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How to hire a youth advocate

Youth advocate hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring youth advocates in the United States:

  • HR departments typically spend 15% of their expenses on recruitment.
  • It usually takes about 12 weeks for a new employee to reach full productivity levels.
  • It typically takes 36-42 days to fill a job opening.
  • The median cost to hire a youth advocate is $1,633.
  • Small businesses spend an average of $1,105 per youth advocate on training each year, while large companies spend $658.
  • There are currently 25,039 youth advocates in the US and 78,437 job openings.
  • New York, NY, has the highest demand for youth advocates, with 14 job openings.
  • New York, NY has the highest concentration of youth advocates.

How to hire a youth advocate, step by step

To hire a youth advocate, you need to identify the specific skills and experience you want in a candidate, allocate a budget for the position, and advertise the job opening to attract potential candidates. To hire a youth advocate, you should follow these steps:

Here's a step-by-step youth advocate hiring guide:

  • Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
  • Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
  • Step 3: Make a budget
  • Step 4: Write a youth advocate job description
  • Step 5: Post your job
  • Step 6: Interview candidates
  • Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new youth advocate
  • Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a youth advocate do?

Youth advocates are individuals who responsible for maintaining the human rights of youth while assisting them in developing their skills in all areas of life, such as education, health, employment, and relationships. These advocates are required to discuss youth development and involvement with various leaders in the community. They must provide crisis interventions by performing one-on-one and group meetings with young adults. Youth advocates must also work with mental health professionals within the community so that they can guide teenagers with drug or alcohol problems and mental health issues.

Learn more about the specifics of what a youth advocate does
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  1. Identify your hiring needs

    The youth advocate hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

    Determine employee vs contractor status
    Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

    A youth advocate's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, youth advocates from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

    This list presents youth advocate salaries for various positions.

    Type of Youth AdvocateDescriptionHourly rate
    Youth AdvocateSocial workers help people solve and cope with problems in their everyday lives. One group of social workers—clinical social workers—also diagnose and treat mental, behavioral, and emotional issues.$12-19
    Behavioral TherapistA behavioral therapist is responsible for supporting patients with various developmental disorders and behavioral difficulties. Behavioral therapists conduct counseling to the patients, identifying their personal and social challenges, and administering treatment plans to modify unusual behaviors... Show more$12-24
    Behavior TherapistA behavior therapist is a professional psychologist who is responsible for helping patients with mental disorders such as depression and schizophrenia. Behavior therapists must equip patients with psychological tools to help them diminish unhealthy thoughts so that they can effectively deal with the challenges of their daily lives... Show more$12-23
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Mental Health
    • Social Work
    • Foster Care
    • Community Resources
    • Youth Development
    • Crisis Intervention
    • Social Services
    • Independent Living
    • Life Training
    • Community Outreach
    • at-Risk Youth
    • CPR
    • Conflict Resolution
    • Community Services
    Check all skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Assist in achieving and maintaining DoD certification and national accreditation or equivalent compliance.
    • Assist patients in securing medical coverage by screening refer patients and coordinating the application process through successful approval.
    • Retain proper certifications for cardio-pulmonary resuscitation, first aid, driver's license and insurance.
    More youth advocate duties
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in your youth advocate job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A youth advocate can vary based on:

    • Location. For example, youth advocates' average salary in mississippi is 57% less than in new jersey.
    • Seniority. Entry-level youth advocates 34% less than senior-level youth advocates.
    • Certifications. A youth advocate with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
    • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a youth advocate's salary.

    Average youth advocate salary

    $16.31hourly

    $33,924 yearly

    Entry-level youth advocate salary
    $27,000 yearly salary
    Updated December 16, 2025

    Average youth advocate salary by state

    RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
    1New York$42,595$20
    2District of Columbia$42,499$20
    3North Dakota$39,498$19
    4Illinois$39,154$19
    5North Carolina$38,487$19
    6Nevada$37,588$18
    7California$36,469$18
    8Massachusetts$33,954$16
    9Oregon$33,691$16
    10Connecticut$33,673$16
    11Wisconsin$33,541$16
    12Kansas$33,360$16
    13Michigan$32,721$16
    14Arizona$30,356$15
    15Tennessee$30,100$14
    16Pennsylvania$30,058$14
    17Nebraska$27,879$13
    18Utah$27,574$13
    19Missouri$27,411$13
    20Louisiana$26,253$13

