How much does a Direct Support Person make in the United States?
As of July 01, 2026, the average salary for a Direct Support Person in the United States is $36,052 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $17.
However, a Direct Support Person's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $40,928
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $33,572 to $38,604
Key Factors That Influence Direct Support Person Salaries
A Direct Support Person'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 Person Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of a Direct Support Person'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): $35,864
Early Career (1-2 years): $32,362
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $38,901
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $43,416
Expert (over 8 years): $43,474
Levels
Salary
Direct Su... Level Direct Support Person
$35,864
Home Care... Level Direct Support Person
$32,362
Home Care... Level Direct Support Person
$38,901
Home Care... Level Direct Support Person
$43,416
Home Care... Level Direct Support Person
$43,474
$35,8640 yr
$32,362< 2 yrs
$38,9012-4 yrs
$43,4165-8 yrs
$43,474> 8 yrs
View as Table
View as Graph
What Am I Worth?
How Do Direct Support Person 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 Persons.
For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
District of Columbia: $39,917.
California: $39,765.
Massachusetts: $39,235.
District of Columbia$39,917
California$39,765
Massachusetts$39,235
Washington$39,091
New Jersey$39,077
Alaska$39,026
Connecticut$38,529
New York$38,327
Hawaii$37,682
Rhode Island$37,379
Maryland$37,173
Minnesota$36,892
Colorado$36,784
Illinois$36,748
Oregon$36,611
Delaware$36,510
New Hampshire$36,446
Virginia$36,304
Pennsylvania$35,890
Nevada$35,681
North Dakota$35,612
Michigan$35,504
Wisconsin$35,464
Vermont$35,385
Texas$35,165
Maine$35,151
Arizona$35,129
Ohio$35,104
Georgia$34,772
Indiana$34,606
Wyoming$34,574
Utah$34,523
Iowa$34,502
Kansas$34,329
Louisiana$34,278
North Carolina$34,260
Missouri$34,253
Florida$34,112
Montana$34,037
Nebraska$33,965
Kentucky$33,925
South Carolina$33,781
Tennessee$33,691
Idaho$33,655
New Mexico$33,391
Oklahoma$33,334
Alabama$33,121
South Dakota$32,764
Arkansas$32,569
West Virginia$32,465
Mississippi$32,151
Top Paying Cities for Direct Support Persons
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: $45,472
San Francisco: $44,975
Oakland: $44,027
San Jose, CA$45,472
San Francisco, CA$44,975
Oakland, CA$44,027
New York, NY$41,510
Paramus, NJ$41,005
Queens Village, NY$41,003
Passaic, NJ$40,969
Bergenfield, NJ$40,966
Stamford, CT$40,887
Huntington, NY$40,872
Newark, NJ$40,605
Bridgeport, CT$40,529
Vallejo, CA$40,458
New Brunswick, NJ$40,443
Petaluma, CA$40,422
Middlesex, NJ$40,353
Somerset, NJ$40,328
Santa Cruz, CA$40,281
Boston, MA$40,061
Monterey, CA$39,934
Seattle, WA$39,852
Santa Rosa, CA$39,845
Los Angeles, CA$39,834
Juneau, AK$39,740
Washington, DC$39,700
Orange, CA$39,572
Santa Ana, CA$39,477
Long Beach, CA$39,441
Anaheim, CA$39,434
Anchorage, AK$39,416
Santa Maria, CA$39,307
Everett, WA$39,300
Danbury, CT$39,173
Bremerton, WA$39,124
Tacoma, WA$38,994
New Suffolk, NY$38,993
Sacramento, CA$38,983
Santa Barbara, CA$38,943
Trenton, NJ$38,904
San Diego, CA$38,904
Brockton, MA$38,864
Fairbanks, AK$38,776
Lompoc, CA$38,684
Lowell, MA$38,655
Ventura, CA$38,648
Nashua, NH$38,641
Stockton, CA$38,637
Modesto, CA$38,374
Poughkeepsie, NY$38,294
Olympia, WA$38,226
Kennewick, WA$38,226
New Haven, CT$38,212
Lawrence, MA$38,082
Hartford, CT$38,046
Riverside, CA$38,038
New Bedford, MA$38,002
