Youth counselor vs direct care counselor

The differences between youth counselors and direct care counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a youth counselor has an average salary of $36,754, which is higher than the $33,422 average annual salary of a direct care counselor.

The top three skills for a youth counselor include direct care, mental health and crisis intervention. The most important skills for a direct care counselor are crisis intervention, autism, and CPR.

Youth counselor vs direct care counselor overview

	Youth Counselor	Direct Care Counselor
Yearly salary	$36,754	$33,422
Hourly rate	$17.67	$16.07
Growth rate	12%	36%
Number of jobs	78,461	123,519
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Average age	41	48
Years of experience	4	-

What does a youth counselor do?

A Youth Counselor's role is to provide guidance and interact with children or teenagers in need of care and counseling. The duty of a Youth Counselor is diverse, and it highly depends on the organization or employer. However, the responsibilities mostly revolve around establishing rapport with the youngster while trying to work on their issues, ensuring their welfare by monitoring their emotional and physical state, coordinating with families or other facilities, suggesting treatments, and performing crisis intervention if necessary.

What does a direct care counselor do?

A direct care counselor provides direct counseling and assistance to the elderly or individuals with disabilities and mental issues. They usually work at rehabilitation centers or care facilities and work together with nurses or caregivers to administer different treatment plans, monitor and support the patients' progress, and help the patients carry out daily activities such as performing hygienic or routine living tasks. Moreover, a direct care counselor may also develop and implement various healthcare programs and recreational activities while adhering to the facility's policies and regulations.

Youth counselor vs direct care counselor salary

Youth counselors and direct care counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Youth Counselor	Direct Care Counselor
Average salary	$36,754	$33,422
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $49,000	Between $22,000 And $49,000
Highest paying City	San Jose, CA	-
Highest paying state	California	-
Best paying company	New York State Restaurant Association	-
Best paying industry	Professional	-

Differences between youth counselor and direct care counselor education

There are a few differences between a youth counselor and a direct care counselor in terms of educational background:

	Youth Counselor	Direct Care Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	-

Youth counselor vs direct care counselor demographics

Here are the differences between youth counselors' and direct care counselors' demographics:

	Youth Counselor	Direct Care Counselor
Average age	41	48
Gender ratio	Male, 43.8% Female, 56.2%	Male, 31.5% Female, 68.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 3.2% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%	Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 17.6% Asian, 8.3% White, 57.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	15%	7%

Differences between youth counselor and direct care counselor duties and responsibilities

Youth counselor example responsibilities.

Instruct students in course work including: reading, writing, mathematics, behavior modification, and social skills.
Train in physical restraint, conflict resolution, first aide, CPR, blood borne pathogen management and universal precautions.
Complete functional assessment evaluations of residents and write individualized rehabilitation goals that encourage community integration.
Monitor behavior, safety and location of juvenile residents that are court mandate, psychological/behavioral disorders, physical disabilities and autism.
Maintain high standards of cleanliness and presentation in all back-of-house areas and customer areas.
Supervise teens on maintaining cleanliness of cottage, individual rooms and their individual appearance.

Direct care counselor example responsibilities.

Obtain SCIP-R, CPR, and AMAP certifications.
Provide training to residents in improving ADL and independent living skills per the IHP and any/all relate behavior or medical requirements.
Obtain AMAP certification and administer medications under the supervision of assign nursing staff.
Provide direct care assistance for campers with autism, intellectual disabilities, and/or developmental delays.
Perform one-on-one supervision of children with disabilities including autism, complex mental health problems, and complex behavioral problems.
Help develop and carry-out treatment goals for individual clients as outlined in treatment plans and/or ISP goals and objectives.

Youth counselor vs direct care counselor skills

Common youth counselor skills

Direct Care, 8%
Mental Health, 8%
Crisis Intervention, 7%
CPR, 7%
Social Work, 7%
Necessary Paperwork, 6%

Common direct care counselor skills

Crisis Intervention, 12%
Autism, 11%
CPR, 10%
Developmental Disabilities, 10%
Incident Reports, 9%
Data Collection, 8%

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Youth Counselor
Youth Counselor vs Direct Care Counselor

Updated January 8, 2025

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