Youth Program Specialist Salary in the United States
How much does a Youth Program Specialist make in the United States?
As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a Youth Program Specialist in the United States is $67,725 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $33.
However, a Youth Program Specialist's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $79,595
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $61,749 to $73,938
Key Factors That Influence Youth Program Specialist Salaries
A Youth Program Specialist's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors.
Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education
and company size
can directly affect your earning potential.
How Experience Level Affects Youth Program Specialist Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of a Youth Program Specialist's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:
How Do Youth Program Specialist Salaries Vary from State to State?
Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Youth Program Specialists. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
District of Columbia: $74,985.
California: $74,700.
Massachusetts: $73,705.
District of Columbia$74,985
California$74,700
Massachusetts$73,705
Washington$73,434
New Jersey$73,407
Alaska$73,312
Connecticut$72,377
New York$71,998
Hawaii$70,786
Rhode Island$70,217
Maryland$69,831
Minnesota$69,302
Colorado$69,099
Illinois$69,032
Oregon$68,774
Delaware$68,585
New Hampshire$68,465
Virginia$68,199
Pennsylvania$67,420
Nevada$67,027
North Dakota$66,898
Michigan$66,695
Wisconsin$66,621
Vermont$66,472
Texas$66,058
Maine$66,031
Arizona$65,991
Ohio$65,943
Georgia$65,320
Indiana$65,009
Wyoming$64,948
Utah$64,853
Iowa$64,812
Kansas$64,487
Louisiana$64,392
North Carolina$64,359
Missouri$64,345
Florida$64,081
Montana$63,939
Nebraska$63,803
Kentucky$63,729
South Carolina$63,458
Tennessee$63,289
Idaho$63,221
New Mexico$62,726
Oklahoma$62,618
Alabama$62,218
South Dakota$61,548
Arkansas$61,182
West Virginia$60,986
Mississippi$60,397
Top Paying Cities for Youth Program Specialists
Salaries can also vary between different cities.
Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay.
Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:
San Jose: $85,421
San Francisco: $84,486
Oakland: $82,705
San Jose, CA$85,421
San Francisco, CA$84,486
Oakland, CA$82,705
New York, NY$77,977
Paramus, NJ$77,029
Queens Village, NY$77,026
Passaic, NJ$76,961
Bergenfield, NJ$76,955
Stamford, CT$76,806
Huntington, NY$76,779
Newark, NJ$76,278
Bridgeport, CT$76,135
Vallejo, CA$76,000
New Brunswick, NJ$75,973
Petaluma, CA$75,933
Middlesex, NJ$75,804
Somerset, NJ$75,757
Santa Cruz, CA$75,669
Boston, MA$75,255
Monterey, CA$75,018
Seattle, WA$74,863
Santa Rosa, CA$74,849
Los Angeles, CA$74,829
Juneau, AK$74,653
Washington, DC$74,578
Orange, CA$74,337
Santa Ana, CA$74,158
Long Beach, CA$74,091
Anaheim, CA$74,077
Anchorage, AK$74,043
Santa Maria, CA$73,840
Everett, WA$73,826
Danbury, CT$73,588
Bremerton, WA$73,495
Tacoma, WA$73,251
New Suffolk, NY$73,249
Sacramento, CA$73,231
Santa Barbara, CA$73,156
Trenton, NJ$73,082
San Diego, CA$73,082
Brockton, MA$73,007
Fairbanks, AK$72,841
Lompoc, CA$72,668
Lowell, MA$72,614
Ventura, CA$72,601
Nashua, NH$72,587
Stockton, CA$72,580
Modesto, CA$72,086
Poughkeepsie, NY$71,937
