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The differences between youth development professionals and youth workers 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 development professional and a youth worker. Additionally, a youth development professional has an average salary of $43,758, which is higher than the $32,242 average annual salary of a youth worker.
The top three skills for a youth development professional include youth development, direct care and productive relationships. The most important skills for a youth worker are direct supervision, CPR, and crisis intervention.
| Youth Development Professional | Youth Worker | |
| Yearly salary | $43,758 | $32,242 |
| Hourly rate | $21.04 | $15.50 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 91,372 | 87,360 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 53% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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 workers specialize in handling and providing support to young individuals with behavioral difficulties. They are primarily responsible for devising recreational projects, handling the budget, producing progress reports, managing intervention programs, and counseling troubled youth while keeping their information confidential. There may be instances where one must also search for opportunities and apply for funding or sponsorship. Furthermore, as a youth worker, it is vital to assess an individual's condition to determine their needs and ensure that they will receive the proper treatment.
Youth development professionals and youth workers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Youth Development Professional | Youth Worker | |
| Average salary | $43,758 | $32,242 |
| Salary range | Between $20,000 And $95,000 | Between $25,000 And $40,000 |
| Highest paying City | Jersey City, NJ | Freehold, NJ |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | MUFG EMEA | Salt Lake County |
| Best paying industry | - | Education |
There are a few differences between a youth development professional and a youth worker in terms of educational background:
| Youth Development Professional | Youth Worker | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 53% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Criminal Justice |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | SUNY at Albany |
Here are the differences between youth development professionals' and youth workers' demographics:
| Youth Development Professional | Youth Worker | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 41.0% Female, 59.0% | Male, 42.6% Female, 57.4% |
| 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, 13.4% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 2.7% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |