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The differences between youth counselors and residence counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a youth counselor and a residence counselor. Additionally, a youth counselor has an average salary of $36,754, which is higher than the $34,931 average annual salary of a residence counselor.
The top three skills for a youth counselor include direct care, mental health and crisis intervention. The most important skills for a residence counselor are developmental disabilities, CPR, and community resources.
| Youth Counselor | Residence Counselor | |
| Yearly salary | $36,754 | $34,931 |
| Hourly rate | $17.67 | $16.79 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 36% |
| Number of jobs | 78,461 | 78,872 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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.
Residence counselors are professionals who are responsible for providing services such as one-to-one therapy and crisis support to clients who are living in group homes or assisted-living facilities. These counselors must assist adults with moderate intellectual disabilities to find employment while monitoring their work performance. They must facilitate and supervise daily personal care and activities for developmentally disabled adults. Residence counselors must also encourage clients to participate in community activities that can contribute to the development of skills necessary for independent living.
Youth counselors and residence counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Youth Counselor | Residence Counselor | |
| Average salary | $36,754 | $34,931 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $49,000 | Between $28,000 And $43,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Jose, CA | Phoenix, AZ |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | New York State Restaurant Association | McLean Hospital |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Education |
There are a few differences between a youth counselor and a residence counselor in terms of educational background:
| Youth Counselor | Residence Counselor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between youth counselors' and residence counselors' demographics:
| Youth Counselor | Residence Counselor | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 43.8% Female, 56.2% | Male, 34.5% Female, 65.5% |
| 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, 11.3% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 3.2% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 15% | 15% |