Child protective investigator vs youth advocate

The differences between child protective investigators 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 child protective investigator and a youth advocate. Additionally, a child protective investigator has an average salary of $47,903, which is higher than the $33,924 average annual salary of a youth advocate.

The top three skills for a child protective investigator include patrol, social work and local law enforcement. The most important skills for a youth advocate are mental health, social work, and foster care.

Child protective investigator vs youth advocate overview

	Child Protective Investigator	Youth Advocate
Yearly salary	$47,903	$33,924
Hourly rate	$23.03	$16.31
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	15,938	78,437
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 73%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	4	4

What does a child protective investigator do?

A child protective investigator is responsible for investigating incident reports for child-violating cases, collecting court evidence of child abuse, and keeping the child under safe custody for protection. Child protective investigators conduct field investigations by locating the area of concern, interviewing witnesses, and analyzing similar cases of violence. They coordinate with medical professionals to check the child's condition and record any signs of trauma and injuries. A child protective investigator may also attend court procedures to represent the child and testify to press charges with the abuser.

What does a youth advocate do?

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.

Child protective investigator vs youth advocate salary

Child protective investigators and youth advocates have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Child Protective Investigator	Youth Advocate
Average salary	$47,903	$33,924
Salary range	Between $37,000 And $61,000	Between $27,000 And $41,000
Highest paying City	Camden, NJ	Syracuse, NY
Highest paying state	New Jersey	New Jersey
Best paying company	Saks Fifth Avenue	First Place for Youth
Best paying industry	Government	Automotive

Differences between child protective investigator and youth advocate education

There are a few differences between a child protective investigator and a youth advocate in terms of educational background:

	Child Protective Investigator	Youth Advocate
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 73%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Psychology
Most common college	SUNY at Albany	University of Pennsylvania

Child protective investigator vs youth advocate demographics

Here are the differences between child protective investigators' and youth advocates' demographics:

	Child Protective Investigator	Youth Advocate
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 32.4% Female, 67.6%	Male, 38.6% Female, 61.4%
Race ratio	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%	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	10%	10%

Differences between child protective investigator and youth advocate duties and responsibilities

Child protective investigator example responsibilities.

Utilize locating systems, negotiate agreements, file motions and prepare subpoenas.
Review and approve time sheets, mileage reports for CPI assign to the unit.
Complete timely findings including determining if someone should be place on the child abuse registry.
Investigate reports of abuse, neglect and exploitation that are report to the state abuse hotline.
Respond to Hotline reports, conduct child safety assessments, and determine immediate risk to child.
Review child safety assessments as submitted by CPI, and provide direction and guidance in the investigation.

Youth advocate example responsibilities.

Assist in achieving and maintaining DoD certification and national accreditation or equivalent compliance.
Assist patients in securing medical coverage by screening refer patients and coordinating the application process through successful approval.
Retain proper certifications for cardio-pulmonary resuscitation, first aid, driver's license and insurance.

Child protective investigator vs youth advocate skills

Common child protective investigator skills

Patrol, 35%
Social Work, 16%
Local Law Enforcement, 7%
CCTV, 4%
Child Protective, 4%
Family Dynamics, 3%

Common youth advocate skills

Mental Health, 10%
Social Work, 9%
Foster Care, 8%
Community Resources, 7%
Youth Development, 7%
Crisis Intervention, 6%

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Child Protective Investigator
Child Protective Investigator vs Youth Advocate

Updated January 8, 2025

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