    Average youth advocate salary by company

    RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rateJob openings
    1First Place for Youth$36,851$17.726
    2Southern Indian Health Council$35,008$16.832
    3Astor Services$34,620$16.6445
    4University of Nevada, Reno$34,249$16.4737
    5The Women's Center$34,190$16.443
    6University of Tennessee$33,581$16.1411
    7Hillside Family of Agencies$33,325$16.0223
    8Howard Brown Health$32,847$15.79
    9Professional$32,776$15.765
    10Gwen's Girls$32,665$15.702
    11Covenant House California$32,414$15.5812
    12Spectrum Health$32,303$15.537
    13Family & Children Assoc$32,151$15.46
    14ICL$31,928$15.3541
    15Child Saving Institute$31,794$15.296
    16Seneca Companies$31,604$15.1924
    17Dynamic Workforce Solutions$31,395$15.098
    18COMPREHENSIVE YOUTH SERVICES$31,150$14.984
    19Wisconsin Community Services$31,143$14.977
    20Looking Glass Factory$31,142$14.972
  4. Writing a youth advocate job description

    A job description for a youth advocate role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a youth advocate job description:

    Youth advocate job description example

    : Work with clients, ages 16-20, in an 18 month residential program. Also working
    with youth in the community that need services. Assist residents with daily routine including hygiene
    and self-care issues, planning personal schedules and leisure time, teaching daily living skills and
    providing transportation when necessary. Help facilitate resident house meetings. Participate in weekly
    meetings with residents conducting their service plans, obtaining their documents, assisting with
    education plans. HMIS data entry. Assist in observing all health, fire and safety regulations as well as
    assuring all resident medical and safety needs are met.

    Hours : 40 hours a week. Advocate will be required to work a mix of day/evening hours, as well as
    midnight shifts, weekend shifts and some holiday hours when needed. Schedule is determined by
    current residents and monthly schedule. We are open 365 days a year and never close.

    Pay: Salary is compensatory upon education and experience. Medical and Dental benefits after 90
    days. 15 leave days a year after 90 days and 10 Vacation days a year awarded after 6 months. The
    company also reimburses work related travel mileage and provides a 10% match into employees 403b
    retirement account.
    Training: Advocate must complete at least 50 hours of paid training required by state licensing as well
    as additional hours of training required by Family Youth Interventions/Transitional Living Program.
    Position Requirements: Staff must have a minimum of 5 years’ experience in working with adolescents,
    Bachelor’s Degree preferred in a human services field. Experience in residential programs is preferred.
    Individuals must have a negative TB test result and have 3 satisfactory professional reference checks.
    Must pass criminal and child abuse/neglect background checks and possess a valid Michigan driver’s
    license.
    Candidates need to be mature, patient and good at working as a member of a team. Individuals need to
    be good at multi-tasking, and have excellent verbal and written communication skills.

  5. Post your job

    There are a few common ways to find youth advocates for your business:

    • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
    • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
    • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
    • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.
    Post your job online:
    • Post your youth advocate job on Zippia to find and recruit youth advocate candidates who meet your exact specifications.
    • Use field-specific websites.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    During your first interview to recruit youth advocates, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

    It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

    The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

  7. Send a job offer and onboard your new youth advocate

    Once you've selected the best youth advocate candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

    It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

    To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

  8. Go through the hiring process checklist

    • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
    • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
    • Define job responsibilities and requirements
    • Establish budget and timeline
    • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
    • Write job description
    • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
    • Promote the job internally
    • Process applications through applicant tracking system
    • Review resumes and cover letters
    • Shortlist candidates for screening
    • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
    • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
    • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
    • Conduct background checks on top candidates
    • Check references of top candidates
    • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
    • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
    • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
    • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
    • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
    • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)
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How much does it cost to hire a youth advocate?

Before you start to hire youth advocates, it pays to consider both the one-off costs like recruitment, job promotion, and onboarding, as well as the ongoing costs of an employee's salary and benefits. While most companies that hire youth advocates pay close attention to the initial cost of hiring, ongoing costs are much more significant in the long run.

You can expect to pay around $33,924 per year for a youth advocate, as this is the median yearly salary nationally. This can vary depending on what state or city you're hiring in. If you're hiring for contract work or on a per-project basis, hourly rates for youth advocates in the US typically range between $12 and $19 an hour.

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