Richland, WA$38,002
Bakersfield, CA$37,952
San Bernardino, CA$37,938
New Britain, CT$37,934
Atlantic City, NJ$37,934
New London, CT$37,919
Norwich, CT$37,909
Portsmouth, NH$37,901
Boulder, CO$37,825
Portland, OR$37,775
Worcester, MA$37,772
Minneapolis, MN$37,660
Philadelphia, PA$37,609
Honolulu, HI$37,490
Saint Paul, MN$37,473
Vineland, NJ$37,465
Providence, RI$37,361
Chicago, IL$37,256
Bellingham, WA$37,213
Springfield, MA$37,184
Baltimore, MD$37,173
Chico, CA$37,083
Pittsfield, MA$36,986
Manchester, NH$36,917
Spokane, WA$36,759
Denver, CO$36,755
Albany, NY$36,586
Troy, NY$36,571
Nassau, NY$36,533
Schenectady, NY$36,495
Wilmington, DE$36,467
Burlington, VT$36,416
Salem, OR$36,402
Portland, ME$36,290
Yakima, WA$36,254
Rochester, MN$36,142
Reno, NV$36,124
Fresno, CA$36,124
Milwaukee, WI$36,092
Detroit, MI$36,056
Ann Arbor, MI$36,049
Allentown, PA$36,045
Colorado Springs, CO$35,984
Syracuse, NY$35,965
Carson City, NV$35,965
Houston, TX$35,915
Eugene, OR$35,897
Gary, IN$35,854
Springfield, OR$35,825
Bismarck, ND$35,818
Galveston, TX$35,792
Medford, OR$35,738
Fort Collins, CO$35,724
Concord, NH$35,706
Austin, TX$35,695
Mesa, AZ$35,619
Reading, PA$35,616
Phoenix, AZ$35,612
Dallas, TX$35,601
Saint Cloud, MN$35,567
Madison, WI$35,518
Utica, NY$35,421
Rochester, NY$35,363
Des Moines, IA$35,360
Raleigh, NC$35,356
Atlanta, GA$35,302
Battle Creek, MI$35,291
Salt Lake City, UT$35,280
Lancaster, PA$35,226
Harrisburg, PA$35,176
Kansas City, MO$35,140
Champaign, IL$35,133
Kansas City, KS$35,133
Fort Worth, TX$35,129
Columbus, OH$35,123
Boca Raton, FL$35,115
Pittsburgh, PA$35,100
Richmond, VA$35,086
Indianapolis, IN$35,079
Cleveland, OH$35,075
Las Vegas, NV$35,032
Cincinnati, OH$35,032
Petersburg, VA$34,978
Huntsville, AL$34,924
Lansing, MI$34,899
Lebanon, PA$34,895
Pueblo, CO$34,891
Appleton, WI$34,880
Buffalo, NY$34,866
Dayton, OH$34,855
Racine, WI$34,848
Charlotte, NC$34,844
Saint Louis, MO$34,833
York, PA$34,812
Elkhart, IN$34,812
Gastonia, NC$34,805
Billings, MT$34,796
Beaumont, TX$34,787
Lorain, OH$34,779
Benton Harbor, MI$34,772
Toledo, OH$34,765
Binghamton, NY$34,747
Rock Hill, SC$34,743
Rockford, IL$34,725
Springfield, IL$34,711
Elyria, OH$34,707
Fargo, ND$34,707
Flagstaff, AZ$34,682
Fort Lauderdale, FL$34,660
Duluth, MN$34,639
Miami, FL$34,639
Cheyenne, WY$34,614
Grand Forks, ND$34,614
Bangor, ME$34,534
Cedar Rapids, IA$34,495
Durham, NC$34,479
Louisville, KY$34,477
Grand Rapids, MI$34,469
Hialeah, FL$34,466
Casper, WY$34,415
Scranton, PA$34,372
New Orleans, LA$34,361
Virginia Beach, VA$34,358
Akron, OH$34,340
Peoria, IL$34,293
Sarasota, FL$34,285
Nashville, TN$34,260
Omaha, NE$34,260
Green Bay, WI$34,260
Baton Rouge, LA$34,242
Charleston, SC$34,235
Jamestown, NY$34,217
Davenport, IA$34,217
Tucson, AZ$34,199
Saint Petersburg, FL$34,177
Tampa, FL$34,170
Evansville, IN$34,148
Port Arthur, TX$34,148
Bradenton, FL$34,134
Santa Fe, NM$34,069
Orlando, FL$34,004
Clearwater, FL$33,993
Canton, OH$33,918
La Crosse, WI$33,918
Albuquerque, NM$33,896
Newport News, VA$33,892
High Point, NC$33,882
Ogden, UT$33,867
Corpus Christi, TX$33,838
Norfolk, VA$33,817
Laramie, WY$33,817
Rock Island, IL$33,795
Saginaw, MI$33,788
Jacksonville, FL$33,784
Salisbury, NC$33,777
Boise, ID$33,770
Moline, IL$33,752
Fort Myers, FL$33,741
Memphis, TN$33,734
Tulsa, OK$33,716
Waterloo, IA$33,694
Spartanburg, SC$33,658
Lincoln, NE$33,640
Fort Wayne, IN$33,633
Provo, UT$33,629
Cedar Falls, IA$33,586
San Antonio, TX$33,572
Greensboro, NC$33,557
South Bend, IN$33,554
Savannah, GA$33,514
Muskegon, MI$33,500
Birmingham, AL$33,496
Winston Salem, NC$33,478
Lake Charles, LA$33,391
