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The differences between aba therapists and youth mentors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become an aba therapist, becoming a youth mentor takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, an aba therapist has an average salary of $35,938, which is higher than the $32,750 average annual salary of a youth mentor.
The top three skills for an aba therapist include autism, applied behavior analysis and BCBA. The most important skills for a youth mentor are mental health, substance abuse, and eating disorders.
| ABA Therapist | Youth Mentor | |
| Yearly salary | $35,938 | $32,750 |
| Hourly rate | $17.28 | $15.75 |
| Growth rate | 14% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 90,516 | 68,561 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Average age | 41 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 12 |
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 mentors are adult individuals who are responsible for creating programs to improve the well-being of young people by providing role models that can support them academically and socially. These mentors must educate the community on issues related to mental health while making regular home visits to youth and young adults. They should provide direct care and assistance to adolescents who are with substance abuse issues by creating an educational curriculum on the said topic. Youth mentors are also required to collaborate with mental health professionals and social workers to coordinate counseling efforts.
Aba therapists and youth mentors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| ABA Therapist | Youth Mentor | |
| Average salary | $35,938 | $32,750 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $47,000 | Between $26,000 And $41,000 |
| Highest paying City | Jersey City, NJ | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Maine |
| Best paying company | Cook Children's Medical Center | LifeWorks |
| Best paying industry | Education | Professional |
There are a few differences between an aba therapist and a youth mentor in terms of educational background:
| ABA Therapist | Youth Mentor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | SUNY at Binghamton |
Here are the differences between aba therapists' and youth mentors' demographics:
| ABA Therapist | Youth Mentor | |
| Average age | 41 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 15.4% Female, 84.6% | Male, 47.0% Female, 53.0% |
| 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, 11.1% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 18.7% Asian, 6.7% White, 56.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 11% |