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Family educator vs youth advocate

The differences between family educators 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 family educator and a youth advocate. Additionally, a family educator has an average salary of $35,404, which is higher than the $33,924 average annual salary of a youth advocate.

The top three skills for a family educator include social work, child development and CPR. The most important skills for a youth advocate are mental health, social work, and foster care.

Family educator vs youth advocate overview

Family EducatorYouth Advocate
Yearly salary$35,404$33,924
Hourly rate$17.02$16.31
Growth rate9%9%
Number of jobs24,95978,437
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 63%Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Average age4242
Years of experience44

What does a family educator do?

A family educator ensures that parents are educated on their family members' nutritional, medical, and educational needs. These educators support and encourage self-sufficiency for the family that they work with by helping navigate family problems. They enable parents to obtain the education and skills to raise physically, emotionally, and psychologically healthy children. Family educators must have strong communication skills, good decision-making skills, strong self-esteem, and knowledge of human development.

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.

Family educator vs youth advocate salary

Family educators and youth advocates have different pay scales, as shown below.

Family EducatorYouth Advocate
Average salary$35,404$33,924
Salary rangeBetween $25,000 And $50,000Between $27,000 And $41,000
Highest paying City-Syracuse, NY
Highest paying state-New Jersey
Best paying company-First Place for Youth
Best paying industry-Automotive

Differences between family educator and youth advocate education

There are a few differences between a family educator and a youth advocate in terms of educational background:

Family EducatorYouth Advocate
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 63%Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Most common majorPsychologyPsychology
Most common collegeCalifornia State University - Long BeachUniversity of Pennsylvania

Family educator vs youth advocate demographics

Here are the differences between family educators' and youth advocates' demographics:

Family EducatorYouth Advocate
Average age4242
Gender ratioMale, 19.7% Female, 80.3%Male, 38.6% Female, 61.4%
Race ratioBlack 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 Percentage10%10%

Differences between family educator and youth advocate duties and responsibilities

Family educator example responsibilities.

  • Help children/youth in state custody achieve permanency whether through reintegration, adoption or custodianship.
  • Certify in CPR & first aid.
  • Perform developmental screenings and participate in IEP transition meetings.
  • Collaborate with special education teachers for implementation of IEP s for special needs children and curriculum development.
  • Mediate conflicts between patients, handle medical emergencies, assist patients in developing and implementing positive and cooperative living skills.
  • Determine participants' eligibility for program by gathering data and maintaining information to ensure clients are compliant for TANF program regulations.

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.

Family educator vs youth advocate skills

Common family educator skills
  • Social Work, 17%
  • Child Development, 8%
  • CPR, 8%
  • Childhood Education, 7%
  • Health Education, 7%
  • Community Resources, 6%
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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