The median Direct Support Professional (dsp) salary is $19.50 per hour, or $40,560 per year, based on 3,680 job postings across 91 states. Compare pay by location, employer, shift, and contract type.
$19.50
Median hourly
$40,560
Annual salary
$17-$23
Pay range
91
States tracked
Salary guide
A typical Direct Support Professional (dsp) earns $19.50/hr, with most posted roles landing between $18.00 and $20.50/hr.
Recent posted pay is down, with the last 30 days showing -2.5% movement versus the prior period.
Location matters: Toms River, NEW JERSEY is currently among the highest-paying cities, while Canton, OHIO sits near the lower end.
30-day market pulse
Compare the most recent 30 days of job postings against the previous 30 days. Use this as a quick read on whether pay and hiring volume are moving together.
Posted pay
-2.5%
Current median: $19.50/hr
Prior period: $20.00/hr
Job openings
+23.4%
1,251 recent postings
Previous period: 1,014 postings
Daily pay signal
$18.50/hr latest
Year-over-year
Building
We are collecting enough historical Direct Support Professional (dsp) postings to show a reliable year-over-year pay comparison.
Pay is moving down in recent listings, falling from $20.00/hr to $19.50/hr.
Pay range
The middle band is usually the most useful offer benchmark. The 10th and 90th percentiles show the broader market floor and ceiling.
Entry / low
$16.50
$34,320/yr
Median
$19.50
$40,560/yr
Top earners
$23.00
$47,840/yr
MARKET TRENDS
Month-over-month median hourly pay and posting volume.
| Month | Median Hourly | Postings |
|---|---|---|
Apr 2026Current | $19.50/hr | 1,215 |
Mar 2026 | $20.00/hr | 1,050 |
Feb 2026 | $19.50/hr | 271 |
Jan 2026 | $20.00/hr | 314 |
Dec 2025 | $19.50/hr | 642 |
Nov 2025 | $19.00/hr | 188 |
BY LOCATION
See how pay varies across the country. Ranked by job volume.
Estimated from national data
~$17.61
—
Estimated from national data
~$15.84
—
7 postings · 5 companies
$17.50
$16-$18
Estimated from national data
~$20.70
—
146 postings · 75 companies
$21.50
$19-$23
12 postings · 7 companies
$21.00
$20-$23
29 postings · 7 companies
$19.50
$19-$20
Estimated from national data
~$20.19
—
Estimated from national data
~$15.76
—
30 postings · 13 companies
$17.00
$17-$19
6 postings · 3 companies
$17.50
$16-$20
Estimated from national data
~$16.01
—
Estimated from national data
~$17.82
—
44 postings · 23 companies
$19.50
$19-$21
24 postings · 19 companies
$15.75
$16-$17
48 postings · 11 companies
$18.50
$17-$19
9 postings · 4 companies
$18.50
$19-$19
7 postings · 4 companies
$14.50
$15-$16
Estimated from national data
~$16.33
—
12 postings · 4 companies
$18.00
$16-$18
37 postings · 23 companies
$19.00
$18-$22
137 postings · 11 companies
$20.50
$20-$21
5 postings · 3 companies
$17.00
$17-$18
277 postings · 64 companies
$18.50
$18-$20
Estimated from national data
~$18.53
—
46 postings · 16 companies
$20.00
$20-$21
Estimated from national data
~$20.85
—
12 postings · 7 companies
$17.00
$16-$18
Estimated from national data
~$19.40
—
24 postings · 9 companies
$18.50
$19-$21
920 postings · 55 companies
$20.50
$20-$21
6 postings · 4 companies
$16.50
$17-$17
234 postings · 59 companies
$20.00
$19-$21
60 postings · 28 companies
$17.00
$16-$18
9 postings · 4 companies
$17.50
$17-$19
253 postings · 96 companies
$17.50
$17-$18
7 postings · 4 companies
$22.00
$15-$26
64 postings · 19 companies
$22.75
$22-$24
213 postings · 52 companies
$19.00
$17-$20
35 postings · 3 companies
$19.00
$19-$19
Estimated from national data
~$20.34
—
Estimated from national data
~$19.34
—
19 postings · 11 companies
$15.50
$16-$16
Estimated from national data
~$20.69
—
10 postings · 5 companies
$16.00
$15-$17
Estimated from national data
~$19.85
—
124 postings · 60 companies
$17.50
$16-$19
19 postings · 11 companies
$22.00
$21-$24
Estimated from national data
~$16.27
—
22 postings · 6 companies
$17.00
$17-$19
Estimated from national data
~$17.48
—
Est.Estimated values are based on national averages.
