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The differences between child support 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 support specialist and a youth worker. Additionally, a child support specialist has an average salary of $38,271, which is higher than the $32,242 average annual salary of a youth worker.
The top three skills for a child support specialist include customer service, social work and child support cases. The most important skills for a youth worker are direct supervision, CPR, and crisis intervention.
| Child Support Specialist | Youth Worker | |
| Yearly salary | $38,271 | $32,242 |
| Hourly rate | $18.40 | $15.50 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 143,623 | 87,360 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 53% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A child support specialist is primarily in charge of monitoring child support payments, ensuring individuals with financial obligations comply with the legal settlement terms. They mainly work in the legal industry, where their responsibilities include assessing the clients' financial situations, gathering and analyzing financial statements, performing interviews and follow-up calls, and producing regular progress reports. Furthermore, as a child support specialist, it is essential to maintain records of all transactions and procedures, resolving issues and concerns should there be any.
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 support specialists and youth workers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Child Support Specialist | Youth Worker | |
| Average salary | $38,271 | $32,242 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $49,000 | Between $25,000 And $40,000 |
| Highest paying City | Rockville, MD | Freehold, NJ |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | University of Rochester | Salt Lake County |
| Best paying industry | Government | Education |
There are a few differences between a child support specialist and a youth worker in terms of educational background:
| Child Support Specialist | Youth Worker | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 53% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Criminal Justice |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | SUNY at Albany |
Here are the differences between child support specialists' and youth workers' demographics:
| Child Support Specialist | Youth Worker | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 19.9% Female, 80.1% | 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% |