Juvenile probation officer vs adult probation officer

The differences between juvenile probation officers and adult probation officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a juvenile probation officer and an adult probation officer. Additionally, a juvenile probation officer has an average salary of $46,765, which is higher than the $46,598 average annual salary of an adult probation officer.

The top three skills for a juvenile probation officer include mental health, social work and rehabilitation. The most important skills for an adult probation officer are criminal justice, social work, and mental health.

Juvenile probation officer vs adult probation officer overview

	Juvenile Probation Officer	Adult Probation Officer
Yearly salary	$46,765	$46,598
Hourly rate	$22.48	$22.40
Growth rate	-	-
Number of jobs	66,217	56,961
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 76%	Bachelor's Degree, 78%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	4	4

What does a juvenile probation officer do?

A juvenile probation officer is in charge of managing and supervising cases of youth offenders who are under parole or probation. Their responsibilities typically revolve around monitoring the youth offenders' activities by conducting regular visits and interviews, recommending rehabilitation plans, testifying in court as needed, and coordinating with external parties such as schools, social services, and law enforcement agencies. Furthermore, as a juvenile probation officer, it is essential to serve as a positive role model to the young offenders, all while enforcing discipline and good conduct.

What does an adult probation officer do?

An adult probation officer works with offenders, monitoring their behavior and activities to prevent them from committing crimes. Part of their job is to evaluate the offenders' criminal history and overall profile to determine and develop rehabilitation and treatment plans, arrange suitable programs or refer them to other services, coordinate with the offender's family and friends, and facilitate regular drug tests and other examinations. Moreover, an adult probation officer is also responsible for conducting regular interviews with the offenders and their families, communicating with programs to verify the offenders' compliance, and preparing progress reports and records.

Juvenile probation officer vs adult probation officer salary

Juvenile probation officers and adult probation officers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Juvenile Probation Officer	Adult Probation Officer
Average salary	$46,765	$46,598
Salary range	Between $30,000 And $71,000	Between $30,000 And $70,000
Highest paying City	Las Vegas, NV	Anchorage, AK
Highest paying state	California	Nevada
Best paying company	Clark County	Lake County
Best paying industry	Professional	Government

Differences between juvenile probation officer and adult probation officer education

There are a few differences between a juvenile probation officer and an adult probation officer in terms of educational background:

	Juvenile Probation Officer	Adult Probation Officer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 76%	Bachelor's Degree, 78%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Criminal Justice
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	California State University - Long Beach

Juvenile probation officer vs adult probation officer demographics

Here are the differences between juvenile probation officers' and adult probation officers' demographics:

	Juvenile Probation Officer	Adult Probation Officer
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 46.9% Female, 53.1%	Male, 48.3% Female, 51.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 14.0% Unknown, 2.6% Hispanic or Latino, 18.6% Asian, 1.8% White, 62.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%	Black or African American, 11.2% Unknown, 2.6% Hispanic or Latino, 21.2% Asian, 2.1% White, 62.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	10%	10%

Differences between juvenile probation officer and adult probation officer duties and responsibilities

Juvenile probation officer example responsibilities.

Manage significant DUI caseload to court-ordered and conditional probation completion.
Provide case management, treatment, supervision, counseling and rehabilitation of both adjudicate and non-adjudicate juvenile offenders in various settings.
Facilitate physicals restraint courses and CPR training classes.
Complete training in CPR, first aid, and physical restraint techniques.
Supervise offenders on probation and parole, complete social histories/assessments/investigations for the sentencing court or parole board, case management.
Administer random urinalysis on an as needed basis.

Adult probation officer example responsibilities.

Manage significant DUI caseload to court-ordered and conditional probation completion.
Enforce sex offender registration, obtain DNA samples and review GPS electronic monitoring system.
Supervise offenders on probation and parole, complete social histories/assessments/investigations for the sentencing court or parole board, case management.
Conduct DNA and urinalysis on clients.
Administer DNA indexing and random drug testing on probationers.
Review referral history and other JJIS data for accuracy and conduct data collection for statistical purposes within establish rules.

Juvenile probation officer vs adult probation officer skills

Common juvenile probation officer skills

Mental Health, 9%
Social Work, 7%
Rehabilitation, 6%
Substance Abuse, 6%
Court Orders, 6%
Competency Development, 6%

Common adult probation officer skills

Criminal Justice, 10%
Social Work, 10%
Mental Health, 8%
Court Orders, 5%
Law Enforcement Agencies, 5%
Community Resources, 5%

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Juvenile Probation Officer
Juvenile Probation Officer vs Adult Probation Officer

Updated January 8, 2025

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