Lead Direct Support Professional Salary in the United States
How much does a Lead Direct Support Professional make in the United States?
As of July 01, 2026, the average salary for a Lead Direct Support Professional in the United States is $35,931 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $17.
However, a Lead Direct Support Professional's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $40,481
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $33,207 to $38,313
Key Factors That Influence Lead Direct Support Professional Salaries
A Lead 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 Lead Direct Support Professional Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of a Lead 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): $36,121
Early Career (1-2 years): $32,594
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $39,179
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $43,726
Expert (over 8 years): $43,784
Levels
Salary
Lead Dire... Level Lead Direct Support Professional
$36,121
Home Care... Level Lead Direct Support Professional
$32,594
Home Care... Level Lead Direct Support Professional
$39,179
Home Care... Level Lead Direct Support Professional
$43,726
Home Care... Level Lead Direct Support Professional
$43,784
$36,1210 yr
$32,594< 2 yrs
$39,1792-4 yrs
$43,7265-8 yrs
$43,784> 8 yrs
View as Table
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What Am I Worth?
How Do Lead 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 Lead Direct Support Professionals.
For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
District of Columbia: $39,783.
California: $39,632.
Massachusetts: $39,104.
District of Columbia$39,783
California$39,632
Massachusetts$39,104
Washington$38,960
New Jersey$38,946
Alaska$38,896
Connecticut$38,400
New York$38,199
Hawaii$37,555
Rhode Island$37,254
Maryland$37,049
Minnesota$36,769
Colorado$36,661
Illinois$36,625
Oregon$36,488
Delaware$36,388
New Hampshire$36,324
Virginia$36,183
Pennsylvania$35,770
Nevada$35,561
North Dakota$35,493
Michigan$35,385
Wisconsin$35,346
Vermont$35,267
Texas$35,047
Maine$35,033
Arizona$35,012
Ohio$34,986
Georgia$34,656
Indiana$34,491
Wyoming$34,458
Utah$34,408
Iowa$34,386
Kansas$34,214
Louisiana$34,164
North Carolina$34,146
Missouri$34,138
Florida$33,998
Montana$33,923
Nebraska$33,851
Kentucky$33,811
South Carolina$33,668
Tennessee$33,578
Idaho$33,542
New Mexico$33,280
Oklahoma$33,222
Alabama$33,010
South Dakota$32,654
Arkansas$32,460
West Virginia$32,356
Mississippi$32,044
Top Paying Cities for Lead 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: $45,320
San Francisco: $44,824
Oakland: $43,879
San Jose, CA$45,320
San Francisco, CA$44,824
Oakland, CA$43,879
New York, NY$41,371
Paramus, NJ$40,868
Queens Village, NY$40,866
Passaic, NJ$40,832
Bergenfield, NJ$40,829
Stamford, CT$40,750
Huntington, NY$40,735
Newark, NJ$40,470
Bridgeport, CT$40,394
Vallejo, CA$40,322
New Brunswick, NJ$40,308
Petaluma, CA$40,286
Middlesex, NJ$40,218
Somerset, NJ$40,193
Santa Cruz, CA$40,146
Boston, MA$39,927
Monterey, CA$39,801
Seattle, WA$39,719
Santa Rosa, CA$39,711
Los Angeles, CA$39,701
Juneau, AK$39,607
Washington, DC$39,568
Orange, CA$39,440
Santa Ana, CA$39,345
Long Beach, CA$39,309
Anaheim, CA$39,302
Anchorage, AK$39,284
Santa Maria, CA$39,176
Everett, WA$39,169
Danbury, CT$39,042
Bremerton, WA$38,993
Tacoma, WA$38,863
New Suffolk, NY$38,863
Sacramento, CA$38,853
Santa Barbara, CA$38,813
Trenton, NJ$38,774
San Diego, CA$38,774
Brockton, MA$38,734
Fairbanks, AK$38,646
Lompoc, CA$38,554
Lowell, MA$38,525
Ventura, CA$38,518
Nashua, NH$38,511
Stockton, CA$38,508
Modesto, CA$38,245
Poughkeepsie, NY$38,166
Olympia, WA$38,098
Kennewick, WA$38,098
New Haven, CT$38,084
Lawrence, MA$37,954
Hartford, CT$37,918
Riverside, CA$37,911
New Bedford, MA$37,875
Richland, WA$37,875
Bakersfield, CA$37,825
