Probation officer vs juvenile probation officer

The differences between probation officers and juvenile 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 probation officer and a juvenile probation officer. Additionally, a probation officer has an average salary of $47,252, which is higher than the $46,765 average annual salary of a juvenile probation officer.

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

Probation officer vs juvenile probation officer overview

	Probation Officer	Juvenile Probation Officer
Yearly salary	$47,252	$46,765
Hourly rate	$22.72	$22.48
Growth rate	-	-
Number of jobs	55,952	66,217
Job satisfaction	5	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 73%	Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	4	4

What does a probation officer do?

A probation officer is responsible for monitoring probationers' cases, evaluating terms, and overseeing rehabilitation processes. Probation officers strategize probational operations, as well as recommending treatment plans to achieve probational objectives. They also maintain progress reports, deciding on release requirements and other conditional services to motivate the probationers on adhering to their treatment procedures. A probation officer assesses the probationers' behaviors during the probationary period, regularly interacting with them to identify their challenges, and administering remedial actions.

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.

Probation officer vs juvenile probation officer salary

Probation officers and juvenile probation officers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Probation Officer	Juvenile Probation Officer
Average salary	$47,252	$46,765
Salary range	Between $31,000 And $69,000	Between $30,000 And $71,000
Highest paying City	San Jose, CA	Las Vegas, NV
Highest paying state	Nevada	California
Best paying company	Hamilton	Clark County
Best paying industry	Government	Professional

Differences between probation officer and juvenile probation officer education

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

	Probation Officer	Juvenile Probation Officer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 73%	Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Criminal Justice
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	California State University - Long Beach

Probation officer vs juvenile probation officer demographics

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

	Probation Officer	Juvenile Probation Officer
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 45.4% Female, 54.6%	Male, 46.9% Female, 53.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 14.3% Unknown, 2.6% Hispanic or Latino, 16.7% Asian, 2.2% White, 63.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%	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%
LGBT Percentage	10%	10%

Differences between probation officer and juvenile probation officer duties and responsibilities

Probation officer example responsibilities.

Manage significant DUI caseload to court-ordered and conditional probation completion.
Create comprehensive case plans that identify needs of offenders in order to facilitate public safety and rehabilitation of the offender.
Promote positive changes in offender behavior that have been release from TDCJ to pursue their sentence.
Assist in the screening and selection of GPS offenders that are release from custody as a condition of bond.
Clerk probate, guardianship, commitment and juvenile, prepare minutes, schedule hearings and draft legal documents and correspondence.
Complete pre-sentence interviews and investigations.

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.

Probation officer vs juvenile probation officer skills

Common probation officer skills

Criminal Justice, 12%
Mental Health, 10%
Rehabilitation, 6%
Juvenile Offenders, 6%
Community Resources, 5%
Court Orders, 5%

Common juvenile probation officer skills

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

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Probation Officer vs Juvenile Probation Officer

Updated January 8, 2025

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