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The differences between child and youth program assistants and child care counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a child and youth program assistant, becoming a child care counselor takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a child care counselor has an average salary of $36,843, which is higher than the $30,453 average annual salary of a child and youth program assistant.
The top three skills for a child and youth program assistant include program environment, child care and program options. The most important skills for a child care counselor are CPR, child care, and behavioral issues.
| Child And Youth Program Assistant | Child Care Counselor | |
| Yearly salary | $30,453 | $36,843 |
| Hourly rate | $14.64 | $17.71 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 82,047 | 100,538 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 43 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 4 |
Child And Youth Program Assistants help create recreational activities for children and youth ranging from 6 weeks to 18 years old. They provide parents with daily verbal or written feedback about their child, youth, or program activities.
Child care counselors monitor the progress of children who have behavioral, physical, and mental issues in between counseling appointments. These counselors create daily schedules for children that include field trips, play dates, and learning plans to ensure that children get the most out of their days. They use their critical thinking skills, organizational skills, and interpersonal skills to deal with children diagnosed with psychological issues and to coordinate with their patients' families. Most of the cases they handle are the abuse, bullying, and past traumas of children.
Child and youth program assistants and child care counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Child And Youth Program Assistant | Child Care Counselor | |
| Average salary | $30,453 | $36,843 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $38,000 | Between $28,000 And $47,000 |
| Highest paying City | New London, CT | Chicago, IL |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Trustmark Insurance Co | Washington State University |
| Best paying industry | Government | Finance |
There are a few differences between a child and youth program assistant and a child care counselor in terms of educational background:
| Child And Youth Program Assistant | Child Care Counselor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | SUNY at Albany |
Here are the differences between child and youth program assistants' and child care counselors' demographics:
| Child And Youth Program Assistant | Child Care Counselor | |
| Average age | 43 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 18.0% Female, 82.0% | Male, 34.4% Female, 65.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 13.0% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 20.4% Asian, 7.1% White, 52.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.8% | 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 | 11% | 10% |