San Bernardino, CA$37,811
New Britain, CT$37,807
Atlantic City, NJ$37,807
New London, CT$37,793
Norwich, CT$37,782
Portsmouth, NH$37,775
Boulder, CO$37,699
Portland, OR$37,649
Worcester, MA$37,645
Minneapolis, MN$37,534
Philadelphia, PA$37,484
Honolulu, HI$37,365
Saint Paul, MN$37,348
Vineland, NJ$37,340
Providence, RI$37,236
Chicago, IL$37,132
Bellingham, WA$37,088
Springfield, MA$37,060
Baltimore, MD$37,049
Chico, CA$36,959
Pittsfield, MA$36,862
Manchester, NH$36,794
Spokane, WA$36,636
Denver, CO$36,632
Albany, NY$36,463
Troy, NY$36,449
Nassau, NY$36,410
Schenectady, NY$36,373
Wilmington, DE$36,345
Burlington, VT$36,294
Salem, OR$36,280
Portland, ME$36,169
Yakima, WA$36,133
Rochester, MN$36,021
Reno, NV$36,003
Fresno, CA$36,003
Milwaukee, WI$35,971
Detroit, MI$35,935
Ann Arbor, MI$35,929
Allentown, PA$35,924
Colorado Springs, CO$35,863
Syracuse, NY$35,845
Carson City, NV$35,845
Houston, TX$35,795
Eugene, OR$35,777
Gary, IN$35,734
Springfield, OR$35,705
Bismarck, ND$35,698
Galveston, TX$35,673
Medford, OR$35,619
Fort Collins, CO$35,604
Concord, NH$35,586
Austin, TX$35,576
Mesa, AZ$35,500
Reading, PA$35,497
Phoenix, AZ$35,493
Dallas, TX$35,482
Saint Cloud, MN$35,448
Madison, WI$35,400
Utica, NY$35,303
Rochester, NY$35,245
Des Moines, IA$35,242
Raleigh, NC$35,238
Atlanta, GA$35,184
Battle Creek, MI$35,173
Salt Lake City, UT$35,162
Lancaster, PA$35,109
Harrisburg, PA$35,058
Kansas City, MO$35,022
Champaign, IL$35,015
Kansas City, KS$35,015
Fort Worth, TX$35,012
Columbus, OH$35,005
Boca Raton, FL$34,997
Pittsburgh, PA$34,983
Richmond, VA$34,968
Indianapolis, IN$34,961
Cleveland, OH$34,958
Las Vegas, NV$34,915
Cincinnati, OH$34,915
Petersburg, VA$34,861
Huntsville, AL$34,807
Lansing, MI$34,783
Lebanon, PA$34,778
Pueblo, CO$34,774
Appleton, WI$34,764
Buffalo, NY$34,749
Dayton, OH$34,738
Racine, WI$34,731
Charlotte, NC$34,728
Saint Louis, MO$34,717
York, PA$34,695
Elkhart, IN$34,695
Gastonia, NC$34,689
Billings, MT$34,680
Beaumont, TX$34,670
Lorain, OH$34,663
Benton Harbor, MI$34,656
Toledo, OH$34,649
Binghamton, NY$34,631
Rock Hill, SC$34,627
Rockford, IL$34,609
Springfield, IL$34,595
Elyria, OH$34,591
Fargo, ND$34,591
Flagstaff, AZ$34,566
Fort Lauderdale, FL$34,544
Duluth, MN$34,523
Miami, FL$34,523
Cheyenne, WY$34,498
Grand Forks, ND$34,498
Bangor, ME$34,419
Cedar Rapids, IA$34,379
Durham, NC$34,364
Louisville, KY$34,361
Grand Rapids, MI$34,354
Hialeah, FL$34,350
Casper, WY$34,300
Scranton, PA$34,257
New Orleans, LA$34,246
Virginia Beach, VA$34,243
Akron, OH$34,225
Peoria, IL$34,178
Sarasota, FL$34,171
Nashville, TN$34,146
Omaha, NE$34,146
Green Bay, WI$34,146
Baton Rouge, LA$34,128
Charleston, SC$34,120
Jamestown, NY$34,102
Davenport, IA$34,102
Tucson, AZ$34,085
Saint Petersburg, FL$34,063
Tampa, FL$34,056
Evansville, IN$34,034
Port Arthur, TX$34,034
Bradenton, FL$34,020
Santa Fe, NM$33,955
Orlando, FL$33,890
Clearwater, FL$33,880
Canton, OH$33,804
La Crosse, WI$33,804
Albuquerque, NM$33,783
Newport News, VA$33,779
High Point, NC$33,768
Ogden, UT$33,754
Corpus Christi, TX$33,725
Norfolk, VA$33,704
Laramie, WY$33,704
Rock Island, IL$33,682
Saginaw, MI$33,675
Jacksonville, FL$33,671
Salisbury, NC$33,664
Boise, ID$33,657
Moline, IL$33,639
Fort Myers, FL$33,628
Memphis, TN$33,621
Tulsa, OK$33,603
Waterloo, IA$33,581
Spartanburg, SC$33,546
Lincoln, NE$33,528
Fort Wayne, IN$33,520
Provo, UT$33,517
Cedar Falls, IA$33,474
San Antonio, TX$33,459
Greensboro, NC$33,445
South Bend, IN$33,441
Savannah, GA$33,402
Muskegon, MI$33,387
Birmingham, AL$33,384
Winston Salem, NC$33,366
Lake Charles, LA$33,280
Anderson, IN$33,272
Lexington, KY$33,262
Augusta, GA$33,251
Greenville, SC$33,251
Lima, OH$33,222
Wichita, KS$33,219
Tuscaloosa, AL$33,219
Columbia, SC$33,186
Springfield, OH$33,179
Asheville, NC$33,122
Bloomington, IN$33,096
Knoxville, TN$32,967
Shreveport, LA$32,963
Wilmington, NC$32,917
Roanoke, VA$32,917
