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Developmental Services Worker

Types of Degrees Developmental Services Worker Majors Are Earning

Those studying Developmental Services Worker have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	3
Associate’s Degree	13
Bachelor’s Degree	5
Master’s Degree	38

What Developmental Services Worker Majors Need to Know

Studies in Developmental Services Worker develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Developmental Services Worker graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Developmental Services Worker emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.4 / 7.
• Psychology — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Therapy and Counseling — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Administrative — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills emphasized by a Developmental Services Worker program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Active Listening — Importance 4 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Social Perceptiveness — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Service Orientation — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Coordination — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Developmental Services Worker careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Developmental Services Worker graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.7 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.5 / 7
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Performing for or Working Directly with the Public	4.1 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.0 / 7
Assisting and Caring for Others	4.0 / 7
Working with Computers	4.0 / 7
Communicating with People Outside the Organization	3.9 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	3.7 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	3.7 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Developmental Services Worker professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
MEDITECH software	Medical software	—
PointClickCare healthcare software	Medical software	—
Database software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Nuance Dragon NaturallySpeaking	Voice recognition software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Electronic medical record EMR software	Medical software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Developmental Services Worker graduates include:

• Direct Support Specialist
• Service Aide
• Advocate
• Counseling Aide
• Social Work Assistant
• Court Advocate
• Home Visitor
• Family Service Aide
• Welfare Aide
• Support Worker
• Counselor Aide
• Intake Worker
• Food Management Aide
• Family Service Assistant
• Neighborhood Aide

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Developmental Services Worker graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	39.4%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	18.0%
Some college courses	16.2%
High school diploma or equivalent	10.4%
Master’s degree	7.4%
Post-master’s certificate	3.8%
Doctoral degree	3.8%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.1%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Developmental Services Worker?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 88.1% of Developmental Services Worker degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	52	88.1%
Men	7	11.9%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Developmental Services Worker graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	32	54.2%
Asian	1	1.7%
Hispanic or Latino	10	16.9%
Black or African American	11	18.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native	1	1.7%
Two or More Races	2	3.4%
Race Unknown	2	3.4%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Developmental Services Worker Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Developmental Services Worker graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$33,243
4 years	$38,875
5 years	$44,531

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $44,531 — roughly 34% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Developmental Services Worker Programs

Fully online options are documented by IPEDS for Developmental Services Worker. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	1	0
Bachelor’s	1	0
Master’s	1	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Developmental Services Worker Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Developmental Services Worker graduates earn a median of $38,875 four years after completion — roughly 2% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services	19.07
Adult Development and Aging	19.0702
Child Care and Support Services Management	19.0708
Child Care Provider/Assistant	19.0709
Child Development	19.0706
Early Childhood and Family Studies	19.0711
Family and Community Services	19.0707
Family Systems	19.0704
Human Development and Family Studies, General	19.0701
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services, Other	19.0799
Parent Education Services	19.0712

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.