Olympia, WA$71,808
Kennewick, WA$71,808
New Haven, CT$71,781
Lawrence, MA$71,537
Hartford, CT$71,470
Riverside, CA$71,456
New Bedford, MA$71,388
Richland, WA$71,388
Bakersfield, CA$71,294
San Bernardino, CA$71,266
New Britain, CT$71,260
Atlantic City, NJ$71,260
New London, CT$71,233
Norwich, CT$71,212
Portsmouth, NH$71,199
Boulder, CO$71,055
Portland, OR$70,962
Worcester, MA$70,955
Minneapolis, MN$70,745
Philadelphia, PA$70,650
Honolulu, HI$70,427
Saint Paul, MN$70,394
Vineland, NJ$70,379
Providence, RI$70,183
Chicago, IL$69,986
Bellingham, WA$69,905
Springfield, MA$69,851
Baltimore, MD$69,831
Chico, CA$69,661
Pittsfield, MA$69,479
Manchester, NH$69,350
Spokane, WA$69,052
Denver, CO$69,045
Albany, NY$68,727
Troy, NY$68,700
Nassau, NY$68,627
Schenectady, NY$68,558
Wilmington, DE$68,503
Burlington, VT$68,409
Salem, OR$68,381
Portland, ME$68,171
Yakima, WA$68,104
Rochester, MN$67,894
Reno, NV$67,860
Fresno, CA$67,860
Milwaukee, WI$67,799
Detroit, MI$67,731
Ann Arbor, MI$67,720
Allentown, PA$67,711
Colorado Springs, CO$67,596
Syracuse, NY$67,562
Carson City, NV$67,562
Houston, TX$67,467
Eugene, OR$67,433
Gary, IN$67,352
Springfield, OR$67,298
Bismarck, ND$67,284
Galveston, TX$67,237
Medford, OR$67,135
Fort Collins, CO$67,108
Concord, NH$67,074
Austin, TX$67,054
Mesa, AZ$66,912
Reading, PA$66,905
Phoenix, AZ$66,898
Dallas, TX$66,878
Saint Cloud, MN$66,813
Madison, WI$66,722
Utica, NY$66,539
Rochester, NY$66,431
Des Moines, IA$66,424
Raleigh, NC$66,417
Atlanta, GA$66,316
Battle Creek, MI$66,296
Salt Lake City, UT$66,275
Lancaster, PA$66,174
Harrisburg, PA$66,079
Kansas City, MO$66,011
Champaign, IL$65,998
Kansas City, KS$65,998
Fort Worth, TX$65,991
Columbus, OH$65,979
Boca Raton, FL$65,964
Pittsburgh, PA$65,937
Richmond, VA$65,909
Indianapolis, IN$65,896
Cleveland, OH$65,889
Las Vegas, NV$65,808
Cincinnati, OH$65,808
Petersburg, VA$65,706
Huntsville, AL$65,605
Lansing, MI$65,559
Lebanon, PA$65,551
Pueblo, CO$65,544
Appleton, WI$65,523
Buffalo, NY$65,496
Dayton, OH$65,476
Racine, WI$65,463
Charlotte, NC$65,456
Saint Louis, MO$65,435
York, PA$65,395
Elkhart, IN$65,395
Gastonia, NC$65,382
Billings, MT$65,366
Beaumont, TX$65,347
Lorain, OH$65,334
Benton Harbor, MI$65,320
Toledo, OH$65,307
Binghamton, NY$65,273
Rock Hill, SC$65,266
Rockford, IL$65,232
Springfield, IL$65,205
Elyria, OH$65,198
Fargo, ND$65,198
Flagstaff, AZ$65,151
Fort Lauderdale, FL$65,110
Duluth, MN$65,070
Miami, FL$65,070
Cheyenne, WY$65,022
Grand Forks, ND$65,022
Bangor, ME$64,873
Cedar Rapids, IA$64,799
Durham, NC$64,770
Louisville, KY$64,765
Grand Rapids, MI$64,751
Hialeah, FL$64,745
Casper, WY$64,650
Scranton, PA$64,569
New Orleans, LA$64,548
Virginia Beach, VA$64,541
Akron, OH$64,508
Peoria, IL$64,420
Sarasota, FL$64,406
Nashville, TN$64,359
Omaha, NE$64,359
Green Bay, WI$64,359
Baton Rouge, LA$64,325
Charleston, SC$64,311
Jamestown, NY$64,277
Davenport, IA$64,277
Tucson, AZ$64,243
Saint Petersburg, FL$64,203
Tampa, FL$64,189
Evansville, IN$64,149
Port Arthur, TX$64,149
Bradenton, FL$64,122
Santa Fe, NM$64,000
Orlando, FL$63,878
Clearwater, FL$63,857
Canton, OH$63,715
La Crosse, WI$63,715
Albuquerque, NM$63,675
Newport News, VA$63,668
High Point, NC$63,647
Ogden, UT$63,620
Corpus Christi, TX$63,566
Norfolk, VA$63,526
Laramie, WY$63,526
Rock Island, IL$63,485
Saginaw, MI$63,471
Jacksonville, FL$63,465
Salisbury, NC$63,451
