Direct Support Professional I Salary in the United States
How much does a Direct Support Professional I make in the United States?
As of July 01, 2026, the average salary for a Direct Support Professional I in the United States is $36,633 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $18.
However, a Direct Support Professional I's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $41,587
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $34,113 to $39,226
Key Factors That Influence Direct Support Professional I Salaries
A Direct Support Professional I'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 I Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of a Direct Support Professional I'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): $36,442
Early Career (1-2 years): $32,883
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $39,528
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $44,115
Expert (over 8 years): $44,174
Levels
Salary
Direct Su... Level Direct Support Professional I
$36,442
Home Care... Level Direct Support Professional I
$32,883
Home Care... Level Direct Support Professional I
$39,528
Home Care... Level Direct Support Professional I
$44,115
Home Care... Level Direct Support Professional I
$44,174
$36,4420 yr
$32,883< 2 yrs
$39,5282-4 yrs
$44,1155-8 yrs
$44,174> 8 yrs
View as Table
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What Am I Worth?
How Do Direct Support Professional I 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 Professional Is.
For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
District of Columbia: $40,560.
California: $40,406.
Massachusetts: $39,867.
District of Columbia$40,560
California$40,406
Massachusetts$39,867
Washington$39,721
New Jersey$39,706
Alaska$39,655
Connecticut$39,149
New York$38,944
Hawaii$38,288
Rhode Island$37,981
Maryland$37,772
Minnesota$37,486
Colorado$37,376
Illinois$37,340
Oregon$37,200
Delaware$37,098
New Hampshire$37,033
Virginia$36,889
Pennsylvania$36,468
Nevada$36,255
North Dakota$36,186
Michigan$36,076
Wisconsin$36,035
Vermont$35,955
Texas$35,731
Maine$35,717
Arizona$35,695
Ohio$35,669
Georgia$35,332
Indiana$35,164
Wyoming$35,131
Utah$35,079
Iowa$35,057
Kansas$34,882
Louisiana$34,830
North Carolina$34,812
Missouri$34,805
Florida$34,662
Montana$34,585
Nebraska$34,512
Kentucky$34,471
South Carolina$34,325
Tennessee$34,233
Idaho$34,197
New Mexico$33,929
Oklahoma$33,871
Alabama$33,654
South Dakota$33,292
Arkansas$33,094
West Virginia$32,988
Mississippi$32,669
Top Paying Cities for Direct Support Professional Is
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: $46,205
San Francisco: $45,699
Oakland: $44,736
San Jose, CA$46,205
San Francisco, CA$45,699
Oakland, CA$44,736
New York, NY$42,178
Paramus, NJ$41,666
Queens Village, NY$41,664
Passaic, NJ$41,629
Bergenfield, NJ$41,626
Stamford, CT$41,545
Huntington, NY$41,530
Newark, NJ$41,259
Bridgeport, CT$41,182
Vallejo, CA$41,109
New Brunswick, NJ$41,094
Petaluma, CA$41,072
Middlesex, NJ$41,003
Somerset, NJ$40,977
Santa Cruz, CA$40,930
Boston, MA$40,706
Monterey, CA$40,578
Seattle, WA$40,494
Santa Rosa, CA$40,486
Los Angeles, CA$40,475
Juneau, AK$40,380
Washington, DC$40,340
Orange, CA$40,209
Santa Ana, CA$40,113
Long Beach, CA$40,076
Anaheim, CA$40,069
Anchorage, AK$40,050
Santa Maria, CA$39,941
Everett, WA$39,933
Danbury, CT$39,804
Bremerton, WA$39,754
Tacoma, WA$39,622
New Suffolk, NY$39,621
Sacramento, CA$39,611
Santa Barbara, CA$39,571
Trenton, NJ$39,530
San Diego, CA$39,530
Brockton, MA$39,490
Fairbanks, AK$39,400
Lompoc, CA$39,307
Lowell, MA$39,277
Ventura, CA$39,270
Nashua, NH$39,263
Stockton, CA$39,259
Modesto, CA$38,992
Poughkeepsie, NY$38,911
Olympia, WA$38,842
Kennewick, WA$38,842
New Haven, CT$38,827
Lawrence, MA$38,695
Hartford, CT$38,658
Riverside, CA$38,651
New Bedford, MA$38,614
Richland, WA$38,614
Bakersfield, CA$38,563
San Bernardino, CA$38,548
New Britain, CT$38,545
Atlantic City, NJ$38,545
New London, CT$38,530
Norwich, CT$38,519
Portsmouth, NH$38,512
Boulder, CO$38,434
Portland, OR$38,384
Worcester, MA$38,380
Minneapolis, MN$38,266
Philadelphia, PA$38,215
Honolulu, HI$38,094
Saint Paul, MN$38,077
Vineland, NJ$38,069
Providence, RI$37,962
Chicago, IL$37,856
Bellingham, WA$37,812
Springfield, MA$37,783
Baltimore, MD$37,772
Chico, CA$37,680
Pittsfield, MA$37,581
Manchester, NH$37,512
Spokane, WA$37,351
Denver, CO$37,347
Albany, NY$37,175
Troy, NY$37,160
Nassau, NY$37,121
Schenectady, NY$37,083
Wilmington, DE$37,054
Burlington, VT$37,003
Salem, OR$36,988
Portland, ME$36,874
Yakima, WA$36,838
Rochester, MN$36,724
Reno, NV$36,706
Fresno, CA$36,706
Milwaukee, WI$36,673
Detroit, MI$36,636
Ann Arbor, MI$36,630
Allentown, PA$36,625
Colorado Springs, CO$36,563
Syracuse, NY$36,545
Carson City, NV$36,545
Houston, TX$36,493
Eugene, OR$36,475
Gary, IN$36,431
Springfield, OR$36,402
Bismarck, ND$36,394
Galveston, TX$36,369
Medford, OR$36,314
Fort Collins, CO$36,299
Concord, NH$36,281
Austin, TX$36,270
Mesa, AZ$36,193
Reading, PA$36,189
Phoenix, AZ$36,186
Dallas, TX$36,175
Saint Cloud, MN$36,140
Madison, WI$36,090
Utica, NY$35,992
Rochester, NY$35,933
Des Moines, IA$35,929
Raleigh, NC$35,926
Atlanta, GA$35,871
Battle Creek, MI$35,860
Salt Lake City, UT$35,849
Lancaster, PA$35,794
Harrisburg, PA$35,742
Kansas City, MO$35,706
Champaign, IL$35,698
Kansas City, KS$35,698
Fort Worth, TX$35,695
Columbus, OH$35,689
Boca Raton, FL$35,680
Pittsburgh, PA$35,665
Richmond, VA$35,651
Indianapolis, IN$35,644
Cleveland, OH$35,640
Las Vegas, NV$35,596
Cincinnati, OH$35,596
Petersburg, VA$35,541
Huntsville, AL$35,486
Lansing, MI$35,461
Lebanon, PA$35,457
Pueblo, CO$35,453
Appleton, WI$35,442
Buffalo, NY$35,427
Dayton, OH$35,416
Racine, WI$35,409
Charlotte, NC$35,405
Saint Louis, MO$35,394
York, PA$35,372
Elkhart, IN$35,372
Gastonia, NC$35,365
Billings, MT$35,357
Beaumont, TX$35,347
Lorain, OH$35,339
Benton Harbor, MI$35,332
Toledo, OH$35,325
Binghamton, NY$35,306
Rock Hill, SC$35,303
Rockford, IL$35,285
Springfield, IL$35,270
Elyria, OH$35,266
Fargo, ND$35,266
Flagstaff, AZ$35,241
Fort Lauderdale, FL$35,219
Duluth, MN$35,197
Miami, FL$35,197
Cheyenne, WY$35,171
Grand Forks, ND$35,171
Bangor, ME$35,090
Cedar Rapids, IA$35,050
Durham, NC$35,035
Louisville, KY$35,032
Grand Rapids, MI$35,024
Hialeah, FL$35,021
Casper, WY$34,969
Scranton, PA$34,926
New Orleans, LA$34,915
Virginia Beach, VA$34,911
Akron, OH$34,893
Peoria, IL$34,845
Sarasota, FL$34,838
Nashville, TN$34,812
Omaha, NE$34,812
Green Bay, WI$34,812
Baton Rouge, LA$34,794
Charleston, SC$34,786
Jamestown, NY$34,768
Davenport, IA$34,768
Tucson, AZ$34,750
Saint Petersburg, FL$34,728
Tampa, FL$34,720
Evansville, IN$34,698
Port Arthur, TX$34,698
Bradenton, FL$34,684
Santa Fe, NM$34,618
Orlando, FL$34,552
Clearwater, FL$34,541
Canton, OH$34,464
La Crosse, WI$34,464
Albuquerque, NM$34,442
Newport News, VA$34,438
High Point, NC$34,427
Ogden, UT$34,413
Corpus Christi, TX$34,383
Norfolk, VA$34,361
Laramie, WY$34,361
Rock Island, IL$34,339
Saginaw, MI$34,332
Jacksonville, FL$34,328
Salisbury, NC$34,321
Boise, ID$34,314
Moline, IL$34,295
Fort Myers, FL$34,284
Memphis, TN$34,277
Tulsa, OK$34,259
Waterloo, IA$34,237
Spartanburg, SC$34,200
Lincoln, NE$34,182
Fort Wayne, IN$34,175
Provo, UT$34,171
Cedar Falls, IA$34,127
San Antonio, TX$34,112
Greensboro, NC$34,098
South Bend, IN$34,094
Savannah, GA$34,054
Muskegon, MI$34,039
Birmingham, AL$34,035
Winston Salem, NC$34,017
Lake Charles, LA$33,929
Anderson, IN$33,922
Lexington, KY$33,911
Augusta, GA$33,900
Greenville, SC$33,900
Lima, OH$33,871
Wichita, KS$33,867
Tuscaloosa, AL$33,867
Columbia, SC$33,834
Springfield, OH$33,827
Asheville, NC$33,768
Bloomington, IN$33,742
Knoxville, TN$33,610
