How to hire a youth specialist

How to hire a youth specialist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step youth specialist hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a youth specialist job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new youth specialist
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a youth specialist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your youth specialist job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a youth specialist for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A youth specialist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, youth specialists from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of youth specialist salaries for various roles:

   Type of Youth Specialist	Description	Hourly rate
   Youth Specialist	Social and human service assistants provide client services, including support for families, in a wide variety of fields, such as psychology, rehabilitation, and social work. They assist other workers, such as social workers, and they help clients find benefits or community services.	$12-21
   Residential Counselor	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... Show more	$12-20
   Youth Advocate	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... Show more	$12-19

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Crisis Intervention
   • Direct Care
   • Mental Health
   • Quality Care
   • Restraints
   • Social Work
   • Therapeutic Environment
   • Foster Care
   • Good Judgment
   • Kids
   • Therapeutic Crisis
   • School Administration
   • CPR
   • Criminal Justice

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead a number of psychotherapy groups including DBT.
   • Tutor children with academic basics- learning phonics, mathematics, and reading comprehension.
   • Monitor DCF involve adolescents and assist them in making safe choices in the community.
   • Follow state and local laws when processing a new resident, run fingerprints when require.
   • Career demand annual training in conflict avoidance, diversity, CPR, emergency response, and protective custody.
   • Instruct interviewing workshops, run computer classes, re-establish work experience and job shadow opportunities within the community.

   More youth specialist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your youth specialist job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A youth specialist salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, youth specialists' average salary in south dakota is 46% less than in district of columbia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level youth specialists earn 40% less than senior-level youth specialists.
   • Certifications. A youth specialist with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a youth specialist's salary.

   Average youth specialist salary

   $35,180yearly

   $16.91 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level youth specialist salary

   $27,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 23, 2026

   Average youth specialist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	District of Columbia	$45,799	$22
   2	California	$41,062	$20
   3	Illinois	$38,491	$19
   4	New Jersey	$36,146	$17
   5	New York	$35,177	$17
   6	Virginia	$35,172	$17
   7	Wisconsin	$35,105	$17
   8	North Carolina	$34,245	$16
   9	Kansas	$33,392	$16
   10	Colorado	$31,916	$15
   11	Florida	$31,607	$15
   12	Georgia	$31,358	$15
   13	Oregon	$31,300	$15
   14	Arizona	$31,245	$15
   15	Pennsylvania	$30,987	$15
   16	Washington	$29,436	$14
   17	Missouri	$29,339	$14
   18	Tennessee	$28,874	$14
   19	Michigan	$28,789	$14
   20	Iowa	$27,742	$13

   Average youth specialist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Outside In	$50,315	$24.19	7
   2	The Research Foundation for SUNY	$50,213	$24.14
   3	Monroe County	$49,667	$23.88	7
   4	Fort Bend County	$49,262	$23.68	3
   5	Southwest Key Programs	$43,928	$21.12	13
   6	IFES	$43,233	$20.79
   7	City of Muskegon	$43,041	$20.69	1
   8	International Republican Institute	$42,600	$20.48
   9	IRI	$41,778	$20.09
   10	Kalamazoo County Government	$41,462	$19.93
   11	Professional	$40,746	$19.59	24
   12	Annie Malone	$40,450	$19.45
   13	State Bar of Michigan	$40,427	$19.44	7
   14	Hathaway-Sycamores Child & Family Services	$39,840	$19.15	15
   15	Macomb County	$39,784	$19.13	2
   16	Seneca Resources	$39,162	$18.83	17
   17	The Children's Village	$38,687	$18.60	40
   18	First Place for Youth	$38,083	$18.31	4
   19	Christ House	$37,799	$18.17
   20	Youth Guidance	$37,421	$17.99

4. Writing a youth specialist job description

   A youth specialist job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a youth specialist job description:

   Youth specialist job description example

   Are you a caring leader? Do you believe in serving the community? Do you enjoy helping youth connect the dots of life? If so, then working as a BAM Youth Specialist at Youth Guidance might be the job for you! Youth Guidance creates and implements school-based programs that enable children to overcome obstacles, focus on their education, and, ultimately, succeed in school and in life.
   
