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Youth leader salary

Average youth leader salary

$14.17

$29,481 yearly

Entry-level youth leader salary
$23,000 yearly salary
Updated January 8, 2025

Understanding Youth Leader Salaries

As a youth leader, you play a crucial role in shaping the lives of young individuals. In the United States, the average salary for this position is $29,481 per year or around $14 per hour. However, salaries can differ based on several factors, including state, experience level, and the specific environment in which a youth leader operates.

Salary Variations by State

For instance, youth leaders in states like California and New York may earn higher salaries compared to those in less populous states. Additionally, experience plays a significant role in salary potential. Entry-level positions may start around $25,000, while those with several years of experience can command salaries upwards of $35,000.

Career Opportunities

If you're considering a career as a youth leader, it's beneficial to explore opportunities in various settings, including schools, community centers, and nonprofit organizations. Each environment may offer different salary structures and benefits. Utilize resources such as job boards and career websites to find positions that align with your expertise and passion for working with youth.

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Where can a Youth Leader earn more?

Compare salary by location
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52k
32k
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Columbus, OH$31,257
Cedar Rapids, IA$21,540
Compare salary by company
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First Book$40,258
State of Ohio$29,005

Youth leader salaries by experience level

Experience levelAvg. salaryHourly rate
Entry-level youth leader$25,800$12.43
Mid-level youth leader$27,700$13.31
Senior-level youth leader$33,300$15.99

Youth leader salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Indeed and Glassdoor, the average salary for a youth leader typically falls between $29,481 and $52,743.
zippia
$29,481yearly
glassdoor[1]
$52,743yearly
indeed[2]
$37,169yearly

Average youth leader salary by state

The average youth leader salary in Pennsylvania, Maine, and New York are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average youth leader salary states are Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Iowa.

  • State view
  • County view
Average salary:

Highest paying states for youth leaders

RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
1Pennsylvania$33,586$16.15
2New York$31,289$15.04
3Connecticut$31,019$14.91
4Massachusetts$29,719$14.29
5Maine$31,753$15.27
6New Jersey$29,160$14.02
7Illinois$30,106$14.47
8Ohio$30,055$14.45
9Wyoming$26,588$12.78
10California$30,193$14.52
11Oregon$26,912$12.94
12Rhode Island$26,500$12.74
13Vermont$28,899$13.89
14Michigan$28,498$13.70
15Minnesota$26,897$12.93
16New Hampshire$26,854$12.91
17Florida$28,264$13.59
18District of Columbia$28,242$13.58
19Washington$26,085$12.54
20Utah$24,915$11.98
21West Virginia$27,188$13.07
22Arizona$25,534$12.28
23Hawaii$28,793$13.84
24Maryland$27,773$13.35
25Kentucky$26,062$12.53
26Wisconsin$26,237$12.61
27North Carolina$24,968$12.00
28North Dakota$22,800$10.96
29Nevada$23,520$11.31
30Delaware$24,709$11.88
31South Dakota$22,441$10.79
32Tennessee$23,249$11.18
33Virginia$25,039$12.04
34Kansas$22,371$10.76
35New Mexico$21,835$10.50
36Alaska$21,402$10.29
37Montana$22,140$10.64
38Texas$22,895$11.01
39Arkansas$22,691$10.91
40Louisiana$22,884$11.00
41South Carolina$23,050$11.08
42Colorado$22,305$10.72
43Georgia$23,960$11.52
44Indiana$22,853$10.99
45Nebraska$21,172$10.18
46Missouri$22,570$10.85
47Iowa$21,414$10.30
48Oklahoma$21,435$10.31
49Alabama$21,563$10.37
50Mississippi$21,481$10.33
51Idaho$21,363$10.27

Highest paying cities for youth leaders

The highest-paying cities for youth leaders are New York, NY, Cleveland, OH, and Compton, CA.

