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The differences between camp counselors and youth counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a camp counselor and a youth counselor. Additionally, a youth counselor has an average salary of $36,754, which is higher than the $24,340 average annual salary of a camp counselor.
The top three skills for a camp counselor include kids, CPR and summer camps. The most important skills for a youth counselor are direct care, mental health, and crisis intervention.
| Camp Counselor | Youth Counselor | |
| Yearly salary | $24,340 | $36,754 |
| Hourly rate | $11.70 | $17.67 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 28,182 | 78,461 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Camp counselors' general responsibility is the supervision of a camping event. Camp counselors' duties include reiterating the rules and regulations, emergency drills and procedures, and related standard protocols to ensure that the campers maintain a safe camping environment. A camp counselor should possess strong leadership and decision-making skills to develop recreational programs and immediately resolve concerns that might affect everyone's overall camping experience. Camp counselors also help develop social interaction, promote teamwork, and monitor participation among campers.
A Youth Counselor's role is to provide guidance and interact with children or teenagers in need of care and counseling. The duty of a Youth Counselor is diverse, and it highly depends on the organization or employer. However, the responsibilities mostly revolve around establishing rapport with the youngster while trying to work on their issues, ensuring their welfare by monitoring their emotional and physical state, coordinating with families or other facilities, suggesting treatments, and performing crisis intervention if necessary.
Camp counselors and youth counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Camp Counselor | Youth Counselor | |
| Average salary | $24,340 | $36,754 |
| Salary range | Between $16,000 And $35,000 | Between $27,000 And $49,000 |
| Highest paying City | Omaha, NE | San Jose, CA |
| Highest paying state | Mississippi | California |
| Best paying company | University of California, Berkeley | New York State Restaurant Association |
| Best paying industry | Education | Professional |
There are a few differences between a camp counselor and a youth counselor in terms of educational background:
| Camp Counselor | Youth Counselor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between camp counselors' and youth counselors' demographics:
| Camp Counselor | Youth Counselor | |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 42.4% Female, 57.6% | Male, 43.8% Female, 56.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 13.1% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.2% Asian, 5.1% White, 60.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 3.2% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 15% |