Demo

Direct Support Assistant

NYS Office for People With Developmental Disabilities
Syracuse, NY Full Time
POSTED ON 10/15/2026
AVAILABLE BEFORE 10/26/2026
Direct Support Assistant (DSA)

As a DSA for OPWDD you will help people by assisting them to learn and develop daily living skills and habits; you will help them take care of their own personal needs; you will advocate for, encourage, guide and teach people to express personal choice. DSAs ensure community integration, health and safety and a comfortable home environment. The supports and services you will provide depend on the specific abilities of the person being served, and the nature of the setting where the activities are taking place.

The starting salary for DSAs is currently $52,225 per year and DSAs are eligible for annual salary increases as they advance to the current Job Rate of $56,413. New York State also provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package, including health insurance, retirement plan and generous leave benefits.

Minimum Qualifications

You must have a high school diploma or an equivalency, such as a GED.

You must have a valid license to operate a motor vehicle in New York State. You will be required to maintain a valid driver's license throughout your employment as a DSA.

You must meet physical and agility standards.

You will be required to have a medical examination before you are appointed and you are responsible for the payment of the clinical laboratory fee. Please note: The medical exam includes psychological and drug screening.

You must be cleared through the New York State Child Abuse Registry, the Justice Center for the Protection of People with Special Needs and the Medicaid Fraud Prevention and Detection database.

A criminal background check and fingerprinting will be conducted. You will be responsible for the processing fee.

Contact Your Local OPWDD Human Resource Office.

Salary : $52,225

If your compensation planning software is too rigid to deploy winning incentive strategies, it’s time to find an adaptable solution. Compensation Planning
Enhance your organization's compensation strategy with salary data sets that HR and team managers can use to pay your staff right. Surveys & Data Sets

What is the career path for a Direct Support Assistant?

Sign up to receive alerts about other jobs on the Direct Support Assistant career path by checking the boxes next to the positions that interest you.
Income Estimation: 
$31,906 - $38,845
Income Estimation: 
$37,254 - $44,037
Income Estimation: 
$31,906 - $38,845
Income Estimation: 
$37,254 - $44,037
Income Estimation: 
$68,757 - $85,089
Income Estimation: 
$85,667 - $113,931
Employees: Get a Salary Increase
View Core, Job Family, and Industry Job Skills and Competency Data for more than 15,000 Job Titles Skills Library

Job openings at NYS Office for People With Developmental Disabilities

  • NYS Office for People With Developmental Disabilities Bronx, NY
  • Duties Description As a Licensed Psychologist, you would supervise and/or provide professional psychological services. In addition to assessment and treatm... more
  • 14 Days Ago

  • NYS Office for People With Developmental Disabilities Bronx, NY
  • Duties Description Provide professional psychological services under the supervision of a licensed psychologist or other appropriate licensed clinician; De... more
  • 14 Days Ago

  • NYS Office for People With Developmental Disabilities Genesee, NY
  • Duties Description Office for People With Developmental Disabilities priority is the health and safety of the statewide 128,000 individuals with developmen... more
  • 14 Days Ago

  • NYS Office for People With Developmental Disabilities Richmond, NY
  • Duties Description Provide psychological services under the supervision of a licensed psychologist; Design, develop, administer, score, and interpret psych... more
  • 14 Days Ago


Not the job you're looking for? Here are some other Direct Support Assistant jobs in the Syracuse, NY area that may be a better fit.

  • Direct Support Professional (DSP) Pulaski, NY
  • Job Overview Join our dedicated team as a Direct Support Professional (DSP) and become a vital part of empowering individuals with diverse needs to live fu... more
  • 11 Days Ago

  • NYS Office for People With Developmental Disabilities Oswego, NY
  • Duties Description Office for People With Developmental Disabilities priority is the health and safety of the statewide 128,000 individuals with developmen... more
  • 19 Days Ago

AI Assistant is available now!

Feel free to start your new journey!