How to hire a youth development professional

How to hire a youth development professional, step by step

Here's a step-by-step youth development professional hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a youth development professional job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new youth development professional
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a youth development professional do?

Post a youth development professional job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a youth development professional, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A youth development professional's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, youth development professionals from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list shows salaries for various types of youth development professionals.

   Type of Youth Development Professional	Description	Hourly rate
   Youth Development Professional	Social workers help people solve and cope with problems in their everyday lives. One group of social workers—clinical social workers—also diagnose and treat mental, behavioral, and emotional issues.	$9-45
   Family Service Worker	A family service worker is in charge of providing support services to families in a community, referring them to other agencies or programs as needed. They serve as the primary point of contact of family members, ensuring they maintain an active line of communication... Show more	$13-23
   Case Worker	Caseworkers are social workers who watch over the welfare of underprivileged individuals and at-risk families by counseling and providing them with assistance. Usually employed under the government or a local non-profit organization, a caseworker must conduct a thorough interview and house visits to determine the needs of the family... Show more	$14-26

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Youth Development
   • Direct Care
   • Productive Relationships
   • Restraints
   • Professional Development
   • CPR
   • Compassion
   • Direct Supervision
   • Business Development
   • Leadership
   • Mathematics
   • Emotional Environment
   • PowerPoint
   • Homework Assistance

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Assist in achieving and maintaining DoD certification and national accreditation or equivalent compliance.
   • Develop necessary reports for local, state, and federal programs pertaining to mathematics.
   • Create PowerPoint that reflects current EHS metric measurements vs. the goals of the year.
   • Develop teen prevention programs addressing violence, substance abuse and nutrition
   • Help each participant meet their establish goals and develop and practice personal leadership skills.
   • Deliver strong leadership skills to ensure an optimistic environment, and regularly deliver positive reinforcement along with a positive attitude.

   More youth development professional duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your youth development professional job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A youth development professional can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, youth development professionals' average salary in alaska is 69% less than in new jersey.
   • Seniority. Entry-level youth development professionals 79% less than senior-level youth development professionals.
   • Certifications. A youth development professional with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a youth development professional's salary.

   Average youth development professional salary

   $43,758yearly

   $21.04 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level youth development professional salary

   $20,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 22, 2026

   Average youth development professional salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New Jersey	$85,818	$41
   2	District of Columbia	$73,477	$35
   3	Virginia	$70,684	$34
   4	North Carolina	$67,615	$33
   5	Texas	$64,885	$31
   6	California	$61,519	$30
   7	New York	$54,501	$26
   8	South Carolina	$53,100	$26
   9	Connecticut	$51,453	$25
   10	Delaware	$51,048	$25
   11	Minnesota	$51,030	$25
   12	Pennsylvania	$50,947	$24
   13	Georgia	$47,819	$23
   14	Arizona	$47,095	$23
   15	Massachusetts	$45,937	$22
   16	Iowa	$43,720	$21
   17	Florida	$42,340	$20
   18	Washington	$41,039	$20
   19	Colorado	$37,009	$18
   20	Nebraska	$34,123	$16

   Average youth development professional salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	MUFG EMEA	$122,071	$58.69
   2	State Street	$120,621	$57.99	2
   3	Halliburton	$118,207	$56.83	3
   4	Broadridge	$107,929	$51.89
   5	Centric Consulting	$100,854	$48.49	1
   6	Accenture	$93,380	$44.89	326
   7	Harvard University	$90,536	$43.53
   8	Samuel Engineering	$85,523	$41.12
   9	DXC Technology	$85,173	$40.95	2
   10	BASF	$82,184	$39.51	4
   11	Stanford University	$74,213	$35.68	39
   12	Fiserv	$69,657	$33.49	11
   13	General Dynamics	$65,080	$31.29	44
   14	ICONMA	$64,801	$31.15
   15	EDI Staffing	$56,953	$27.38
   16	The Chemours Company	$55,905	$26.88
   17	Greenlee	$54,603	$26.25
   18	Conservation Legacy	$53,170	$25.56
   19	Humana	$49,979	$24.03	614
   20	The Travelers Companies	$49,289	$23.70	29

4. Writing a youth development professional job description

   A youth development professional job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a youth development professional job description:

   Youth development professional job description example

   You're smart, you're ambitious—and you may have never even considered a career in banking before. That makes you exactly the kind of person we're looking for. Do you have what it takes to thrive in our highly selective (and equally rewarding) Professional Development Program?
   
   If you're career driven and looking for opportunities to find your perfect fit, this is just the program for you! This role is custom designed to introduce participants to the foundations of our business, network with like-minded professionals, and align their talents and strengths with an ideal mid-level professional or managerial role in our organization.
   
