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The differences between youth specialists and youth 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 specialist, becoming a youth counselor takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a youth counselor has an average salary of $36,754, which is higher than the $35,180 average annual salary of a youth specialist.
The top three skills for a youth specialist include crisis intervention, direct care and mental health. The most important skills for a youth counselor are direct care, mental health, and crisis intervention.
| Youth Specialist | Youth Counselor | |
| Yearly salary | $35,180 | $36,754 |
| Hourly rate | $16.91 | $17.67 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 71,303 | 78,461 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 4 |
A youth specialist's role is to oversee the safety and welfare of children and young adults, ensuring that they get the necessary support and guidance. Their responsibilities include performing initial assessments and interviews to identify needs, conducting home inspections and evaluations, providing essential advice, and spearheading programs and projects that cater to the disadvantaged youth. Furthermore, there are instances when a youth specialist may execute interventions or refer families to other services. Should there be any signs of neglect or abuse, it is essential to coordinate with the authorities right away.
A Youth Counselor's role is to provide guidance and interact with children or teenagers in need of care and counseling. The duty of a Youth Counselor is diverse, and it highly depends on the organization or employer. However, the responsibilities mostly revolve around establishing rapport with the youngster while trying to work on their issues, ensuring their welfare by monitoring their emotional and physical state, coordinating with families or other facilities, suggesting treatments, and performing crisis intervention if necessary.
Youth specialists and youth counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Youth Specialist | Youth Counselor | |
| Average salary | $35,180 | $36,754 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $45,000 | Between $27,000 And $49,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | San Jose, CA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | California |
| Best paying company | Outside In | New York State Restaurant Association |
| Best paying industry | Government | Professional |
There are a few differences between a youth specialist and a youth counselor in terms of educational background:
| Youth Specialist | Youth Counselor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Psychology |
| Most common college | SUNY at Binghamton | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between youth specialists' and youth counselors' demographics:
| Youth Specialist | Youth Counselor | |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 42.3% Female, 57.7% | Male, 43.8% Female, 56.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 6.4% White, 62.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6% | 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% |