Topeka, KS$32,852
Frankfort, KY$32,848
Oklahoma City, OK$32,823
Chillicothe, OH$32,809
Longview, TX$32,805
Melbourne, FL$32,802
Sioux Falls, SD$32,744
Mobile, AL$32,741
Terre Haute, IN$32,726
Altoona, PA$32,705
Amarillo, TX$32,680
Killeen, TX$32,669
Fayetteville, AR$32,640
Chattanooga, TN$32,629
Sioux City, IA$32,597
Idaho Falls, ID$32,590
Lynchburg, VA$32,561
Gainesville, FL$32,514
Portsmouth, OH$32,496
Little Rock, AR$32,489
Lafayette, LA$32,475
Youngstown, OH$32,475
Daytona Beach, FL$32,453
Clarksville, TN$32,450
Pensacola, FL$32,446
Temple, TX$32,444
Hopkinsville, KY$32,338
Erie, PA$32,331
Florence, SC$32,317
Charleston, WV$32,259
Great Falls, MT$32,241
Macon, GA$32,191
Tallahassee, FL$32,187
Fayetteville, NC$32,180
Waco, TX$32,173
Helena, MT$32,148
Pine Bluff, AR$32,134
Vincennes, IN$32,090
Lubbock, TX$32,076
Alamogordo, NM$32,054
Twin Falls, ID$32,022
Rapid City, SD$32,011
Jackson, MS$31,947
Huntington, WV$31,944
Greenville, MS$31,943
Parkersburg, WV$31,906
Montgomery, AL$31,900
Wichita Falls, TX$31,864
Springfield, MO$31,864
Biloxi, MS$31,846
Monroe, LA$31,810
Johnstown, PA$31,785
Sumter, SC$31,771
Columbus, GA$31,767
Pascagoula, MS$31,699
Abilene, TX$31,699
Kingsport, TN$31,605
Albany, GA$31,605
Gulfport, MS$31,594
Alexandria, LA$31,476
Fort Smith, AR$31,386
El Paso, TX$31,289
Las Cruces, NM$31,127
Harlingen, TX$31,036
Pocatello, ID$31,030
Florence, AL$30,984
Brownsville, TX$30,976
Mcallen, TX$30,901
Dothan, AL$30,851
Columbus, MS$30,637
Altus, OK$30,470
Lawton, OK$30,402
Pierre, SD$30,272
What Skills Can Increase a Lead 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 Lead 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
$40,243
12%
Leadership
$39,165
9%
Analysis
$39,165
9%
Patient Care
$37,728
5%
Initiative
$37,369
4%
Written Communication
$37,369
4%
Get Latest Data
Lead Direct Support Professional Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Lead Direct Support Professional 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,
Lead Direct Support Professional positions in Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit typically offer lower base pay,
as this sector often view Lead Direct Support Professional as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industry for a Lead Direct Support Professional
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Healthcare
$43,118
$21.0
20%
Lead Direct Support Professional Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a Lead 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.
Hourly
Monthly
Weekly
Yearly
Table View
Last Updated on July 01, 2026
$33,207
Average$35,931/year
$38,313
$2,767
Average$2,994/month
$3,193
$639
Average$691/week
$737
$16
Average$17/hour
$18
Annual Salary
Monthly Pay
Weekly Pay
Hourly Wage
75th Percentile
$38,313
$3,193
$737
$18
Average
$35,931
$2,994
$691
$17
25th Percentile
$33,207
$2,767
$639
$16
Salaries of jobs related to Lead Direct Support Professional
Salary Trends for Lead Direct Support Professional
Salaries for a Lead Direct Support Professional can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $40,951 in 2023
to around $40,794 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Lead Direct Support Professional salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Lead Direct Support Professional Over Time
2022
$???
2023
$40,951
2024
$41,163
2025
$40,794
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$40,951
2024
$41,163
2025
$40,794
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Lead Direct Support Professional
Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
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Common company salaries for Lead Direct Support Professional
Here are companies hiring for Lead Direct Support Professional 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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