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The differences between youth mentors and program counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a youth mentor, becoming a program counselor takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a program counselor has an average salary of $43,820, which is higher than the $32,750 average annual salary of a youth mentor.
The top three skills for a youth mentor include mental health, substance abuse and eating disorders. The most important skills for a program counselor are developmental disabilities, patients, and community integration.
| Youth Mentor | Program Counselor | |
| Yearly salary | $32,750 | $43,820 |
| Hourly rate | $15.75 | $21.07 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 68,561 | 133,491 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 4 |
Youth mentors are adult individuals who are responsible for creating programs to improve the well-being of young people by providing role models that can support them academically and socially. These mentors must educate the community on issues related to mental health while making regular home visits to youth and young adults. They should provide direct care and assistance to adolescents who are with substance abuse issues by creating an educational curriculum on the said topic. Youth mentors are also required to collaborate with mental health professionals and social workers to coordinate counseling efforts.
A Program Counselor is an essential part of a school's faculty. It's the counselor's responsibility to ensure that students are benefiting from the school's educational curriculum. This person is also tasked to help students resolve issues and problems that may hinder any educational progress. They are also part of the disciplinary team intended to instill good morals, ethics, and decency in students. The Program Counselor is one of the teacher or professor who has expertise or has a high educational degree in a particular subject or field.
Youth mentors and program counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Youth Mentor | Program Counselor | |
| Average salary | $32,750 | $43,820 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $41,000 | Between $33,000 And $58,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Maine | New York |
| Best paying company | LifeWorks | Russell Sage College |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a youth mentor and a program counselor in terms of educational background:
| Youth Mentor | Program Counselor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | SUNY at Binghamton | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between youth mentors' and program counselors' demographics:
| Youth Mentor | Program Counselor | |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 47.0% Female, 53.0% | Male, 35.9% Female, 64.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 18.7% Asian, 6.7% White, 56.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.1% | 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 | 11% | 15% |