   At Youth Guidance, we believe that no matter what challenges a young person faces, they are more likely to succeed when they have caring adults in their lives. Our highly trained staff guides kids to overcome the life and academic challenges facing youth. We meet kids where they are — physically and emotionally — to help them focus on their education, make positive choices, and remain on the right path toward life success.
   
   Founded in 1924 today Youth Guidance is a leading provider of outcomes-driven programs serving more than 11,000 youth while touching the lives of more than 14,000 youth, parents, teachers, and community members.
   
   We are seeking motivated individuals to join our team and anchor the expansion of our work in Washington, DC. Could this person be you?
   Our BAM Youth Specialist is responsible for: Guiding young men in grades 7 – 12 to learn, internalize, and practice social skills, make responsible decisions for their future, and become positive members of their school and community. Our BAM Youth Specialist provides: Young men with the mindsets, values, and abilities they need to develop into healthy, responsible young men and thrive. Essential Duties/ Responsibilities: Work in collaboration with BAM Program Supervisor and school administration to recruit and build relationships with up to 60 school-based youth to participate in the BAM Lead and facilitate 4 – 5 weekly BAM groups during the school day, utilizing youth engagement, clinical counseling, and men’s rites of passage skills. Provide individualized support to all BAM participants, and provide individual, family, and crisis counseling sessions to students on an as-needed basis. Participate in monthly staff development training and team meetings on the evidence-based BAM curriculum and other topics relevant to working with youth. Participate in supervision and coaching to ensure fidelity of program delivery. Document all interactions with youth, including group and individual case notes, clinical assessments, brief encounters, special events, program consents, pre/post surveys, and monthly program narratives based on program protocol. Work jointly with BAM Program Supervisor to manage an annual program budget to plan and execute field trips and special events for students throughout the school year and summer. Collaborate with school administration, teachers, and other Youth Guidance programs to provide, and participate in professional development sessions. Collaborate and/or coordinate services with the Local School Council, Youth Guidance Parent Family Engagement team, and school parent engagement team. Our BAM Youth Specialist has been equipped for this impactful work with at least a: Bachelor’s degree from an approved accredited university and a minimum of two years of youth engagement experience. A Master’s Degree in social work, counseling, or a related human service field from an approved accredited university and one year of youth engagement experience preferred Minimum of two years of experience providing supervised group counseling. Our BAM Youth Specialist exemplifies: Communication: Able to use effective written and oral communication with internal and external audiences and stakeholders; demonstrates empathy and listening. Equity mindset: Understands and is committed to goals of equity; consistently brings an equity mindset to the organization’s work and workplace. Growth mindset: Views growth as important for personal and professional development; seeks out opportunities to expand skills, even if the change is required; demonstrates curiosity and eagerness to learn. Ownership and quality of work: Effectively manages own work ensuring delivery of high-quality work.
   The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions—the ability to spend extended time on a computer in a workstation.
   *The duties performed are primarily in a school setting, vaccination is required. Occasional need for local travel.
   What Youth Guidance offers: We offer a robust package for eligible candidates including: Hiring Range of $58,000.00 - $70,000.00 A hiring bonus of $250 for part-time and $750 for full-time A retention bonus of $250 after 90 days of continuous service. A competitive benefit package. Even though health care costs have gone up, we have not passed along those increases to our staff. If you are pursuing your social services licensure, we can help you by providing licensure test study support. Licensing test reimbursement. Assistance in attaining licensure supervision hours.
   The above is intended to describe the general content and requirements for this job's performance. It is not intended to be an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities, or requirements. This document does not create an employment contract, implied or otherwise, other than an “at-will” relationship.
   Youth Guidance is an equal opportunity employer and proudly values diversity. Youth Guidance does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law and is committed to creating a dynamic work environment that values diversity along all of these lines. People of all backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find youth specialists for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your youth specialist job on Zippia to find and recruit youth specialist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with youth specialist candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new youth specialist

   Once you've decided on a perfect youth specialist candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new youth specialist first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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