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The differences between youth mentors and residential 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 residential counselor takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a residential counselor has an average salary of $34,117, 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 residential counselor are direct care, medication administration, and mental health.
| Youth Mentor | Residential Counselor | |
| Yearly salary | $32,750 | $34,117 |
| Hourly rate | $15.75 | $16.40 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 68,561 | 81,287 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| 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 residential counselor is responsible for guiding and providing the residents with their basic needs and other resources to support them in their daily living. Residential counselors' duties include maintaining the safety of the community by enforcing safety guidelines and procedures for the residents' compliance, organizing productive and engaging community activities, updating the residents of any changes and policies in the community, and resolving conflicts by counseling and understanding each resident's differences. A residential counselor must have excellent communication and decision-making skills to ensure the development of residents in a living facility.
Youth mentors and residential counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Youth Mentor | Residential Counselor | |
| Average salary | $32,750 | $34,117 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $41,000 | Between $27,000 And $42,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Maine | Washington |
| Best paying company | LifeWorks | The Evergreens |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Education |
There are a few differences between a youth mentor and a residential counselor in terms of educational background:
| Youth Mentor | Residential Counselor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | SUNY at Binghamton | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between youth mentors' and residential counselors' demographics:
| Youth Mentor | Residential Counselor | |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 47.0% Female, 53.0% | Male, 33.0% Female, 67.0% |
| 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% |