The NCI-IDD SoTW is the most comprehensive data on Direct Support Professional (DSP) workforce providing direct services to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). We remain committed to partnering with states, agencies, and people with IDD to use these data to strengthen Medicaid-funded services and supports and ensure DSPs are valued for their essential role supporting people with IDD.
A few report highlights:
In 2024, we collected data from 3,936 provider agencies representing 344,179 DSPs in 26 states and the District of Columbia. The data for 2024 suggest some positive trends for the state of the IDD DSP workforce. For example:
- Across the nation, the median hourly wage for DSPs is $18.39, which is more than a dollar increase from the median hourly wage of $17.20 in 2023.
- The weighted average turnover ratio was 37%, with nearly two in three DSPs who left their employers (64%) having been with their agency for less than one year.
- On average, 26% of agencies report they turned away or stopped accepting referrals due to staffing issues, down from 38% in 2023.
State DD agencies have worked tirelessly to address the ongoing workforce shortages for DSPs, and these data suggest slight but hopeful trends in key indicators. Altogether, NCI-IDD SoTW provide valuable insights about opportunities to enhance retention of DSPs and improve the continuity of services.
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The full report can be found here at this link.
For questions or comments, please contact Tim Sohosky.
