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The differences between youth workers and foster care workers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a youth worker and a foster care worker. Additionally, a foster care worker has an average salary of $46,037, which is higher than the $32,242 average annual salary of a youth worker.
The top three skills for a youth worker include direct supervision, CPR and crisis intervention. The most important skills for a foster care worker are foster care, social work, and child abuse.
| Youth Worker | Foster Care Worker | |
| Yearly salary | $32,242 | $46,037 |
| Hourly rate | $15.50 | $22.13 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 87,360 | 151,625 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Youth workers specialize in handling and providing support to young individuals with behavioral difficulties. They are primarily responsible for devising recreational projects, handling the budget, producing progress reports, managing intervention programs, and counseling troubled youth while keeping their information confidential. There may be instances where one must also search for opportunities and apply for funding or sponsorship. Furthermore, as a youth worker, it is vital to assess an individual's condition to determine their needs and ensure that they will receive the proper treatment.
A Foster Care Worker helps improve the social and psychological functioning of children and their families as well as increases the family's well-being and the academic functioning of children. They counsel families about issues regarding their child's care and develop healthy living situations.
Youth workers and foster care workers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Youth Worker | Foster Care Worker | |
| Average salary | $32,242 | $46,037 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $40,000 | Between $32,000 And $65,000 |
| Highest paying City | Freehold, NJ | Baltimore, MD |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Salt Lake County | Riverview Health |
| Best paying industry | Education | Construction |
There are a few differences between a youth worker and a foster care worker in terms of educational background:
| Youth Worker | Foster Care Worker | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Social Work |
| Most common college | SUNY at Albany | Boston University |
Here are the differences between youth workers' and foster care workers' demographics:
| Youth Worker | Foster Care Worker | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 42.6% Female, 57.4% | Male, 20.1% Female, 79.9% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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 | 10% | 10% |