RankCityAvg. salaryHourly rate
1New York, NY$31,257$15.03
2Cleveland, OH$31,019$14.91
3Compton, CA$30,327$14.58
4Chicago, IL$30,261$14.55
5Boston, MA$29,724$14.29
6Grand Rapids, MI$28,105$13.51
7Baltimore, MD$27,892$13.41
8Eugene, OR$27,294$13.12
9Milwaukee, WI$26,241$12.62
10Arlington, VA$25,771$12.39
11South Salt Lake, UT$24,893$11.97
12Hinesville, GA$24,029$11.55
13Chattanooga, TN$23,310$11.21
14San Antonio, TX$23,217$11.16
15Kansas City, MO$22,505$10.82
16Overland Park, KS$22,381$10.76
17Denver, CO$22,306$10.72
18Cedar Rapids, IA$21,540$10.36

Youth leader salary details

A youth leader's salary ranges from $23,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $37,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average youth leader salary graph
Average youth leader salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a youth leader's salary?

PercentileAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rate
90th Percentile$37,000$3,083$18
75th Percentile$33,000$2,750$16
Average$29,481$2,457$14
25th Percentile$25,000$2,083$12
10th Percentile$23,000$1,917$11

Highest paying youth leader jobs

The highest paying types of youth leaders are program lead, group leader, and leader.

Job titleAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rateJob openings
Director Of Social Services$56,932$4,744$27.3786,154
Residential Manager$39,112$3,259$18.8011,464
Student Manager$50,950$4,246$24.5014,721
Youth Development Professional$43,758$3,647$21.0491,372
Corps Member$30,813$2,568$14.814,837
House Manager$37,235$3,103$17.9028,706

Which companies pay youth leaders the most?

Youth leader salaries at First Book and New York University are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average youth leader salary at companies like Southwest Key Programs and Chicago Public Schools are highly competitive.

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$30,000$29,600$29,200$28,800$28,400$28,000
MaleFemale

Youth Leader salary by industry

The average youth leader salary varies across industries:

  • The average youth leader salary in the education industry is $29,561, the highest of any industry.
  • The average youth leader salary in the finance industry is $29,341.
  • Youth leaders in the non profits industry earn an average salary of $26,498, the lowest of any industry.

Highest paying industries for youth leaders

RankIndustryAverage salaryHourly rate
1Education$29,561$14.21
2Hospitality$29,341$14.11
3Health Care$27,633$13.29
4Government$26,859$12.91
5Non Profits$26,498$12.74

High paying youth leader jobs

Youth leader salary trends

The average youth leader salary has risen by $4,634 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average youth leader earned $24,847 annually, but today, they earn $29,481 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for youth leaders over the last decade.

Compare youth leader salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average youth leader salary over time

Compare youth leader salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Youth leader salary by year

YearAvg. salaryHourly rate% Change
2025$29,500$14.17+3.5%
2024$28,400$13.67+2.7%
2023$27,700$13.30+1.9%
2022$27,200$13.05-0.9%
2021$27,400$13.17+1.8%

Recently added youth leader salaries

CompanyJobLocationDate addedSalary
State of OhioYouth Leader-Deaf SchoolColumbus, OH06/29/2025$45,142
KansascityymcaY Club Youth Development LeaderKansas City, MO06/29/2025$29,218
YMCA Kansas CityY Club Youth Development LeaderOverland Park, KS06/28/2025$29,218
YMCA Kansas CityY Club Youth Development LeaderKansas City, MO06/28/2025$29,218
YMCA of Greater Kansas CityY Club Youth Development LeaderSummit, NJ06/27/2025$29,218
YMCA of Central and Northern WestchesterYouth Development LeaderFine, NY06/26/2025$37,566
YMCA of Western North CarolinaYouth Development Attendant LeadHendersonville, NC06/24/2025$29,176
Linn CountyYouth LeaderCenterville, IA06/20/2025$46,102
Family YMCA of Greater AugustaYouth Sports Lead-SteinerGrovetown, GA06/13/2025$20,870
Think TogetherOlder Youth LeaderHemet, CA06/10/2025$44,871

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