Anderson, IN$33,384
Lexington, KY$33,373
Augusta, GA$33,363
Greenville, SC$33,363
Lima, OH$33,334
Wichita, KS$33,330
Tuscaloosa, AL$33,330
Columbia, SC$33,298
Springfield, OH$33,290
Asheville, NC$33,233
Bloomington, IN$33,207
Knoxville, TN$33,078
Shreveport, LA$33,074
Wilmington, NC$33,027
Roanoke, VA$33,027
Topeka, KS$32,962
Frankfort, KY$32,958
Oklahoma City, OK$32,934
Chillicothe, OH$32,919
Longview, TX$32,915
Melbourne, FL$32,912
Sioux Falls, SD$32,854
Mobile, AL$32,851
Terre Haute, IN$32,836
Altoona, PA$32,815
Amarillo, TX$32,789
Killeen, TX$32,778
Fayetteville, AR$32,750
Chattanooga, TN$32,739
Sioux City, IA$32,706
Idaho Falls, ID$32,699
Lynchburg, VA$32,670
Gainesville, FL$32,623
Portsmouth, OH$32,605
Little Rock, AR$32,598
Lafayette, LA$32,584
Youngstown, OH$32,584
Daytona Beach, FL$32,562
Clarksville, TN$32,559
Pensacola, FL$32,555
Temple, TX$32,552
Hopkinsville, KY$32,447
Erie, PA$32,440
Florence, SC$32,425
Charleston, WV$32,367
Great Falls, MT$32,349
Macon, GA$32,299
Tallahassee, FL$32,295
Fayetteville, NC$32,288
Waco, TX$32,281
Helena, MT$32,256
Pine Bluff, AR$32,242
Vincennes, IN$32,198
Lubbock, TX$32,184
Alamogordo, NM$32,162
Twin Falls, ID$32,130
Rapid City, SD$32,119
Jackson, MS$32,054
Huntington, WV$32,051
Greenville, MS$32,050
Parkersburg, WV$32,013
Montgomery, AL$32,007
Wichita Falls, TX$31,971
Springfield, MO$31,971
Biloxi, MS$31,953
Monroe, LA$31,917
Johnstown, PA$31,892
Sumter, SC$31,877
Columbus, GA$31,874
Pascagoula, MS$31,805
Abilene, TX$31,805
Kingsport, TN$31,711
Albany, GA$31,711
Gulfport, MS$31,701
Alexandria, LA$31,582
Fort Smith, AR$31,491
El Paso, TX$31,394
Las Cruces, NM$31,232
Harlingen, TX$31,140
Pocatello, ID$31,135
Florence, AL$31,088
Brownsville, TX$31,080
Mcallen, TX$31,005
Dothan, AL$30,954
Columbus, MS$30,740
Altus, OK$30,572
Lawton, OK$30,504
Pierre, SD$30,374
What Skills Can Increase a Direct Support Person'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 Person'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
$40,378
12%
Leadership
$39,297
9%
Analysis
$39,297
9%
Patient Care
$37,855
5%
Initiative
$37,494
4%
Written Communication
$37,494
4%
Get Latest Data
Direct Support Person Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Direct Support Person 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 Support Person positions in Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit typically offer lower base pay,
as this sector often view Direct Support Person as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industry for a Direct Support Person
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Healthcare
$43,262
$21.0
20%
Direct Support Person Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a Direct Support Person'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.
Salaries for a Direct Support Person can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $40,660 in 2023
to around $40,504 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Direct Support Person salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Direct Support Person Over Time
2022
$???
2023
$40,660
2024
$40,871
2025
$40,504
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$40,660
2024
$40,871
2025
$40,504
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Direct Support Person
Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
For Employers
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Common company salaries for Direct Support Person
Here are companies hiring for Direct Support Person 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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