House parent vs youth counselor

The differences between house parents and youth counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a youth counselor has an average salary of $36,754, which is higher than the $34,797 average annual salary of a house parent.

The top three skills for a house parent include crisis intervention, foster care and direct care. The most important skills for a youth counselor are direct care, mental health, and crisis intervention.

House parent vs youth counselor overview

	House Parent	Youth Counselor
Yearly salary	$34,797	$36,754
Hourly rate	$16.73	$17.67
Growth rate	36%	12%
Number of jobs	25,144	78,461
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Average age	26	41
Years of experience	-	4

House parent vs youth counselor salary

House parents and youth counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	House Parent	Youth Counselor
Average salary	$34,797	$36,754
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $49,000	Between $27,000 And $49,000
Highest paying City	-	San Jose, CA
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	New York State Restaurant Association
Best paying industry	-	Professional

Differences between house parent and youth counselor education

There are a few differences between a house parent and a youth counselor in terms of educational background:

	House Parent	Youth Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	California State University - Long Beach

House parent vs youth counselor demographics

Here are the differences between house parents' and youth counselors' demographics:

	House Parent	Youth Counselor
Average age	26	41
Gender ratio	Male, 33.9% Female, 66.1%	Male, 43.8% Female, 56.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 16.5% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 13.8% Asian, 6.7% White, 56.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 3.2% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	13%	15%

Differences between house parent and youth counselor duties and responsibilities

House parent example responsibilities.

Lead support groups with an emphasis on recovery and strength base techniques, DBT, CBT, self-care and coping skills.
Attend multiple trainings on child development, wellness action plans, as well as CPR certification.
Demonstrate proficiency in administering medications, assisting with ADL's.
Promote continuity of care by accurately and completely communicating to other caregivers the status of patients for which care is provided.
Create new forms to help house moms stay better organize and help with household and DHS responsibilities.
Prepare meals, pick up groceries when need, administer and document all medications.

Youth counselor example responsibilities.

Instruct students in course work including: reading, writing, mathematics, behavior modification, and social skills.
Train in physical restraint, conflict resolution, first aide, CPR, blood borne pathogen management and universal precautions.
Complete functional assessment evaluations of residents and write individualized rehabilitation goals that encourage community integration.
Monitor behavior, safety and location of juvenile residents that are court mandate, psychological/behavioral disorders, physical disabilities and autism.
Maintain high standards of cleanliness and presentation in all back-of-house areas and customer areas.
Supervise teens on maintaining cleanliness of cottage, individual rooms and their individual appearance.

House parent vs youth counselor skills

Common house parent skills

Crisis Intervention, 12%
Foster Care, 9%
Direct Care, 9%
CPR, 9%
Child Care, 7%
Foster Children, 7%

Common youth counselor skills

Direct Care, 8%
Mental Health, 8%
Crisis Intervention, 7%
CPR, 7%
Social Work, 7%
Necessary Paperwork, 6%