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Youth care specialist salary
Average youth care specialist salary
$38,955
Average Youth Care Specialist Salary
As of October 2025, the average salary for a Youth Care Specialist stands at $38,955 per year, or $19 per hour. This figure can fluctuate based on various factors, including geographical location, years of experience, and the specific type of facility. For instance, urban centers tend to offer higher wages due to a greater demand for youth care services.
Salary by Experience Level
Entry-level positions may start around $30,000, while experienced specialists can earn upwards of $50,000 annually. As professionals gain more experience and possibly specialize in certain areas, their earning potential increases significantly.
Where Can You Earn More?
States like California and New York often provide the highest salaries for youth care specialists, reflecting higher living costs and greater demand for these roles. Understanding regional salary variations is crucial for job seekers aiming to maximize their earning potential.
Job Opportunities
The demand for qualified youth care specialists continues to grow, particularly in urban areas, treatment centers, and educational institutions. By exploring various opportunities, you can find positions that not only meet your salary expectations but also align with your career goals.
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Where can a Youth Care Specialist earn more?
Youth care specialist salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level youth care specialist | $27,000 | $13.00 |
| Mid-level youth care specialist | $38,400 | $18.45 |
| Senior-level youth care specialist | $44,100 | $21.18 |
Youth care specialist salary estimates from across the web
Average youth care specialist salary by state
The average youth care specialist salary in Maryland, New York, and Delaware are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average youth care specialist salary states are Iowa, Montana, and Nebraska.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for youth care specialists
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maryland | $54,563 | $26.23 |
| 2 | Delaware | $48,399 | $23.27 |
| 3 | Nevada | $43,468 | $20.90 |
| 4 | New Mexico | $45,943 | $22.09 |
| 5 | Hawaii | $47,852 | $23.01 |
| 6 | Arizona | $41,457 | $19.93 |
| 7 | New York | $51,662 | $24.84 |
| 8 | Mississippi | $40,003 | $19.23 |
| 9 | Illinois | $40,694 | $19.56 |
| 10 | District of Columbia | $53,369 | $25.66 |
| 11 | California | $47,236 | $22.71 |
| 12 | North Carolina | $40,745 | $19.59 |
| 13 | Pennsylvania | $45,030 | $21.65 |
| 14 | Connecticut | $46,218 | $22.22 |
| 15 | North Dakota | $37,809 | $18.18 |
| 16 | New Jersey | $46,499 | $22.36 |
| 17 | Wisconsin | $38,489 | $18.50 |
| 18 | New Hampshire | $39,378 | $18.93 |
| 19 | Rhode Island | $40,926 | $19.68 |
| 20 | West Virginia | $37,015 | $17.80 |
| 21 | Massachusetts | $37,836 | $18.19 |
| 22 | Virginia | $42,053 | $20.22 |
| 23 | Michigan | $34,698 | $16.68 |
| 24 | Maine | $34,072 | $16.38 |
| 25 | Ohio | $36,229 | $17.42 |
| 26 | Oklahoma | $35,251 | $16.95 |
| 27 | Texas | $40,070 | $19.26 |
| 28 | Minnesota | $33,953 | $16.32 |
| 29 | Colorado | $36,982 | $17.78 |
| 30 | Louisiana | $35,044 | $16.85 |
| 31 | Oregon | $35,386 | $17.01 |
| 32 | Florida | $37,273 | $17.92 |
| 33 | Montana | $29,025 | $13.95 |
| 34 | South Carolina | $34,998 | $16.83 |
| 35 | Utah | $34,226 | $16.45 |
| 36 | Missouri | $31,583 | $15.18 |
| 37 | Iowa | $29,632 | $14.25 |
| 38 | Vermont | $30,660 | $14.74 |
| 39 | Tennessee | $34,016 | $16.35 |
| 40 | Washington | $32,355 | $15.56 |
| 41 | Kansas | $33,033 | $15.88 |
| 42 | Arkansas | $33,285 | $16.00 |
| 43 | Georgia | $33,076 | $15.90 |
| 44 | Wyoming | $31,111 | $14.96 |
| 45 | Alaska | $27,241 | $13.10 |
| 46 | Alabama | $32,606 | $15.68 |
| 47 | Kentucky | $31,981 | $15.38 |
| 48 | South Dakota | $27,434 | $13.19 |
| 49 | Indiana | $32,181 | $15.47 |
| 50 | Nebraska | $28,613 | $13.76 |
| 51 | Idaho | $26,900 | $12.93 |
Highest paying cities for youth care specialists
The highest-paying cities for youth care specialists are Annapolis, MD, Washington, DC, and New York, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Annapolis, MD | $54,964 | $26.43 |
| 2 | Washington, DC | $53,388 | $25.67 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $52,474 | $25.23 |
| 4 | Los Angeles, CA | $47,690 | $22.93 |
| 5 | Albuquerque, NM | $45,728 | $21.98 |
| 6 | Pittsburgh, PA | $42,932 | $20.64 |
| 7 | Chicago, IL | $40,816 | $19.62 |
| 8 | Charlotte, NC | $39,383 | $18.93 |
| 9 | Appleton, WI | $37,910 | $18.23 |
| 10 | Fort Lauderdale, FL | $37,803 | $18.17 |
| 11 | Cleveland, OH | $37,387 | $17.97 |
| 12 | Denver, CO | $36,913 | $17.75 |
| 13 | Portland, OR | $35,004 | $16.83 |
| 14 | Columbia, TN | $34,001 | $16.35 |
| 15 | Saint Paul, MN | $33,983 | $16.34 |
| 16 | Kalamazoo, MI | $33,105 | $15.92 |
| 17 | Olathe, KS | $32,970 | $15.85 |
| 18 | Douglasville, GA | $32,822 | $15.78 |
| 19 | Bentonville, AR | $32,734 | $15.74 |
| 20 | Seattle, WA | $32,364 | $15.56 |
Youth care specialist salary details
A youth care specialist's salary ranges from $24,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $62,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a youth care specialist's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $62,000 | $5,167 | $30 |
| 75th Percentile | $49,000 | $4,083 | $24 |
| Average | $38,955 | $3,246 | $19 |
| 25th Percentile | $30,000 | $2,500 | $14 |
| 10th Percentile | $24,000 | $2,000 | $12 |
Highest paying youth care specialist jobs
The highest paying types of youth care specialists are child life specialist, treatment specialist, and social services specialist.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Youth Worker | $32,242 | $2,687 | $15.50 | 87,360 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for youth care specialists, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Dr. Kate Seltzer Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Rowan University
Top companies hiring youth care specialists now:
Which companies pay youth care specialists the most?
