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

A Direct Support Aide's salary grows with experience: a Direct Support Aide (0-0 years)earns $33,908, a Nursing Assistant - Non-certified (0-1 years)earns $34,171, a Patient Care Technician (PCT) (1-3 years)earns $37,860,

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

Direct Support Aide salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Direct Support Aide roles are District of Columbia $37,687, California $37,544, Massachusetts $37,043. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

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

Salaries for Direct Support Aide level roles vary by specialization: Direct Care Aide IDD: $175,497; Direct Support Professionals: $169,898; Direct Support Supervisor: $75,074; Direct Support Associate: $39,499; Direct Care Aide: $38,820.

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

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Direct Support Aide roles. Large, established industry leaders like Kpmg Us LLP ($114,295) and Warner Bros Discovery ($114,096) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $88,138.

Direct Support Aide Salary in the United States

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

As of April 01, 2026, the average salary for a Direct Support Aide in the United States is $34,038 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $16.

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

Top Earners (90th percentile): $37,417
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $30,759 to $35,807
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $27,773

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Direct Support Aide Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$35,807	$2,984	$689	$17
Average	$34,038	$2,836	$655	$16
25th Percentile	$30,759	$2,563	$592	$15

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Key Factors That Influence Direct Support Aide Salaries

A Direct Support Aide'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 Do Direct Support Aide 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 Aides. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $37,687.
California: $37,544.
Massachusetts: $37,043.

District of Columbia $37,687

California $37,544

Massachusetts $37,043

Washington $36,907

New Jersey $36,894

Alaska $36,846

Connecticut $36,376

New York $36,186

Hawaii $35,576

Rhode Island $35,290

Maryland $35,096

Minnesota $34,831

Colorado $34,729

Illinois $34,695

Oregon $34,565

Delaware $34,470

New Hampshire $34,410

Virginia $34,276

Pennsylvania $33,885

Nevada $33,687

North Dakota $33,623

Michigan $33,521

Wisconsin $33,483

Vermont $33,408

Texas $33,201

Maine $33,187

Arizona $33,167

Ohio $33,143

Georgia $32,830

Indiana $32,673

Wyoming $32,642

Utah $32,595

Iowa $32,574

Kansas $32,411

Louisiana $32,363

North Carolina $32,346

Missouri $32,339

Florida $32,207

Montana $32,135

Nebraska $32,067

Kentucky $32,030

South Carolina $31,894

Tennessee $31,808

Idaho $31,774

New Mexico $31,526

Oklahoma $31,471

Alabama $31,271

South Dakota $30,934

Arkansas $30,750

West Virginia $30,651

Mississippi $30,355

Top Paying Cities for Direct Support Aides

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: $42,932
San Francisco: $42,510
Oakland: $41,567

