Volunteer services director vs advocate

The differences between volunteer services directors and advocates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a volunteer services director, becoming an advocate takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a volunteer services director has an average salary of $54,005, which is higher than the $39,497 average annual salary of an advocate.

The top three skills for a volunteer services director include patients, community outreach and child care. The most important skills for an advocate are CPR, customer service, and developmental disabilities.

Volunteer services director vs advocate overview

	Volunteer Services Director	Advocate
Yearly salary	$54,005	$39,497
Hourly rate	$25.96	$18.99
Growth rate	12%	12%
Number of jobs	58,301	74,970
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Average age	45	43
Years of experience	6	12

What does a volunteer services director do?

A volunteer services director specializes in devising and designing volunteer programs for an organization. They are primarily responsible for overseeing the recruitment and hiring process of volunteers, training, and even scheduling the work hours of volunteers. As the director, it is their role to spearhead the project and encourage volunteers. Moreover, they are also in charge of ensuring that all activities are completed within the allotted time and budget, maintaining the programs' mission and vision, and implementing the company's policies and regulations.

What does an advocate do?

An advocate is a voice for the voiceless. It is their responsibility to speak on behalf of an individual or a particular cause. Most of the duties will vary depending on the line of organization or duty involved; however, an advocate must have extensive knowledge or background on the subject matter. Furthermore, an advocate must be present at gatherings regarding the cause, assist in the negotiation and mediation processes involving contracts and legal documentation, provide or convey accurate information, and defend what they represent.

Volunteer services director vs advocate salary

Volunteer services directors and advocates have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Volunteer Services Director	Advocate
Average salary	$54,005	$39,497
Salary range	Between $32,000 And $90,000	Between $26,000 And $58,000
Highest paying City	-	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	-	New York
Best paying company	-	Microsoft
Best paying industry	-	Government

Differences between volunteer services director and advocate education

There are a few differences between a volunteer services director and an advocate in terms of educational background:

	Volunteer Services Director	Advocate
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Most common major	Business	Psychology
Most common college	SUNY at Binghamton	SUNY at Binghamton

Volunteer services director vs advocate demographics

Here are the differences between volunteer services directors' and advocates' demographics:

	Volunteer Services Director	Advocate
Average age	45	43
Gender ratio	Male, 35.0% Female, 65.0%	Male, 25.7% Female, 74.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 14.3% Asian, 5.1% White, 63.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%	Black or African American, 10.8% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 21.7% Asian, 6.2% White, 54.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.1%
LGBT Percentage	14%	11%

Differences between volunteer services director and advocate duties and responsibilities

Volunteer services director example responsibilities.

Facilitate volunteer orientation and training programs and coordinate all applicable volunteer compliance with Medicare requirements.
Prepare patients for physical therapy treatment by welcoming, providing, and assisting patients into physical therapy apparel and apertures.
Establish curriculum for children's ministry.
Vacation bible school, children's services, nursery
Create soil maps using GIS and perform data entry
Enforce compliance with all HIPAA privacy and security regulations.

Show more

Advocate example responsibilities.

Develop and maintain communication and contact with community services organizations and other agencies concern with veterans and public service programs.
Perform CPR and a as needed.
Administer first aid and CPR in emergency situations.
Record daily efforts make into an ETO software system.
Perform basic counseling, basic interviewing, conflict mediation, and advocacy for batter women.
Identify and provide emergency crisis service as needed, often through mediation or phone calls.

Show more

Volunteer services director vs advocate skills

Common volunteer services director skills

Patients, 39%
Community Outreach, 7%
Child Care, 7%
Public Speaking, 7%
Community Services, 4%
Community Resources, 4%

Common advocate skills

CPR, 12%
Customer Service, 11%
Developmental Disabilities, 11%
Cleanliness, 10%
Patients, 8%
Crisis Intervention, 6%

Volunteer Services Director vs. similar jobs

Volunteer Services Director related careers

Volunteer Services Director related jobs

What similar roles do

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse executive management jobs

A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z