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The differences between aba therapists and youth advocates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an aba therapist and a youth advocate. Additionally, an aba therapist has an average salary of $35,938, which is higher than the $33,924 average annual salary of a youth advocate.
The top three skills for an aba therapist include autism, applied behavior analysis and BCBA. The most important skills for a youth advocate are mental health, social work, and foster care.
| ABA Therapist | Youth Advocate | |
| Yearly salary | $35,938 | $33,924 |
| Hourly rate | $17.28 | $16.31 |
| Growth rate | 14% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 90,516 | 78,437 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 41 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
An ABA therapist is responsible for administering treatment plans to patients with behavioral disabilities and intellectual disorders, supporting them through systematic processes, and recording their developmental progress throughout therapy sessions. ABA therapists develop engaging activities for the children, observing their personal and social behaviors, and adjust approach as needed. They also coordinate with other behavior therapists and other medical health professionals for refined strategies that adhere to the child's progress. An ABA therapist must have excellent communication and organizational skills to assist patients with different behavioral problems and attend to their needs efficiently.
Youth advocates are individuals who responsible for maintaining the human rights of youth while assisting them in developing their skills in all areas of life, such as education, health, employment, and relationships. These advocates are required to discuss youth development and involvement with various leaders in the community. They must provide crisis interventions by performing one-on-one and group meetings with young adults. Youth advocates must also work with mental health professionals within the community so that they can guide teenagers with drug or alcohol problems and mental health issues.
Aba therapists and youth advocates have different pay scales, as shown below.
| ABA Therapist | Youth Advocate | |
| Average salary | $35,938 | $33,924 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $47,000 | Between $27,000 And $41,000 |
| Highest paying City | Jersey City, NJ | Syracuse, NY |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Cook Children's Medical Center | First Place for Youth |
| Best paying industry | Education | Automotive |
There are a few differences between an aba therapist and a youth advocate in terms of educational background:
| ABA Therapist | Youth Advocate | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between aba therapists' and youth advocates' demographics:
| ABA Therapist | Youth Advocate | |
| Average age | 41 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 15.4% Female, 84.6% | Male, 38.6% Female, 61.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.0% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian, 4.6% White, 68.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 13.4% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 2.7% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 10% |