San Jose, CA $42,932

San Francisco, CA $42,510

Oakland, CA $41,567

New York, NY $39,447

Queens Village, NY $39,191

Paramus, NJ $38,919

Passaic, NJ $38,885

Bergenfield, NJ $38,851

Stamford, CT $38,800

Huntington, NY $38,766

Newark, NJ $38,545

Bridgeport, CT $38,476

New Brunswick, NJ $38,364

Vallejo, CA $38,293

Middlesex, NJ $38,272

Somerset, NJ $38,242

Petaluma, CA $38,163

Santa Cruz, CA $38,031

Boston, MA $37,962

Monterey, CA $37,792

Fairbanks, AK $37,768

Los Angeles, CA $37,704

Washington, DC $37,687

Seattle, WA $37,625

Santa Rosa, CA $37,619

Juneau, AK $37,520

Orange, CA $37,408

Anchorage, AK $37,346

Anaheim, CA $37,323

Santa Ana, CA $37,272

Nassau, NY $37,251

Long Beach, CA $37,237

Danbury, CT $37,227

Santa Maria, CA $37,112

Everett, WA $37,105

Bremerton, WA $36,938

Trenton, NJ $36,873

Sacramento, CA $36,860

San Diego, CA $36,843

Brockton, MA $36,829

Tacoma, WA $36,815

Santa Barbara, CA $36,768

Lowell, MA $36,632

New Suffolk, NY $36,618

Nashua, NH $36,577

Lompoc, CA $36,523

Ventura, CA $36,489

Stockton, CA $36,478

New Haven, CT $36,410

Atlantic City, NJ $36,322

Hartford, CT $36,247

Modesto, CA $36,230

Poughkeepsie, NY $36,155

New Britain, CT $36,138

Olympia, WA $36,090

Kennewick, WA $36,090

New London, CT $36,084

Norwich, CT $36,073

Lawrence, MA $36,056

Bakersfield, CA $35,961

Riverside, CA $35,913

New Bedford, MA $35,913

Richland, WA $35,879

Portsmouth, NH $35,852

Vineland, NJ $35,845

San Bernardino, CA $35,818

Boulder, CO $35,723

Worcester, MA $35,696

Portland, OR $35,665

Saint Paul, MN $35,624

Minneapolis, MN $35,624

Philadelphia, PA $35,576

Honolulu, HI $35,396

Springfield, MA $35,277

Providence, RI $35,273

Chicago, IL $35,175

Bellingham, WA $35,134

Baltimore, MD $35,096

Chico, CA $35,011

Wilmington, DE $34,954

Pittsfield, MA $34,919

Manchester, NH $34,855

Spokane, WA $34,705

Denver, CO $34,702

Albany, NY $34,542

Troy, NY $34,528

Schenectady, NY $34,457

Burlington, VT $34,382

Portland, ME $34,263

Salem, OR $34,235

Yakima, WA $34,229

Ann Arbor, MI $34,218

Rochester, MN $34,123

Fresno, CA $34,106

Reno, NV $34,106

Milwaukee, WI $34,075

Detroit, MI $34,041

Allentown, PA $34,031

Carson City, NV $34,028

Houston, TX $33,977

Colorado Springs, CO $33,973

Syracuse, NY $33,956

Eugene, OR $33,892

Bismarck, ND $33,851

Gary, IN $33,851

Galveston, TX $33,851

Springfield, OR $33,823

Medford, OR $33,742

Fort Collins, CO $33,728

Austin, TX $33,701

Mesa, AZ $33,629

Phoenix, AZ $33,623

Dallas, TX $33,612

Reading, PA $33,592

Saint Cloud, MN $33,578

Concord, NH $33,548

Madison, WI $33,534

Utica, NY $33,442

Raleigh, NC $33,415

Las Vegas, NV $33,412

Rochester, NY $33,388

Des Moines, IA $33,384

Atlanta, GA $33,330

Battle Creek, MI $33,320

Salt Lake City, UT $33,309

Lancaster, PA $33,258

Champaign, IL $33,252

Harrisburg, PA $33,211

Durham, NC $33,180

Kansas City, MO $33,177

Kansas City, KS $33,170

Fort Worth, TX $33,167

Boca Raton, FL $33,153

Cleveland, OH $33,150

Columbus, OH $33,143

Pittsburgh, PA $33,139

Richmond, VA $33,126

Indianapolis, IN $33,119

Cincinnati, OH $33,075

Petersburg, VA $33,024

Billings, MT $32,949

Lansing, MI $32,949

Huntsville, AL $32,949

Lebanon, PA $32,945

Dayton, OH $32,942

Pueblo, CO $32,942

Appleton, WI $32,932

Buffalo, NY $32,918

Racine, WI $32,901

Charlotte, NC $32,898

Saint Louis, MO $32,887

Springfield, IL $32,874

Elkhart, IN $32,867

York, PA $32,867

Gastonia, NC $32,864

Benton Harbor, MI $32,864

Beaumont, TX $32,843

Lorain, OH $32,836

Toledo, OH $32,823

Binghamton, NY $32,806

Rock Hill, SC $32,802

Rockford, IL $32,785

Fargo, ND $32,768

