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The differences between youth workers and residential counselors 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 residential counselor. Additionally, a residential counselor has an average salary of $34,117, 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 residential counselor are direct care, medication administration, and mental health.
| Youth Worker | Residential Counselor | |
| Yearly salary | $32,242 | $34,117 |
| Hourly rate | $15.50 | $16.40 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 87,360 | 81,287 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| 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 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. A residential counselor must have excellent communication and decision-making skills to ensure the development of residents in a living facility.
Youth workers and residential counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Youth Worker | Residential Counselor | |
| Average salary | $32,242 | $34,117 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $40,000 | Between $27,000 And $42,000 |
| Highest paying City | Freehold, NJ | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Washington |
| Best paying company | Salt Lake County | The Evergreens |
| Best paying industry | Education | Education |
There are a few differences between a youth worker and a residential counselor in terms of educational background:
| Youth Worker | Residential Counselor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Psychology |
| Most common college | SUNY at Albany | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between youth workers' and residential counselors' demographics:
| Youth Worker | Residential Counselor | |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 42.6% Female, 57.4% | Male, 33.0% Female, 67.0% |
| 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, 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 | 10% | 15% |