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The differences between activity specialists and youth care specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both an activity specialist and a youth care specialist. Additionally, a youth care specialist has an average salary of $38,955, which is higher than the $32,860 average annual salary of an activity specialist.
The top three skills for an activity specialist include adaptive, patients and mediation. The most important skills for a youth care specialist are customer service, patients, and CPR.
| Activity Specialist | Youth Care Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $32,860 | $38,955 |
| Hourly rate | $15.80 | $18.73 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 24,469 | 133,042 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
An activity specialist is responsible for organizing events and planning activity outline for a social institution or a group of people. Activity specialists identify the activity requirements and goals, coordinate with suppliers and vendors for resources, and calculate costs and expenses within the budget limitations. They also finalize the participants' lists and pick the best grounds to set up an activity, ensuring the safety and security of the guests. An activity specialist must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in writing reports and creating clear expectations to discuss with the management.
Youth care specialists are social experts who coordinate programs for children and young people who need care while being away from their own families for some reason. These specialists are required to maintain a safe environment in the community so that children will feel safe, cared for, and nurture. They must lead various seminars for youths about topics such as job readiness, financial literacy, and higher education. They must also communicate the concerns and other important information to a child's assigned social worker and provide back-up support to case managers if needed.
Activity specialists and youth care specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Activity Specialist | Youth Care Specialist | |
| Average salary | $32,860 | $38,955 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $44,000 | Between $24,000 And $62,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Annapolis, MD |
| Highest paying state | California | Maryland |
| Best paying company | Credit Suisse | Delaware State Government |
| Best paying industry | Education | Government |
There are a few differences between an activity specialist and a youth care specialist in terms of educational background:
| Activity Specialist | Youth Care Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Most common major | Business | Psychology |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | SUNY at Binghamton |
Here are the differences between activity specialists' and youth care specialists' demographics:
| Activity Specialist | Youth Care Specialist | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 38.7% Female, 61.3% | Male, 37.4% Female, 62.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.5% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 10.2% Asian, 3.3% White, 74.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 6.0% White, 60.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 11% |