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The differences between youth advocates and youth care specialists 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 youth care specialist takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a youth care specialist has an average salary of $38,955, 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 youth care specialist are customer service, patients, and CPR.
| Youth Advocate | Youth Care Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $33,924 | $38,955 |
| Hourly rate | $16.31 | $18.73 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 78,437 | 133,042 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| 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.
Youth care specialists are social experts who coordinate programs for children and young people who need care while being away from their own families for some reason. These specialists are required to maintain a safe environment in the community so that children will feel safe, cared for, and nurture. They must lead various seminars for youths about topics such as job readiness, financial literacy, and higher education. They must also communicate the concerns and other important information to a child's assigned social worker and provide back-up support to case managers if needed.
Youth advocates and youth care specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Youth Advocate | Youth Care Specialist | |
| Average salary | $33,924 | $38,955 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $41,000 | Between $24,000 And $62,000 |
| Highest paying City | Syracuse, NY | Annapolis, MD |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Maryland |
| Best paying company | First Place for Youth | Delaware State Government |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Government |
There are a few differences between a youth advocate and a youth care specialist in terms of educational background:
| Youth Advocate | Youth Care Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | SUNY at Binghamton |
Here are the differences between youth advocates' and youth care specialists' demographics:
| Youth Advocate | Youth Care Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 38.6% Female, 61.4% | Male, 37.4% Female, 62.6% |
| 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, 10.4% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 6.0% White, 60.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 11% |