Youth worker vs social worker

The differences between youth workers and social workers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a youth worker, becoming a social worker takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a social worker has an average salary of $50,102, 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 social worker are social work, patients, and patient care.

Youth worker vs social worker overview

	Youth Worker	Social Worker
Yearly salary	$32,242	$50,102
Hourly rate	$15.50	$24.09
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	87,360	77,340
Job satisfaction	5	4.5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 53%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Average age	42	45
Years of experience	4	2

What does a youth worker do?

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.

What does a social worker do?

Social workers help their clients get through problems that they may be facing. Social workers help identify individuals or groups of people, usually families, who may need assistance, generally through a set of pre-determined criteria. They then determine the best ways to help their clients by interviewing them, getting to know them, and understanding the context of their lives. They create plans that will help their clients become better, such as integrating into a new environment, assisting them in their needs, or even rescuing them from their current place. Social workers have good interpersonal skills and communication skills.

Youth worker vs social worker salary

Youth workers and social workers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Youth Worker	Social Worker
Average salary	$32,242	$50,102
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $40,000	Between $37,000 And $67,000
Highest paying City	Freehold, NJ	Portland, OR
Highest paying state	New Jersey	Oregon
Best paying company	Salt Lake County	Health Advocates
Best paying industry	Education	Government

Differences between youth worker and social worker education

There are a few differences between a youth worker and a social worker in terms of educational background:

	Youth Worker	Social Worker
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 53%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Social Work
Most common college	SUNY at Albany	University of Pennsylvania

Youth worker vs social worker demographics

Here are the differences between youth workers' and social workers' demographics:

	Youth Worker	Social Worker
Average age	42	45
Gender ratio	Male, 42.6% Female, 57.4%	Male, 19.5% Female, 80.5%
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, 19.9% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.3% Asian, 3.3% White, 58.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	10%	13%

Differences between youth worker and social worker duties and responsibilities

Youth worker example responsibilities.

Assist in achieving and maintaining DoD certification and national accreditation or equivalent compliance.
Certify in CPR, and basic first aid.
Demonstrate patience, compassion, and understanding while helping with homework.
Stay current with require safety certifications including CPR, first aid, and fire protection.
Conduct research, create newsletters and PowerPoint presentations.
Provide supervision and supportive rehabilitation for detain youths in a maximum security prison.

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Social worker example responsibilities.

Assist clients in achieving treatment goals such as anger, ADHD, grief, social skills, and manners.
Lead and co-le CBT and DBT skills-base groups with participants, as well as relapse prevention, mindfulness and process groups.
Support patient questions and issues regarding Medicare ESRD entitlement and Medicaid and assist in the completion of the appropriate documentation.
Coordinate IPU discharge planning patients to SNF, ALF, PCH or in-home care with necessary support for care.
Facilitate relationships with AKF and other patient assistance programs, VA, Medicare, Medicaid and other insurance providers.
Complete Medicaid and Medicare applications as needed.

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Youth worker vs social worker skills

Common youth worker skills

Direct Supervision, 12%
CPR, 11%
Crisis Intervention, 10%
at-Risk Youth, 8%
Youth Development, 6%
Role Model, 5%

Common social worker skills

Social Work, 30%
Patients, 15%
Patient Care, 5%
MSW, 4%
Discharge Planning, 4%
Home Health, 4%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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