Direct support professional salary in Tennessee
Open direct support professional jobs in Tennessee post a median of $15.25 an hour, the middle half $15–$16 (about $31,700 a year full time), $3.75 below the national posted median. From 18 jobs at 5 employers that state their pay.
The jobs themselves: Direct support professional jobs in Tennessee · Direct support professional pay nationwide
What direct support professionals are paid in Tennessee
Each bar counts the open jobs posting an hourly rate in its step of pay (a range at its midpoint).
Posted on open jobs in Tennessee
Middle half of 6 employer rates (each employer's advertised range once), median $15.25. 58% of the 31 open direct support professional jobs in Tennessee state an hourly rate.
DSP in Tennessee: new openings every week
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Direct support professional pay by town in Tennessee
Towns where at least three open jobs state an hourly rate, the towns with the most such jobs first.
Median of employers' rates in the town, the lowest and highest rate posted, and the jobs and employers behind them. A town opens its own job page.
Direct support professional pay by employer in Tennessee
What each employer posts for direct support professionals here, the employers with the most jobs stating pay first.
| Employer | Median posted | Posted range | Jobs stating pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Progressive Directions, Inc. (PDI) | $16 | $16 | 12 |
| RHA Health Services | $17.25 | $15.68–$19 | 2 |
| Easter Seals TN | $15 | $15 | 2 |
| Mid-South Care Services | $15 | $14–$16 | 1 |
| All Ways Caring HomeCare | $14 | $11–$17 | 1 |
Median of each employer's jobs in Tennessee (a range at its midpoint), and its lowest and highest rate here. An employer's name opens its pay for direct support professionals nationwide when it has such a page.
Best-paid open direct support professional jobs in Tennessee
The open jobs posting the highest hourly rates tonight, at most two from one employer.

Direct Support Professional / Advanced Behavioral Homes
RHA Health Services · Trenton, TN· 1mo ago
$19.00/hr
Direct Support Professional (DSP) – PRN/As Needed
Progressive Directions, Inc. (PDI) · Dover, TN· 1w ago
$16/hr
Direct Support Professional / Job Coach (Full-Time)
Progressive Directions, Inc. (PDI) · Dickson, TN· 4w ago
$16.00/hr
Direct Support Professional ECF
RHA Health Services · Nashville, TN· 2mo ago
$15.68/hr
FT Direct Support Professional
Easter Seals TN · McKenzie, TN· 5d ago
$15/hr
PT Direct Support Professional
Easter Seals TN · McKenzie, TN· 5d ago
$15/hr
Mid-South Care Services · Nashville, TN· 5mo ago
$14–$16/hr
Direct Support Professional - IDD
All Ways Caring HomeCare · Morristown, TN· today
$11–$17/hr
What BLS measures in Tennessee
What people employed in the occupation earned in the state, at every level of experience, from the BLS survey. A posting advertises what a new hire is offered.
BLS median by metro area
- Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN$16.53/hr (source: BLS OEWS, Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN, opens in a new tab)
- Memphis, TN-MS-AR$14.86/hr (source: BLS OEWS, Memphis, TN-MS-AR, opens in a new tab)
- Knoxville, TN$15.73/hr (source: BLS OEWS, Knoxville, TN, opens in a new tab)
- Chattanooga, TN-GA$15.71/hr (source: BLS OEWS, Chattanooga, TN-GA, opens in a new tab)
- Jackson, TN$14.96/hr (source: BLS OEWS, Jackson, TN, opens in a new tab)
- Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA$14.31/hr (source: BLS OEWS, Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA, opens in a new tab)
- Clarksville, TN-KY$14.70/hr (source: BLS OEWS, Clarksville, TN-KY, opens in a new tab)
- Johnson City, TN$14.12/hr (source: BLS OEWS, Johnson City, TN, opens in a new tab)
Direct support professional salary in Tennessee: common questions
How much does a direct support professional make in Tennessee?
Open direct support professional jobs in Tennessee that state an hourly rate post a median of $15.25, the middle half $15–$16 (18 jobs from 5 employers). Full time that is about $31,700 a year. BLS measured a median of $15.45/hr ($32,130 a year) for people employed in the occupation in Tennessee (May 2025).
Where in Tennessee do direct support professionals earn the most?
By the median rate open jobs post, in the towns with the most jobs stating pay: Centerville ($16) and Columbia ($16). The town table lists 2.
How does Tennessee compare with the rest of the country?
The posted median in Tennessee ($15.25) is $3.75 below the national posted median of $19. In the BLS survey Tennessee ranks 37 of 52 by median wage.
Where do these figures come from?
From the pay open jobs state, read every night from each employer's own job board: 18 of 31 open direct support professional jobs in Tennessee (58%) state an hourly rate. No pay is estimated for a job that states none; "up to" ceilings and weekly travel rates are left out.
Sources and method
- CareJobs.Now job board: the pay open jobs state, read nightly from each employer's own careers site, published October 24, 2026
- BLS OEWS May 2025: Home Health and Personal Care Aides (SOC 31-1120), every state, published May 15, 2026
- BLS OEWS May 2025: Home Health and Personal Care Aides, national, published May 15, 2026
- BLS OEWS May 2025: Home Health and Personal Care Aides by metropolitan area, published May 15, 2026
Cite this page
CareJobs.Now. (2026). Direct support professional salary in Tennessee. Data as of October 24, 2026. https://carejobs.now/salaries/direct-support-professional/tennessee