Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between vocational specialists and youth mentors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a vocational specialist has an average salary of $37,486, which is higher than the $32,750 average annual salary of a youth mentor.
The top three skills for a vocational specialist include rehabilitation, social work and crisis intervention. The most important skills for a youth mentor are mental health, substance abuse, and eating disorders.
| Vocational Specialist | Youth Mentor | |
| Yearly salary | $37,486 | $32,750 |
| Hourly rate | $18.02 | $15.75 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 33,643 | 68,561 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Average age | 42 | 43 |
| Years of experience | - | 12 |
Vocational Specialists are responsible for assisting individuals in finding out their career choices. They interview clients to assess their skills, job history, and personality. Their duties include matching a client's education, training, interests, and experiences to an available job position. They organize aptitude tests to assist the client make career options. They also help with résumé preparation or modification, maintaining client records, arranging reports, and correspondence. Vocal Specialists give support for individuals in times of layoffs or job losses.
Youth mentors are adult individuals who are responsible for creating programs to improve the well-being of young people by providing role models that can support them academically and socially. These mentors must educate the community on issues related to mental health while making regular home visits to youth and young adults. They should provide direct care and assistance to adolescents who are with substance abuse issues by creating an educational curriculum on the said topic. Youth mentors are also required to collaborate with mental health professionals and social workers to coordinate counseling efforts.
Vocational specialists and youth mentors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Vocational Specialist | Youth Mentor | |
| Average salary | $37,486 | $32,750 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $46,000 | Between $26,000 And $41,000 |
| Highest paying City | Pittsburg, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | California | Maine |
| Best paying company | New York State Restaurant Association | LifeWorks |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Professional |
There are a few differences between a vocational specialist and a youth mentor in terms of educational background:
| Vocational Specialist | Youth Mentor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | SUNY at Binghamton |
Here are the differences between vocational specialists' and youth mentors' demographics:
| Vocational Specialist | Youth Mentor | |
| Average age | 42 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 31.7% Female, 68.3% | Male, 47.0% Female, 53.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 3.7% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 18.7% Asian, 6.7% White, 56.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |