Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between youth advocates and peer counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a peer counselor has an average salary of $37,464, which is higher than the $33,924 average annual salary of a youth advocate.
The top three skills for a youth advocate include mental health, social work and foster care. The most important skills for a peer counselor are peer support, substance abuse, and wic program.
| Youth Advocate | Peer Counselor | |
| Yearly salary | $33,924 | $37,464 |
| Hourly rate | $16.31 | $18.01 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 78,437 | 76,608 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | - |
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.
Typically working at schools, communities, or medical facilities, a peer counselor specializes in providing counseling to an individual or group of people, aiming to help them deal with and overcome crises. Their duties often include conducting initial assessments through interviews and appointments, listening to clients and offering advice, recommending opportunities, referring them to other support agencies, and coordinating treatment services as needed. Above all, a peer counselor must provide emotional support and guidance to clients, giving them comfort and a shoulder to lean on.
Youth advocates and peer counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Youth Advocate | Peer Counselor | |
| Average salary | $33,924 | $37,464 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $41,000 | Between $24,000 And $57,000 |
| Highest paying City | Syracuse, NY | Hayward, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | California |
| Best paying company | First Place for Youth | The Brooklyn Hospital Center |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Education |
There are a few differences between a youth advocate and a peer counselor in terms of educational background:
| Youth Advocate | Peer Counselor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between youth advocates' and peer counselors' demographics:
| Youth Advocate | Peer Counselor | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 38.6% Female, 61.4% | Male, 33.0% Female, 67.0% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 11% |