   You don't need to have a business or related degree to enter our Professional Development Program. ANY degree is welcomed, and quite honestly, preferred. We're actively seeking people with a diverse range of experiences, education, and knowledge that will enable them to bring a fresh perspective to our team while always being perfectly, uniquely themselves.
   
   As a participant in the Professional Development Program, you'll be considered a full-time Vibrant employee and eligible for all our great benefits, including:
   
   Access to our new ultramodern Headquarters featuring a full basketball court, fitness center, café, bar, creative room, advanced technology, open concept collaboration areas, and MUCH MORE
   Continued education with our training, certification, and tuition reimbursement programs Leadership Development programs Paid networking & community involvement events Employee Appreciation Events (Night at the Ballpark, Holiday Party, Book Clubs, and More) Highly competitive health, dental, and vision insurance options Paid time off (PTO) days and paid holidays Up to 6% 401k Match (Pre & Post Tax Options) Paid volunteer time Employee Culture Events (Night at the Ballpark, Holiday Party, and More) Free and discounted Vibrant merch Vibrant-sponsored recreational sports teams Access to your Full 34 CliftonStrengths Report Premium Subscription to the Calm App / Access to EAP (Employee Assistance Program) Casual work environment and dress code
   In this program, you'll begin in a nine-month rotation that serves as a crash course in the fundamentals of banking, working side-by-side with teams in our branches and at the corporate office. You'll also take part in professional development exercises that will help you figure out where you'd like to go next—whether that's managing people or managing projects or working in specialties that range from information technology to marketing to risk management and beyond. At the end of the program, you'll be prepared to land in your initial placement as a mid-level professional or manager. Program Schedule: Our development program is broken down into three rotations. Rotation 1 t akes place in our QCA branch. During this rotation, you'll be introduced to the fundamental aspects of our business. You'll interact with and serve our members face-to-face, learn systems, and gain a deep understanding of business terminology, practices, and procedures. This rotation lays the foundation for a successful professional career regardless of which area of our organization you land in. Rotation 2 takes place at our corporate headquarters in our Member Contact Center. During this rotation, you will continue to deepen your knowledge and skill around business terminology, practices, and procedures. You will gain experience serving members virtually using Vibrant's next generation contact center software and complete advanced business transactions. This part of the rotation will build on your experiential foundation through the use of technology and advanced practices. Rotation 3 also takes place at our corporate headquarters, where you'll join our team of personal bankers. During this rotation, you'll learn about our sales process, develop a deep familiarity with Vibrant's products and services, and work cross-functionally with support departments. By the end of this rotation, you will have a comprehensive understanding of our core business. Potential Post Program Career Tracks Once you've completed the program, you'll be primed to step into your first placement. Where you begin will be in part based on your talents and strengths, your interests, and available roles upon program completion. Management Track: Branches, Coffee House, Member Services, Operations, Project Management, Sales Professional Track: Finance/Accounting, Human Resources, Information Technology, Talent Development (Training), Sales, Underwriting It's more than just a job, of course. Associates also take part in professional development activities, network with company leaders and decisionmakers from other local organizations and gain access to a variety of other training and development opportunities. You'll also have plenty of time to bond with the rest of your cohort as you move through the program, whether you're working on special projects, volunteering in the community, playing kickball, or exploring the Quad Cities together at the end of the day. Vibrant may look like a bank*, but we think like a startup. We're not satisfied doing things the way they've always been done. That attitude is what made us one of the first credit unions in the area to offer ATMs in the 1970s and online banking in the 1990s. Today, it's helping us create a whole new suite of products and services that aren't anything like traditional banking. We move fast, we work hard, and we're always on the lookout for the next big idea. At the successful conclusion of your appointment, you'll have the opportunity to continue your Vibrant career either in one of the areas where you've worked previously or in any available role that is a solid step forward on your career path. *Technically, we're a credit union.
   
   Qualifications and Competencies:
   Four-year college degree (all majors welcome). Current seniors welcome to apply! Solid academic record (GPA 3.2 or higher) Evidence of involvement and leadership both in and outside the classroom. Excellent verbal, written and interpersonal communication skills Self-starter who thrives on problem-solving and embraces change Strong analytical skills, business acumen and value on professional business ethics Ability to succeed in a team environment; strong communication, interpersonal and time-management skills Driven to succeed in a collaborative, energetic environment.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find youth development professionals for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your youth development professional job on Zippia to find and recruit youth development professional candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit youth development professionals, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new youth development professional

   Once you've selected the best youth development professional candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a youth development professional?