Forensic social worker vs youth development professional

The differences between forensic social workers and youth development professionals can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a forensic social worker and a youth development professional. Additionally, a forensic social worker has an average salary of $51,696, which is higher than the $43,758 average annual salary of a youth development professional.

The top three skills for a forensic social worker include social work, psycho-social assessments and mental health. The most important skills for a youth development professional are youth development, direct care, and productive relationships.

Forensic social worker vs youth development professional overview

	Forensic Social Worker	Youth Development Professional
Yearly salary	$51,696	$43,758
Hourly rate	$24.85	$21.04
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	102,030	91,372
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Master's Degree, 52%	Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	4	4

Forensic social worker vs youth development professional salary

Forensic social workers and youth development professionals have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Forensic Social Worker	Youth Development Professional
Average salary	$51,696	$43,758
Salary range	Between $41,000 And $64,000	Between $20,000 And $95,000
Highest paying City	-	Jersey City, NJ
Highest paying state	-	New Jersey
Best paying company	-	MUFG EMEA
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between forensic social worker and youth development professional education

There are a few differences between a forensic social worker and a youth development professional in terms of educational background:

	Forensic Social Worker	Youth Development Professional
Most common degree	Master's Degree, 52%	Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Most common major	Social Work	Psychology
Most common college	Boston College	University of Pennsylvania

Forensic social worker vs youth development professional demographics

Here are the differences between forensic social workers' and youth development professionals' demographics:

	Forensic Social Worker	Youth Development Professional
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 21.4% Female, 78.6%	Male, 41.0% Female, 59.0%
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 forensic social worker and youth development professional duties and responsibilities

Forensic social worker example responsibilities.

Manage caseload and complete all paperwork according to OMH guidelines.
Counsele veterans and Medi-Cal clients individually to provide behavioral interventions in order to address their anxiety, depression and anger.
Facilitate the building of community partnerships and provide community outreach and marketing efforts to generate new client business.

Youth development professional example responsibilities.

Assist in achieving and maintaining DoD certification and national accreditation or equivalent compliance.
Develop necessary reports for local, state, and federal programs pertaining to mathematics.
Create PowerPoint that reflects current EHS metric measurements vs. the goals of the year.
Develop teen prevention programs addressing violence, substance abuse and nutrition
Help each participant meet their establish goals and develop and practice personal leadership skills.
Deliver strong leadership skills to ensure an optimistic environment, and regularly deliver positive reinforcement along with a positive attitude.

Forensic social worker vs youth development professional skills

Common forensic social worker skills

Social Work, 29%
Psycho-Social Assessments, 11%
Mental Health, 9%
Crisis Intervention, 9%
Criminal Justice, 4%
Community Resources, 4%

Common youth development professional skills

Youth Development, 13%
Direct Care, 13%
Productive Relationships, 10%
Restraints, 9%
Professional Development, 9%
CPR, 7%

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Forensic Social Worker
Forensic Social Worker vs Youth Development Professional

Updated January 8, 2025

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