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The differences between youth mentors and youth advocates 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 youth advocate takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a youth advocate has an average salary of $33,924, 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 youth advocate are mental health, social work, and foster care.
| Youth Mentor | Youth Advocate | |
| Yearly salary | $32,750 | $33,924 |
| Hourly rate | $15.75 | $16.31 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 68,561 | 78,437 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 43 | 42 |
| 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.
Youth advocates are individuals who responsible for maintaining the human rights of youth while assisting them in developing their skills in all areas of life, such as education, health, employment, and relationships. These advocates are required to discuss youth development and involvement with various leaders in the community. They must provide crisis interventions by performing one-on-one and group meetings with young adults. Youth advocates must also work with mental health professionals within the community so that they can guide teenagers with drug or alcohol problems and mental health issues.
Youth mentors and youth advocates have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Youth Mentor | Youth Advocate | |
| Average salary | $32,750 | $33,924 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $41,000 | Between $27,000 And $41,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Syracuse, NY |
| Highest paying state | Maine | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | LifeWorks | First Place for Youth |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a youth mentor and a youth advocate in terms of educational background:
| Youth Mentor | Youth Advocate | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | SUNY at Binghamton | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between youth mentors' and youth advocates' demographics:
| Youth Mentor | Youth Advocate | |
| Average age | 43 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 47.0% Female, 53.0% | Male, 38.6% Female, 61.4% |
| 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, 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 | 11% | 10% |