Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between mental health specialists and youth care specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a mental health specialist, becoming a youth care specialist takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a mental health specialist has an average salary of $47,321, which is higher than the $38,955 average annual salary of a youth care specialist.
The top three skills for a mental health specialist include patients, social work and rehabilitation. The most important skills for a youth care specialist are customer service, patients, and CPR.
| Mental Health Specialist | Youth Care Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $47,321 | $38,955 |
| Hourly rate | $22.75 | $18.73 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 131,449 | 133,042 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Average age | 45 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 12 |
A mental health specialist is responsible for evaluating a patient's mental health condition and develop appropriate treatment plans to help the patients cope up with their mental difficulties. Mental health specialists provide counseling to the patients, listening to their situation, and responding with the utmost consideration. They also create regular progress reports and medical charts to monitor ongoing medication, updating treatment plans as needed. A mental health specialist must have excellent communication and organization skills, helping the patients deal with their mental stress and return to a healthy lifestyle.
Youth care specialists are social experts who coordinate programs for children and young people who need care while being away from their own families for some reason. These specialists are required to maintain a safe environment in the community so that children will feel safe, cared for, and nurture. They must lead various seminars for youths about topics such as job readiness, financial literacy, and higher education. They must also communicate the concerns and other important information to a child's assigned social worker and provide back-up support to case managers if needed.
Mental health specialists and youth care specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Mental Health Specialist | Youth Care Specialist | |
| Average salary | $47,321 | $38,955 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $71,000 | Between $24,000 And $62,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Annapolis, MD |
| Highest paying state | California | Maryland |
| Best paying company | Research Foundation For Mental Hygiene Inc | Delaware State Government |
| Best paying industry | Government | Government |
There are a few differences between a mental health specialist and a youth care specialist in terms of educational background:
| Mental Health Specialist | Youth Care Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | SUNY at Binghamton |
Here are the differences between mental health specialists' and youth care specialists' demographics:
| Mental Health Specialist | Youth Care Specialist | |
| Average age | 45 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 32.9% Female, 67.1% | Male, 37.4% Female, 62.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 3.1% White, 74.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 6.0% White, 60.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 15% | 11% |