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The differences between youth advocates and social services assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a youth advocate, becoming a social services assistant takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a social services assistant has an average salary of $37,445, 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 social services assistant are social work, patients, and rehabilitation.
| Youth Advocate | Social Services Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $33,924 | $37,445 |
| Hourly rate | $16.31 | $18.00 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 78,437 | 152,760 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| Average age | 42 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 12 |
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.
A social services assistant is responsible for supporting the social needs of citizens within society. Social services assistants work within the community office or health institutions to assist patients and their families in processing their needs and obtaining medical information. They also coordinate with other organizations to gather additional resources and financial assistance to plan community programs that will be beneficial for society. A social services assistant provides counseling to the families to identify the services and referrals they needed.
Youth advocates and social services assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Youth Advocate | Social Services Assistant | |
| Average salary | $33,924 | $37,445 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $41,000 | Between $29,000 And $47,000 |
| Highest paying City | Syracuse, NY | Tacoma, WA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Washington |
| Best paying company | First Place for Youth | Research Foundation of The City University of New York |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Government |
There are a few differences between a youth advocate and a social services assistant in terms of educational background:
| Youth Advocate | Social Services Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Social Work |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | SUNY at Binghamton |
Here are the differences between youth advocates' and social services assistants' demographics:
| Youth Advocate | Social Services Assistant | |
| Average age | 42 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 38.6% Female, 61.4% | Male, 17.0% Female, 83.0% |
| 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, 11.7% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 18.9% Asian, 6.7% White, 56.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 11% |