Modest improvements for Direct Support Professionals show progress is possible, but also reinforce the need for sustained investment.
CAMBRIDGE, MA, UNITED STATES, January 8, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Human Services Research Institute (HSRI) and The National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services (NASDDDS) announce the release of the final NCI State of the Workforce for IDD (NCI-IDD SoTW) 2024 report. The NCI-IDD SoTW is the most comprehensive source of data on provider agencies and the Direct Support Professional (DSP) workforce nationwide.
Each year, National Core Indicators Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (NCI-IDD), works with participating NCI member states to implement the State of the Workforce Survey (SoTW). The NCI-IDD State of the Workforce Survey collects data on provider agencies and the Direct Support Professional (DSP) workforce providing direct supports to adults (aged 18 and over) with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The goal of the survey is to help states examine workforce challenges; identify areas for further investigation; benchmark their workforce data; measure improvements made through policy or programmatic changes; and compare their state data to those of other states and the NCI-IDD average.
Report highlights:
For the 2024 survey year, data were collected from 3,936 provider agencies representing 344,179 DSPs in 26 states and the District of Columbia:
• Across the nation, the median hourly wage for DSPs is $18.39, which is almost a dollar-and-a-quarter increase from the median hourly wage of $17.20 in 2023.
• The weighted average turnover ratio was 37% and of those 24 states that also conducted the NCI-IDD State of the Workforce in 2023 survey, 14 states demonstrated a decrease in turnover ratio.
• On average, 26% (1 in 4) of agencies report they turned away or stopped accepting referrals due to staffing issues, down from 38% in 2023.
The release of the 2024 State of the Workforce Survey data presents an opportunity for state developmental disabilities agencies, advocates, and researchers to continue working to determine the best strategies to strengthen the DSP workforce.
“The data tell a clear story,” said HSRI’s NCI-IDD co-director Dorothy Hiersteiner. “While median DSP wages have risen to $18.39 an hour, they still lag far behind the living wage in almost all states. Low wages contribute to high turnover (37 percent nationwide) which in turn limits access to services. When agencies can’t keep staff, they are forced to turn people away or stop accepting referrals altogether. The modest improvements we’re seeing show progress is possible, but they also reinforce the need for sustained investment to ensure people with intellectual and developmental disabilities can get the supports they need, when they need them.”
NASDDDS NCI-IDD co-director Laura Vegas agrees: “This report gives states the data they need to make the case for further investing in the direct support workforce. Medicaid funds the services that make community living possible for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. While funding challenges persist, the findings point to clear opportunities to move forward and support a workforce that promotes quality, stability, and dignity.”
You can access the report, report summaries, and state data at the links below:
• NCI State of the Workforce for IDD (NCI-IDD SoTW)® 2024 report
• 2024 NCI State of the Workforce Survey® Data At-A-Glance
• NCI®-IDD Website
Lauren K. Terry
Human Services Research Institute
+1 857-225-2836
lterry@hsri.org
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