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The differences between youth workers and youth mentors 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 youth mentor takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a youth mentor has an average salary of $32,750, 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 youth mentor are mental health, substance abuse, and eating disorders.
| Youth Worker | Youth Mentor | |
| Yearly salary | $32,242 | $32,750 |
| Hourly rate | $15.50 | $15.75 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 87,360 | 68,561 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Average age | 42 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 12 |
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.
Youth mentors are adult individuals who are responsible for creating programs to improve the well-being of young people by providing role models that can support them academically and socially. These mentors must educate the community on issues related to mental health while making regular home visits to youth and young adults. They should provide direct care and assistance to adolescents who are with substance abuse issues by creating an educational curriculum on the said topic. Youth mentors are also required to collaborate with mental health professionals and social workers to coordinate counseling efforts.
Youth workers and youth mentors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Youth Worker | Youth Mentor | |
| Average salary | $32,242 | $32,750 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $40,000 | Between $26,000 And $41,000 |
| Highest paying City | Freehold, NJ | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Maine |
| Best paying company | Salt Lake County | LifeWorks |
| Best paying industry | Education | Professional |
There are a few differences between a youth worker and a youth mentor in terms of educational background:
| Youth Worker | Youth Mentor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Psychology |
| Most common college | SUNY at Albany | SUNY at Binghamton |
Here are the differences between youth workers' and youth mentors' demographics:
| Youth Worker | Youth Mentor | |
| Average age | 42 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 42.6% Female, 57.4% | Male, 47.0% Female, 53.0% |
| 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, 11.1% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 18.7% Asian, 6.7% White, 56.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 11% |