Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between child protective specialists and youth workers 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 specialist and a youth worker. Additionally, a child protective specialist has an average salary of $52,032, which is higher than the $32,242 average annual salary of a youth worker.
The top three skills for a child protective specialist include social work, social services and mental health. The most important skills for a youth worker are direct supervision, CPR, and crisis intervention.
| Child Protective Specialist | Youth Worker | |
| Yearly salary | $52,032 | $32,242 |
| Hourly rate | $25.02 | $15.50 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 75,325 | 87,360 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 53% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A Child Protective Specialist is a social worker who handles suspected cases of abuse and neglect in children. They focus on performing research and investigation, conducting home visits and inspections, interviewing families and potential witnesses, gathering evidence, and reaching out to hospitals or schools to collect and analyze data. Through the findings of their investigation, a Child Protective Specialist draws conclusions and develops recommendations for the children's safety and welfare. Moreover, there are instances where they conduct interventions, refer families to other agencies, or coordinate with law enforcement.
Youth workers specialize in handling and providing support to young individuals with behavioral difficulties. They are primarily responsible for devising recreational projects, handling the budget, producing progress reports, managing intervention programs, and counseling troubled youth while keeping their information confidential. There may be instances where one must also search for opportunities and apply for funding or sponsorship. Furthermore, as a youth worker, it is vital to assess an individual's condition to determine their needs and ensure that they will receive the proper treatment.
Child protective specialists and youth workers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Child Protective Specialist | Youth Worker | |
| Average salary | $52,032 | $32,242 |
| Salary range | Between $41,000 And $65,000 | Between $25,000 And $40,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Freehold, NJ |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Children's National Medical Center | Salt Lake County |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Education |
There are a few differences between a child protective specialist and a youth worker in terms of educational background:
| Child Protective Specialist | Youth Worker | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 53% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Criminal Justice |
| Most common college | SUNY at Albany | SUNY at Albany |
Here are the differences between child protective specialists' and youth workers' demographics:
| Child Protective Specialist | Youth Worker | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 21.2% Female, 78.8% | Male, 42.6% Female, 57.4% |
| 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% |