BY CITY
See which cities offer the highest and lowest Direct Support Professional (dsp) salaries.
Toms River
New Jersey · 15 postings
$22.50/hr
Los Angeles
California · 12 postings
$21.75/hr
Township Of Brick
New Jersey · 12 postings
$21.75/hr
Portland
Oregon · 12 postings
$21.50/hr
Nj
Us · 47 postings
$21.00/hr
Canton
Ohio · 10 postings
$16.25/hr
Philadelphia
Pennsylvania · 19 postings
$17.00/hr
Akron
Ohio · 10 postings
$17.50/hr
Cincinnati
Ohio · 18 postings
$17.50/hr
Columbus
Ohio · 18 postings
$18.00/hr
BY EMPLOYER
See which companies pay the most and least for Direct Support Professional (dsp) positions.
Abound Health
64 postings
$28.00/hr
Alay Home Care
25 postings
$25.50/hr
Top Care Support
5 postings
$25.00/hr
Commonspirit Health
7 postings
$24.50/hr
Empowered Services
19 postings
$24.00/hr
Support Services Of Virginia Inc.
9 postings
$13.50/hr
Rising Adventure Community Services
5 postings
$15.00/hr
Alana Home Care
5 postings
$15.50/hr
Eon, Inc.
11 postings
$16.00/hr
Open Arms Care
5 postings
$16.00/hr
RELATED POSITIONS
| Job Title | Postings | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Direct Support Professional (dsp) | 1,155 | $20.00/hr |
| Behavioral Direct Support Professional (dsp) | 78 | $26.50/hr |
| Direct Support Professional 2 (dsp 2) | 74 | $20.50/hr |
| Dsp | 71 | $19.50/hr |
| Direct Support Professional / Dsp / Caregiver | 60 | $18.00/hr |
| Direct Support Professional Dsp | 31 | $16.00/hr |
| Direct Support Professional (dsp), Residential Services | 28 | $19.00/hr |
| Direct Support Professional - Dsp 1 | 28 | $18.00/hr |
| Direct Support Professionals (dsp) | 22 | $20.50/hr |
| Direct Support Professional-dsp | 20 | $17.00/hr |
PAY FACTORS
How shift type, contract length, and employment type impact Direct Support Professional (dsp) salaries.
FAQ
The median Direct Support Professional (dsp) salary is $19.50 per hour, or $40,560 annually. Pay ranges from $16.50/hr (10th percentile) to $23.00/hr (90th percentile) depending on location, experience, and employer.
Based on 3,680 job postings, the highest paying states for Direct Support Professional (dsp)s include Oregon, Oklahoma, Washington. Pay rates vary based on cost of living, demand, and state regulations.
There are currently 3,680 Direct Support Professional (dsp) job postings across 91 states, from 888 different healthcare employers.
Direct Support Professional (dsp) pay varies based on geographic location, years of experience, certifications, shift differentials (nights/weekends), employment type (travel vs. staff), facility type, and specialized skills. Travel contracts typically pay higher hourly rates.
Direct Support Professional (dsp) pay is currently trending downward. Over the past 30 days, median hourly rates decreased 2.5%.
Direct Support Professional (dsp) pay varies by specialty and setting. Travel positions typically pay $1.00 to $3.50 more per hour than staff positions. Night shifts and weekend differentials also increase earnings.
Pay varies significantly by location. Top paying cities like Toms River offer $22.50/hr, while lower cost areas may pay around $16.25/hr. However, rural areas often offer signing bonuses and housing stipends to attract talent.
Entry-level Direct Support Professional (dsp)s typically earn around $16.50 to $18.00 per hour ($34,320 to $37,440 annually). With experience, pay increases toward the median of $19.50/hr.
DATA METHOD
Source
Based on 3,680 active postings with listed compensation for Direct Support Professional (dsp). We prioritize postings with explicit hourly or annual pay and exclude rows without usable compensation signals from salary percentiles.
Range
Percentiles show the spread of posted pay, not a guaranteed offer or take-home pay after taxes. State and city views use available market observations and label estimated values when direct samples are limited.
Freshness
Current dataset window: 2025-11-01 to 2026-04-30. Recent trend cards compare the latest posting window with the prior period so short-term pay movement is separated from the full historical median.
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