Youth program managers are in charge of the different aspects of youth development, most specifically in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of youth programs and projects in the community.
They can work in a local government unit or a non-government organization. They will assess the needs of the youth in the community, research various youth programs being implemented in other areas, and develop project plans based on the data they have gathered.
The main qualifications for this job are a bachelor's degree in education, social work, psychology, or related fields, and at least five years of experience serving in school or youth organizations. It is also preferred that they are knowledgeable about the political and cultural context of the community that they will be working at.
To be an effective youth program manager, candidates are expected to have excellent interpersonal and communication skills, supervisory experience, and research skills. A public speaking experience may also be preferred.
Youth Program Manager Overview
Working as a Youth Program Manager
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a youth program manager. For example, did you know that they make an average of $21.39 an hour? That's $44,500 a year!
Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 13% and produce 21,900 job opportunities across the U.S.
What Does a Youth Program Manager Do
There are certain skills that many youth program managers have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed analytical skills, managerial skills and problem-solving skills.
When it comes to the most important skills required to be a youth program manager, we found that a lot of resumes listed 20.2% of youth program managers included youth development, while 5.8% of resumes included community outreach, and 5.1% of resumes included cpr. Hard skills like these are helpful to have when it comes to performing essential job responsibilities.
When it comes to searching for a job, many search for a key term or phrase. Instead, it might be more helpful to search by industry, as you might be missing jobs that you never thought about in industries that you didn't even think offered positions related to the youth program manager job title. But what industry to start with? Most youth program managers actually find jobs in the non profits and health care industries.
How To Become a Youth Program Manager
If you're interested in becoming a youth program manager, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 43.9% of youth program managers have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 22.2% of youth program managers have master's degrees. Even though most youth program managers have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.
Choosing the right major is always an important step when researching how to become a youth program manager. When we researched the most common majors for a youth program manager, we found that they most commonly earn bachelor's degree degrees or master's degree degrees. Other degrees that we often see on youth program manager resumes include high school diploma degrees or associate degree degrees.
You may find that experience in other jobs will help you become a youth program manager. In fact, many youth program manager jobs require experience in a role such as internship. Meanwhile, many youth program managers also have previous career experience in roles such as volunteer or case manager.
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Youth Program Manager Career Paths
In addition to switching up your job search, it might prove helpful to look at a career path for your specific job. Now, what's a career path you ask? Well, it's practically a map that shows how you might advance from one job title to another. Our career paths are especially detailed with salary changes. So, for example, if you started out with the role of program director you might progress to a role such as director eventually. Later on in your career, you could end up with the title center director.
What is the right job for my career path?
Tell us your goals and we'll match you with the rights job to get there.
Average Salary for a Youth Program Manager
Best Paying Cities
Recently Added Salaries
Job TitleCompany  | Company | Start Date | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
YMCA of Greater Seattle Youth Development Staff for School AGE Programs and Summer Day Camp Youth Development Staff for School AGE Programs and Summer Day Camp | YMCA of Greater Seattle YMCA of Greater Seattle | 11/13/2020 11/13/2020 | $33,39211/13/2020 $33,392 |
JCCs of North America Opportunity Youth Programs Positions Opportunity Youth Programs Positions | JCCs of North America JCCs of North America | 09/23/2020 09/23/2020 | $31,30509/23/2020 $31,305 |
State of Wyoming Hshp-Youth and Young Adult Health Program Manager Hshp-Youth and Young Adult Health Program Manager | State of Wyoming State of Wyoming | 09/22/2020 09/22/2020 | $58,07809/22/2020 $58,078 |
Jewish Community Center Opportunity Youth Programs Positions Opportunity Youth Programs Positions | Jewish Community Center Jewish Community Center | 09/21/2020 09/21/2020 | $31,30509/21/2020 $31,305 |
State of Minnesota Children & Youth With Special Health Needs Manager-Health Program Manager Senior Children & Youth With Special Health Needs Manager-Health Program Manager Senior | State of Minnesota State of Minnesota | 08/21/2020 08/21/2020 | $78,19508/21/2020 $78,195 |
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Youth Program Manager Resumes
Designing and figuring out what to include on your resume can be tough, not to mention time-consuming. That's why we put together a guide that is designed to help you craft the perfect resume for becoming a Youth Program Manager. If you're needing extra inspiration, take a look through our selection of templates that are specific to your job.
Learn How To Write a Youth Program Manager Resume
At Zippia, we went through countless Youth Program Manager resumes and compiled some information about how best to optimize them. Here are some suggestions based on what we found, divided by the individual sections of the resume itself.
View Detailed InformationTop Colleges for Youth Program Managers
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
3. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Public
4. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Public
5. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Public
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
7. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
8. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
9. University of North Texas
Denton, TX • Public
10. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Public
Top Skills For a Youth Program Manager
The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 20.2% of youth program managers listed youth development on their resume, but soft skills such as analytical skills and managerial skills are important as well.
- Youth Development, 20.2%
- Community Outreach, 5.8%
- CPR, 5.1%
- Social Workers, 4.8%
- Safe Environment, 4.3%
- Other Skills, 59.8% See All Youth Program Manager Skills
Best States For a Youth Program Manager
Some places are better than others when it comes to starting a career as a youth program manager. The best states for people in this position are New Jersey, Virginia, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. Youth program managers make the most in New Jersey with an average salary of $66,960. Whereas in Virginia and Massachusetts, they would average $59,247 and $54,224, respectively. While youth program managers would only make an average of $51,443 in Rhode Island, you would still make more there than in the rest of the country. We determined these as the best states based on job availability and pay. By finding the median salary, cost of living, and using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Location Quotient, we narrowed down our list of states to these four.
1. Virginia
$59,247
Avg. Salary
2. Massachusetts
$54,225
Avg. Salary
3. New Jersey
$66,961
Avg. Salary