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The differences between youth development professionals 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 development professional, becoming a youth care specialist takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a youth development professional has an average salary of $43,758, which is higher than the $38,955 average annual salary of a youth care specialist.
The top three skills for a youth development professional include youth development, direct care and productive relationships. The most important skills for a youth care specialist are customer service, patients, and CPR.
| Youth Development Professional | Youth Care Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $43,758 | $38,955 |
| Hourly rate | $21.04 | $18.73 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 91,372 | 133,042 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Average age | 42 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 12 |
Youth Development Professionals are specialists in implementing and overseeing programs to help adolescents discover their abilities and interests. They are responsible for coordinating career days and field trips, organizing mentorship sessions, create youth outreach projects, and assisting community organizations in youth provision development. Other duties include supporting the training of volunteer youth workers as well as ensuring service provided adheres to professional standards and current regulations. A Youth Development Professional may specialize in a specific development sector, such as healthy living, experiential learning, or public service.
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 development professionals and youth care specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Youth Development Professional | Youth Care Specialist | |
| Average salary | $43,758 | $38,955 |
| Salary range | Between $20,000 And $95,000 | Between $24,000 And $62,000 |
| Highest paying City | Jersey City, NJ | Annapolis, MD |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Maryland |
| Best paying company | MUFG EMEA | Delaware State Government |
| Best paying industry | - | Government |
There are a few differences between a youth development professional and a youth care specialist in terms of educational background:
| Youth Development Professional | Youth Care Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | SUNY at Binghamton |
Here are the differences between youth development professionals' and youth care specialists' demographics:
| Youth Development Professional | Youth Care Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 41.0% Female, 59.0% | 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% |