Elyria, OH $32,768

Flagstaff, AZ $32,744

Fort Lauderdale, FL $32,724

Miami, FL $32,704

Duluth, MN $32,649

Bangor, ME $32,605

Cedar Rapids, IA $32,567

Louisville, KY $32,550

Grand Rapids, MI $32,544

Hialeah, FL $32,540

Casper, WY $32,493

Scranton, PA $32,452

New Orleans, LA $32,442

Virginia Beach, VA $32,438

Akron, OH $32,421

Peoria, IL $32,377

Sarasota, FL $32,370

Green Bay, WI $32,346

Baton Rouge, LA $32,329

Charleston, SC $32,322

Nashville, TN $32,312

Jamestown, NY $32,305

Davenport, IA $32,305

Tucson, AZ $32,288

Cheyenne, WY $32,278

Saint Petersburg, FL $32,268

Tampa, FL $32,261

Omaha, NE $32,254

Port Arthur, TX $32,241

Evansville, IN $32,241

Bradenton, FL $32,227

Santa Fe, NM $32,166

Orlando, FL $32,132

Clearwater, FL $32,094

Canton, OH $32,023

La Crosse, WI $32,023

Grand Forks, ND $32,013

Albuquerque, NM $32,002

Tulsa, OK $32,002

Newport News, VA $31,999

High Point, NC $31,989

Ogden, UT $31,975

Corpus Christi, TX $31,948

Laramie, WY $31,928

Norfolk, VA $31,928

Rock Island, IL $31,907

Saginaw, MI $31,900

Jacksonville, FL $31,897

Salisbury, NC $31,890

Memphis, TN $31,883

Moline, IL $31,866

Fort Myers, FL $31,856

Waterloo, IA $31,812

Spartanburg, SC $31,778

Lincoln, NE $31,761

Fort Wayne, IN $31,754

Birmingham, AL $31,717

Cedar Falls, IA $31,710

Provo, UT $31,706

Springfield, OH $31,703

San Antonio, TX $31,696

Greensboro, NC $31,682

South Bend, IN $31,679

Winston Salem, NC $31,676

Boise, ID $31,665

Savannah, GA $31,642

Muskegon, MI $31,580

Lima, OH $31,540

Lake Charles, LA $31,526

Anderson, IN $31,519

Lexington, KY $31,509

Augusta, GA $31,499

Greenville, SC $31,499

Wichita, KS $31,468

Tuscaloosa, AL $31,468

Columbia, SC $31,437

Bloomington, IN $31,352

Roanoke, VA $31,332

Asheville, NC $31,288

Knoxville, TN $31,230

Shreveport, LA $31,226

Wilmington, NC $31,182

Frankfort, KY $31,117

Oklahoma City, OK $31,094

Chillicothe, OH $31,080

Longview, TX $31,077

Topeka, KS $31,066

Mobile, AL $31,015

Terre Haute, IN $31,002

Erie, PA $30,998

Altoona, PA $30,981

Melbourne, FL $30,971

Amarillo, TX $30,957

Killeen, TX $30,947

Fayetteville, AR $30,920

Sioux Falls, SD $30,896

Chattanooga, TN $30,876

Idaho Falls, ID $30,872

Gainesville, FL $30,801

Portsmouth, OH $30,784

Little Rock, AR $30,777

Lynchburg, VA $30,777

Lafayette, LA $30,763

Youngstown, OH $30,763

Temple, TX $30,750

Daytona Beach, FL $30,743

Clarksville, TN $30,740

Pensacola, FL $30,736

Hopkinsville, KY $30,634

Charleston, WV $30,631

Florence, SC $30,614

Sioux City, IA $30,593

Macon, GA $30,495

Tallahassee, FL $30,491

Fayetteville, NC $30,484

Waco, TX $30,478

Wichita Falls, TX $30,478

Pine Bluff, AR $30,464

Vincennes, IN $30,399

Lubbock, TX $30,386

Great Falls, MT $30,365

Alamogordo, NM $30,362

Abilene, TX $30,335

Rapid City, SD $30,290

Monroe, LA $30,290

Albany, GA $30,270

Huntington, WV $30,267

Jackson, MS $30,263

Greenville, MS $30,260

Parkersburg, WV $30,226

Montgomery, AL $30,219

Johnstown, PA $30,212

Springfield, MO $30,185

Biloxi, MS $30,168

Sumter, SC $30,096

Columbus, GA $30,093

Twin Falls, ID $30,072

Pascagoula, MS $30,028

Kingsport, TN $29,940

Gulfport, MS $29,930

Alexandria, LA $29,817

Fort Smith, AR $29,732

El Paso, TX $29,640

Helena, MT $29,596

Las Cruces, NM $29,487

Harlingen, TX $29,392

Pocatello, ID $29,361

Florence, AL $29,351

Brownsville, TX $29,344

Dothan, AL $29,290

Mcallen, TX $29,273

Columbus, MS $29,021

Altus, OK $28,864

Lawton, OK $28,799

Pierre, SD $28,677

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

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Commitment (Mentioned in 3.53% 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.
