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The differences between volunteers and youth development professionals can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a volunteer, becoming a youth development professional takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a youth development professional has an average salary of $43,758, which is higher than the $31,227 average annual salary of a volunteer.
The top three skills for a volunteer include child care, patient charts and patient care. The most important skills for a youth development professional are youth development, direct care, and productive relationships.
| Volunteer | Youth Development Professional | |
| Yearly salary | $31,227 | $43,758 |
| Hourly rate | $15.01 | $21.04 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 9,583 | 91,372 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Average age | 43 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 4 |
Volunteers are usually unpaid individuals who render their service to a company or organization. Most of the time, volunteers are skilled in specific areas needed by the organization but prefer to provide free service. They may be employed in another organization, but they lend their time and talent to another organization or company to give back to the community. They raise funds, create awareness, and work on the ground. Volunteers usually choose a cause or advocacy close to their heart, such as teaching children, taking care of the elderly, coaching sports teams, cleaning up communities, and caring for animals.
Youth Development Professionals are specialists in implementing and overseeing programs to help adolescents discover their abilities and interests. They are responsible for coordinating career days and field trips, organizing mentorship sessions, create youth outreach projects, and assisting community organizations in youth provision development. Other duties include supporting the training of volunteer youth workers as well as ensuring service provided adheres to professional standards and current regulations. A Youth Development Professional may specialize in a specific development sector, such as healthy living, experiential learning, or public service.
Volunteers and youth development professionals have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Volunteer | Youth Development Professional | |
| Average salary | $31,227 | $43,758 |
| Salary range | Between $23,000 And $41,000 | Between $20,000 And $95,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Jersey City, NJ |
| Highest paying state | - | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | - | MUFG EMEA |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between a volunteer and a youth development professional in terms of educational background:
| Volunteer | Youth Development Professional | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Most common major | Business | Psychology |
| Most common college | California State University - Fullerton | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between volunteers' and youth development professionals' demographics:
| Volunteer | Youth Development Professional | |
| Average age | 43 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 36.0% Female, 64.0% | Male, 41.0% Female, 59.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 13.2% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.5% Asian, 7.3% White, 52.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.2% | Black or African American, 13.4% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 2.7% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 10% |