Youth care specialist salaries at Delaware State Government and Lincoln Holdings LLC are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average youth care specialist salary at companies like Heritage Care and The Children's Village are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Delaware State Government | $55,446 | $26.66 |
| 2 | Lincoln Holdings LLC | $52,718 | $25.35 |
| 3 | Heritage Care | $48,140 | $23.14 |
| 4 | The Children's Village | $40,047 | $19.25 |
| 5 | Outagamie County | $39,753 | $19.11 |
| 6 | Community Health Connections | $39,503 | $18.99 |
| 7 | Mediacom Communications | $39,005 | $18.75 |
| 8 | AMIkids | $38,948 | $18.73 |
| 9 | Good Shepherd Services | $38,418 | $18.47 |
| 10 | HealthTrust | $38,345 | $18.44 |
| 11 | Florida United Methodist Children's Home | $37,743 | $18.15 |
| 12 | Children's Home Society of Florida | $37,537 | $18.05 |
| 13 | Youth Villages | $37,468 | $18.01 |
| 14 | Maryville Academy | $37,453 | $18.01 |
| 15 | Boys & Girls Aid | $37,265 | $17.92 |
| 16 | EmblemHealth | $37,252 | $17.91 |
| 17 | Daiichi Sankyo | $37,201 | $17.89 |
| 18 | Novant Health | $37,067 | $17.82 |
| 19 | Froedtert South | $36,576 | $17.58 |
| 20 | Medical City Arlington | $36,175 | $17.39 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Youth Care Specialist salary by industry
The average youth care specialist salary varies across industries:
- The average youth care specialist salary in the government industry is $39,391, the highest of any industry.
- The average youth care specialist salary in the finance industry is $35,595.
- Youth care specialists in the health care industry earn an average salary of $33,441, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for youth care specialists
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Government | $39,391 | $18.94 |
| 2 | Professional | $35,595 | $17.11 |
| 3 | Non Profits | $34,046 | $16.37 |
| 4 | Health Care | $33,441 | $16.08 |
High paying youth care specialist jobs
Youth care specialist salary trends
The average youth care specialist salary has risen by $7,821 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average youth care specialist earned $31,134 annually, but today, they earn $38,955 a year. That works out to a 13% change in pay for youth care specialists over the last decade.
Compare youth care specialist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average youth care specialist salary over time
Compare youth care specialist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Youth care specialist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $39,000 | $18.73 | +2.5% |
| 2024 | $38,000 | $18.26 | +3.7% |
| 2023 | $36,600 | $17.58 | +1.9% |
| 2022 | $35,900 | $17.25 | +4.0% |
| 2021 | $34,500 | $16.57 | +3.1% |
Recently added youth care specialist salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shrub Oak International School | Youth Care Specialist (YCS) DAY-The Pines | Lake Mohegan, NY | 06/25/2025 | $52,175 |
| Hope Enterprises | Donor Care Specialist | Houston, TX | 06/20/2025 | $39,653 |
| Thompson Child & Family Focus | Youth Care Specialist | Jackson, MS | 06/20/2025 | $35,479 |
| Los Angeles Lgbt Center | Youth Care Specialist I #901302 | Los Angeles, CA | 06/16/2025 | $43,827 |
| Christian Career | Residential Youth Care Specialist-Esther's Home | Ione, WA | 06/16/2025 | $41,740 |
| Child Saving Institute | Youth Care Specialist (SUB or | Omaha, NE | 06/15/2025 | $39,131 |
| Thompson Child & Family Focus | Youth Care Specialist | Jackson, TN | 06/14/2025 | $35,479 |
| BOCC | Youth Care Specialist (Children's Services) | Tampa, FL | 06/10/2025 | $39,653 |
| Care | Care Specialist | Dallas, TX | 06/09/2025 | $50,088 |
| Nexus Treatment | Youth Care Professional-1St. Shift | Mendota Heights, MN | 06/06/2025 | $39,653 |
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