Long Term Care (Mentioned in 4.69% Job Postings): Long-term care (LTC) is a variety of services which help meet both the medical and non-medical needs of people with a chronic illness or disability who cannot care for themselves for long periods. Long term care is focused on individualized and coordinated services that promote independence, maximize patients' quality of life, and meet patients' needs over a period of time. It is common for long-term care to provide custodial and non-skilled care, such as assisting with normal daily tasks like dressing, feeding, using the bathroom. Increasingly, long-term care involves providing a level of medical care that requires the expertise of skilled practitioners to address the multiple chronic conditions associated with older populations. Long-term care can be provided at home, in the community, in assisted living facilities or in nursing homes. Long-term care may be needed by people of any age, although it is a more common need for senior citizens.
Home Care (Mentioned in 2.18% 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
Commitment	3.53%
Long Term Care	4.69%
Home Care	2.18%

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 Aide's salary.

Dialysis: Can increase your salary by up to 14%.
Attention to Detail: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
Initiative: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Dialysis	$38,803	14%
Attention to Detail	$36,080	6%
Initiative	$35,740	5%
Collaboration	$35,740	5%
Cardiac	$35,399	4%
Organizational Skills	$35,399	4%

Get Latest Data

How Education impacts a Direct Support Aide's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Direct Support Aides enter the field with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate 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 Support Aide with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate is between $35,160 and $37,049).

Direct Support Aide Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Direct Support Aide

No Diploma 1.7%

High School 78.7%

Associates 11.4%

Bachelors 7.6%

Masters 0.6%

Doctorate 0.0%

view as table

Degree Level	% of user with this level of education
No Diploma	1.7%
High School	78.7%
Associates	11.4%
Bachelors	7.6%
Masters	0.6%
Doctorate	0.0%

view as graph

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

Understanding how a Direct Support Aide'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 April 01, 2026

$30,759

Average $34,038/year

$35,807

$2,563

Average $2,836/month

$2,984

$592

Average $655/week

$689

$15

Average $16/hour

$17

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$35,807	$2,984	$689	$17
Average	$34,038	$2,836	$655	$16
25th Percentile	$30,759	$2,563	$592	$15

Salaries of jobs related to Direct Support Aide

Salary Trends for Direct Support Aide

Salaries for a Direct Support Aide can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary increased from $48,978 in 2023 to around $49,588 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Direct Support Aide salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Direct Support Aide Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$48,978

2024

$49,756

2025

$49,588

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$48,978
2024	$49,756
2025	$49,588
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Direct Support Aide

Social Security

401(k)

Disability

Healthcare

Pension

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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.)

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