Boise, ID$63,438
Moline, IL$63,404
Fort Myers, FL$63,383
Memphis, TN$63,370
Tulsa, OK$63,336
Waterloo, IA$63,295
Spartanburg, SC$63,228
Lincoln, NE$63,194
Fort Wayne, IN$63,180
Provo, UT$63,173
Cedar Falls, IA$63,092
San Antonio, TX$63,065
Greensboro, NC$63,038
South Bend, IN$63,031
Savannah, GA$62,957
Muskegon, MI$62,930
Birmingham, AL$62,923
Winston Salem, NC$62,890
Lake Charles, LA$62,726
Anderson, IN$62,713
Lexington, KY$62,693
Augusta, GA$62,672
Greenville, SC$62,672
Lima, OH$62,618
Wichita, KS$62,611
Tuscaloosa, AL$62,611
Columbia, SC$62,550
Springfield, OH$62,537
Asheville, NC$62,428
Bloomington, IN$62,381
Knoxville, TN$62,137
Shreveport, LA$62,130
Wilmington, NC$62,042
Roanoke, VA$62,042
Topeka, KS$61,921
Frankfort, KY$61,913
Oklahoma City, OK$61,866
Chillicothe, OH$61,839
Longview, TX$61,832
Melbourne, FL$61,826
Sioux Falls, SD$61,717
Mobile, AL$61,711
Terre Haute, IN$61,683
Altoona, PA$61,643
Amarillo, TX$61,595
Killeen, TX$61,575
Fayetteville, AR$61,521
Chattanooga, TN$61,501
Sioux City, IA$61,440
Idaho Falls, ID$61,426
Lynchburg, VA$61,372
Gainesville, FL$61,284
Portsmouth, OH$61,250
Little Rock, AR$61,236
Lafayette, LA$61,209
Youngstown, OH$61,209
Daytona Beach, FL$61,169
Clarksville, TN$61,162
Pensacola, FL$61,155
Temple, TX$61,150
Hopkinsville, KY$60,952
Erie, PA$60,939
Florence, SC$60,911
Charleston, WV$60,803
Great Falls, MT$60,769
Macon, GA$60,674
Tallahassee, FL$60,668
Fayetteville, NC$60,654
Waco, TX$60,641
Helena, MT$60,593
Pine Bluff, AR$60,567
Vincennes, IN$60,485
Lubbock, TX$60,458
Alamogordo, NM$60,417
Twin Falls, ID$60,356
Rapid City, SD$60,336
Jackson, MS$60,214
Huntington, WV$60,209
Greenville, MS$60,207
Parkersburg, WV$60,138
Montgomery, AL$60,126
Wichita Falls, TX$60,058
Springfield, MO$60,058
Biloxi, MS$60,024
Monroe, LA$59,956
Johnstown, PA$59,909
Sumter, SC$59,882
Columbus, GA$59,875
Pascagoula, MS$59,747
Abilene, TX$59,747
Kingsport, TN$59,570
Albany, GA$59,570
Gulfport, MS$59,550
Alexandria, LA$59,327
Fort Smith, AR$59,157
El Paso, TX$58,974
Las Cruces, NM$58,670
Harlingen, TX$58,498
Pocatello, ID$58,487
Florence, AL$58,399
Brownsville, TX$58,385
Mcallen, TX$58,243
Dothan, AL$58,148
Columbus, MS$57,746
Altus, OK$57,430
Lawton, OK$57,302
Pierre, SD$57,058
What Skills Can Increase a Youth Program Specialist's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Commitment (Mentioned in 7.16% Job Postings): An agreement or pledge to do something in the future a commitment to improve conditions at the prison especially : an engagement to assume a financial obligation at a future date.
Operation and Control (Mentioned in 3.38% Job Postings): Operational control is the authority to perform those functions of command over subordinate forces involving organizing and employing commands and forces, assigning tasks, designating objectives, and giving authoritative direction necessary to accomplish the mission.
Water Testing (Mentioned in 2.28% Job Postings): Water testing is a broad description for various procedures used to analyze water quality. Millions of water quality tests are carried out daily to fulfill regulatory requirements and to maintain safety.
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay.
Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Youth Program Specialist's salary.
Risk Management: Can increase your salary by up to 19%.
