute care may require a stay in a hospital emergency department, ambulatory surgery center, urgent care centre or other short-term stay facility, along with the assistance of diagnostic services, surgery, or follow-up outpatient care in the community. Hospital-based acute inpatient care typically has the goal of discharging patients as soon as they are deemed healthy and stable. Acute care settings include emergency department, intensive care, coronary care, cardiology, neonatal intensive care, and many general areas where the patient could become acutely unwell and require stabilization and transfer to another higher dependency unit for further treatment.
Home Care (Mentioned in 2.08% Job Postings): Homecare is health care or supportive care provided by a professional caregiver in the individual home where the patient or client is living, as opposed to care provided in group accommodations like clinics or nursing home.
See More Skills
Skills
Demand Percentage
Leadership
5.05%
Acute Care
2.99%
Home Care
2.08%
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 Care Worker/ DSP's salary.
Delegation: Can increase your salary by up to 30%.
Nursing Practice: Can increase your salary by up to 18%.
Clinical Nursing: Can increase your salary by up to 16%.
Skill
Salary
Salary % Increase
Delegation
$94,664
30%
Nursing Practice
$85,926
18%
Clinical Nursing
$84,469
16%
Nursing Process
$83,741
15%
Empathy
$81,557
12%
Cardiac
$81,557
12%
Get Latest Data
Direct Care Worker/ DSP Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Direct Care Worker/ DSP roles, the industry you choose can impact your earning potential
by as much as 40% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the highest-paying industry, Healthcare,
offers compensation 20% above the average. Conversely,
Direct Care Worker/ DSP positions in Edu., Government & Nonprofit typically offer lower base pay,
as this sector often view Direct Care Worker/ DSP as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industry for a Direct Care Worker/ DSP
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Healthcare
$87,382
$42.0
20%
How Education impacts a Direct Care Worker/ DSP's Salary?
Your level of education can impact your salary potential.
While many Direct Care Worker/ DSPs enter the field with a Associate's Degree degree,
higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.
According to our 100% employer-reported salary data,
the median salary for a Direct Care Worker/ DSP with a Associate's Degree is between
$68,495
and $70,786).
Direct Care Worker/ DSP Salaries by Degree Level
Typical Education for Direct Care Worker/ DSP
No Diploma1.0%
High School1.0%
Associates58.2%
Bachelors39.8%
Masters1.0%
Doctorate0.0%
view as table
Degree Level
% of user with this level of education
No Diploma
1.0%
High School
1.0%
Associates
58.2%
Bachelors
39.8%
Masters
1.0%
Doctorate
0.0%
view as graph
Direct Care Worker/ DSP Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a Direct Care Worker/ DSP'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.
Hourly
Monthly
Weekly
Yearly
Table View
Last Updated on August 01, 2026
$68,901
Average$72,818/year
$79,097
$5,742
Average$6,068/month
$6,591
$1,325
Average$1,400/week
$1,521
$33
Average$35/hour
$38
Annual Salary
Monthly Pay
Weekly Pay
Hourly Wage
75th Percentile
$79,097
$6,591
$1,521
$38
Average
$72,818
$6,068
$1,400
$35
25th Percentile
$68,901
$5,742
$1,325
$33
Salaries of jobs related to Direct Care Worker/ DSP
Salaries for a Direct Care Worker/ DSP can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $81,285 in 2023
to around $79,357 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Direct Care Worker/ DSP salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Direct Care Worker/ DSP Over Time
2022
$???
2023
$81,285
2024
$81,042
2025
$79,357
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$81,285
2024
$81,042
2025
$79,357
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Direct Care Worker/ DSP
Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
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Common company salaries for Direct Care Worker/ DSP
Here are companies hiring for Direct Care Worker/ DSP and their salaries, click below for more details.
N
$97,099/per year
New York Police Department
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
S
$95,962/per year
State of New York - Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
U
$94,615/per year
US Department of Transportation
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
U
$93,141/per year
US General Services Administration
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
L
$92,342/per year
Los Angeles County
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
D
$92,011/per year
Department of Justice - Federal Bureau of Prisons
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
U
$91,967/per year
US Department of Commerce
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
U
$91,755/per year
US Department of Energy
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
F
$91,673/per year
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
N
$90,276/per year
Naval Sea Systems Command
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
T
$88,975/per year
The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
S
$88,721/per year
San Diego County
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
T
$88,664/per year
The TTB
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
L
$87,569/per year
Lutheran Services
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
M
$85,066/per year
Maryland Inc
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
S
$83,780/per year
State University of New York
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
N
$82,969/per year
New York State
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
P
$82,703/per year
Puerto Rico Department of Education
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
U
$80,526/per year
US Central Command
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
H
$80,286/per year
Health and Safety Executive Northern Ireland
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
A
$79,270/per year
Air Force Reserve
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
A
$78,505/per year
American Automobile Association (AAA)
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
S
$76,678/per year
State of Florida - Department of Health
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
N
$75,183/per year
New York State Department
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
S
$75,106/per year
State University System of Florida
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
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FAQ about Direct Care Worker/ DSP
1. What industry pays the highest salary for Direct Care Worker/ DSP?
The Healthcare industry offers the highest average compensation for Direct Care Worker/ DSP roles,
with salaries approximately 20% above the market median.
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.
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