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The differences between behavior 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 a behavior therapist and a youth advocate. Additionally, a behavior therapist has an average salary of $36,864, which is higher than the $33,924 average annual salary of a youth advocate.
The top three skills for a behavior therapist include autism, applied behavior analysis and behavior analysis. The most important skills for a youth advocate are mental health, social work, and foster care.
| Behavior Therapist | Youth Advocate | |
| Yearly salary | $36,864 | $33,924 |
| Hourly rate | $17.72 | $16.31 |
| Growth rate | 14% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 90,578 | 78,437 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 41 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A behavior therapist is an individual psychologist who is responsible for helping patients with mental disorders such as depression and schizophrenia. Behavior therapists must equip patients with psychological tools to help them diminish unhealthy thoughts so that they can effectively deal with the challenges of their daily lives. They are required to devise problem-solving methods such as psychotherapy and counseling to help patients improve their quality of life. Behavior therapists must also collaborate with the families of their patients to help them overcome behavioral issues more effectively.
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.
Behavior therapists and youth advocates have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Behavior Therapist | Youth Advocate | |
| Average salary | $36,864 | $33,924 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $49,000 | Between $27,000 And $41,000 |
| Highest paying City | Chicago, IL | Syracuse, NY |
| Highest paying state | Alabama | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Regis College | First Place for Youth |
| Best paying industry | Education | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a behavior therapist and a youth advocate in terms of educational background:
| Behavior 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 behavior therapists' and youth advocates' demographics:
| Behavior Therapist | Youth Advocate | |
| Average age | 41 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 19.5% Female, 80.5% | 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% |