Youth Program Specialist Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Youth Program Specialist roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential
by as much as 100% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology
sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 60% above the average.
In contrast, Youth Program Specialist positions in Hospitality & Leisure or Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit typically offer lower base pay,
as these industries often view Youth Program Specialist as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industries for a Youth Program Specialist
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Pharmaceuticals
$108,359
$52.0
60%
Biotechnology
$101,587
$49.0
50%
Software & Networking
$98,201
$47.0
45%
Financial Services
$94,814
$46.0
40%
Energy & Utilities
$88,042
$42.0
30%
How Education impacts a Youth Program Specialist's Salary?
Your level of education can impact your salary potential.
While many Youth Program Specialists enter the field with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate degree,
higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.
According to our 100% employer-reported salary data,
the median salary for a Youth Program Specialist with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate is between
$64,789
and $70,777).
Youth Program Specialist Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a Youth Program Specialist's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting.
Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role.
Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.
Hourly
Monthly
Weekly
Yearly
Table View
Last Updated on September 01, 2026
$61,749
Average$67,725/year
$73,938
$5,146
Average$5,644/month
$6,162
$1,187
Average$1,302/week
$1,422
$30
Average$33/hour
$36
Annual Salary
Monthly Pay
Weekly Pay
Hourly Wage
75th Percentile
$73,938
$6,162
$1,422
$36
Average
$67,725
$5,644
$1,302
$33
25th Percentile
$61,749
$5,146
$1,187
$30
Salaries of Jobs related to Youth Program Specialist
Youth Program Director$162,991
Youth Care Specialist$127,232
Youth Program Leader$111,733
Youth Program Manager$81,952
Youth Program Coordinator$66,488
Youth Prevention Specialist$64,275
Youth Services Specialist$55,007
Youth Development Specialist$54,052
Youth Specialist$42,498
Youth Behavioral Specialist$40,714
Youth Program Assistant$38,229
Salary Trends for Youth Program Specialist
Salaries for a Youth Program Specialist can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $54,654 in 2023
to around $54,366 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Youth Program Specialist salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Youth Program Specialist Over Time
$???
$54,654
$54,537
$54,366
$???
$???
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$54,654
2024
$54,537
2025
$54,366
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Youth Program Specialist
Social Security
401 (k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
Common company salaries for Youth Program Specialist
Here are companies hiring for Youth Program Specialist and their salaries, click below for more details.
C$128,509/per year
C R Bard IncBiotechnologythe United States
H$124,697/per year
Henry Schein CanadaBiotechnologythe United States
N$123,899/per year
Nordex IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$120,416/per year
Nipro CorpBiotechnologythe United States
E$115,870/per year
EnovisBiotechnologythe United States
A$114,553/per year
Advanced Research Projects Agency - EnergyBiotechnologythe United States
M$112,110/per year
MiniMed IncBiotechnologythe United States
L$111,500/per year
Labcorp Drug DevelopmentBiotechnologythe United States
L$110,229/per year
Life Technologies CorpBiotechnologythe United States
Z$106,224/per year
Zimmer BiometBiotechnologythe United States
P$103,077/per year
Promontory TherapeuticsBiotechnologythe United States
S$102,181/per year
Steris PLCBiotechnologythe United States
G$97,274/per year
Gavin Conferences Pty LtdBiotechnologythe United States
E$94,764/per year
Endeavor BioMedicinesBiotechnologythe United States
R$94,402/per year
Replay Holdings LLCBiotechnologythe United States
P$94,235/per year
Pleno IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$93,666/per year
Simulaids IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$88,880/per year
NOIRLab/CASBiotechnologythe United States
O$86,468/per year
Onward TechnologyBiotechnologythe United States
L$84,895/per year
LED Medical Diagnostics IncBiotechnologythe United States
E$84,682/per year
Eyeco LtdBiotechnologythe United States
P$84,523/per year
PaerosolBiotechnologythe United States
I$83,525/per year
IONIQ Sciences IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$82,815/per year
Stateside PPEBiotechnologythe United States
D$82,041/per year
Digi BioBiotechnologythe United States
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FAQ about Youth Program Specialist
1. What industry pays the highest salary for Youth Program Specialist?
The Pharmaceuticals industry offers the highest average compensation for Youth Program Specialist roles,
with salaries approximately 60% above the market median.
Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?
Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.