Shreveport, LA$33,607
Wilmington, NC$33,559
Roanoke, VA$33,559
Topeka, KS$33,493
Frankfort, KY$33,489
Oklahoma City, OK$33,464
Chillicothe, OH$33,449
Longview, TX$33,446
Melbourne, FL$33,442
Sioux Falls, SD$33,383
Mobile, AL$33,380
Terre Haute, IN$33,365
Altoona, PA$33,343
Amarillo, TX$33,317
Killeen, TX$33,306
Fayetteville, AR$33,277
Chattanooga, TN$33,266
Sioux City, IA$33,233
Idaho Falls, ID$33,226
Lynchburg, VA$33,196
Gainesville, FL$33,149
Portsmouth, OH$33,131
Little Rock, AR$33,123
Lafayette, LA$33,109
Youngstown, OH$33,109
Daytona Beach, FL$33,087
Clarksville, TN$33,083
Pensacola, FL$33,079
Temple, TX$33,077
Hopkinsville, KY$32,969
Erie, PA$32,962
Florence, SC$32,947
Charleston, WV$32,889
Great Falls, MT$32,870
Macon, GA$32,819
Tallahassee, FL$32,815
Fayetteville, NC$32,808
Waco, TX$32,801
Helena, MT$32,775
Pine Bluff, AR$32,761
Vincennes, IN$32,717
Lubbock, TX$32,702
Alamogordo, NM$32,680
Twin Falls, ID$32,647
Rapid City, SD$32,636
Jackson, MS$32,570
Huntington, WV$32,567
Greenville, MS$32,566
Parkersburg, WV$32,529
Montgomery, AL$32,522
Wichita Falls, TX$32,486
Springfield, MO$32,486
Biloxi, MS$32,467
Monroe, LA$32,431
Johnstown, PA$32,405
Sumter, SC$32,391
Columbus, GA$32,387
Pascagoula, MS$32,317
Abilene, TX$32,317
Kingsport, TN$32,222
Albany, GA$32,222
Gulfport, MS$32,211
Alexandria, LA$32,090
Fort Smith, AR$31,999
El Paso, TX$31,900
Las Cruces, NM$31,735
Harlingen, TX$31,642
Pocatello, ID$31,636
Florence, AL$31,588
Brownsville, TX$31,581
Mcallen, TX$31,504
Dothan, AL$31,453
Columbus, MS$31,235
Altus, OK$31,064
Lawton, OK$30,995
Pierre, SD$30,863
What Skills Can Increase a Direct Support Professional I'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 I'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
$41,029
12%
Leadership
$39,930
9%
Analysis
$39,930
9%
Patient Care
$38,464
5%
Initiative
$38,098
4%
Written Communication
$38,098
4%
Get Latest Data
Direct Support Professional I Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Direct Support Professional I 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 Professional positions in Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit typically offer lower base pay,
as this sector often view Direct Support Professional I as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industry for a Direct Support Professional I
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Healthcare
$43,959
$21.0
20%
Direct Support Professional I Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a Direct Support Professional I'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 July 01, 2026
$34,113
Average$36,633/year
$39,226
$2,843
Average$3,053/month
$3,269
$656
Average$704/week
$754
$16
Average$18/hour
$19
Annual Salary
Monthly Pay
Weekly Pay
Hourly Wage
75th Percentile
$39,226
$3,269
$754
$19
Average
$36,633
$3,053
$704
$18
25th Percentile
$34,113
$2,843
$656
$16
Salaries of jobs related to Direct Support Professional I
Salaries for a Direct Support Professional I can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $41,315 in 2023
to around $41,156 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Direct Support Professional I salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Direct Support Professional I Over Time
2022
$???
2023
$41,315
2024
$41,529
2025
$41,156
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$41,315
2024
$41,529
2025
$41,156
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Direct Support Professional I
Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
For Employers
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Common company salaries for Direct Support Professional I
Here are companies hiring for Direct Support Professional I 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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