💡 Why it matters: Many teenagers need someone outside the classroom and the family to talk to and learn from. Youth workers help them build confidence, skills and good choices.
💰 What it can pay
🇳🇬 Nigeria
- Starting out
- ₦600k – ₦1.2M
- Mid-career
- ₦1.2M – ₦3M
- Senior
- ₦3M – ₦7M
≈ ₦100k – ₦250k a month mid-career. Indicative estimate by Incusim.
🇺🇸 United States
Closest US category: Social and human service assistants. Median pay. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025
🇨🇦 Canada
Hourly wage low and high x 2,080 hours; Job Bank shows no national median.. Job Bank (Government of Canada), 2023-2024
Yearly pay before tax. UK, US and Canada figures come from the official sources named on each card. Nigeria has no official salary survey, so those are our indicative estimates. Real pay depends on the employer, the place, your skills and experience.
🛠️ What you actually do
- Run clubs, sports, art and learning sessions
- Listen to young people and offer advice
- Help young people find school, training or work
- Link families with other services when needed
- Plan projects and write reports for funders
⚡ Skills you'll need
- Listening
- Empathy
- Teamwork
- Leading groups
- Staying calm
Get ready at school
🇳🇬 Nigeria
- Start with NGO or community volunteering, then study social work or community development
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- Youth support worker apprenticeship
- Volunteer or work as an assistant youth worker, then train while you work
🇺🇸 United States
- Start as a volunteer or program assistant at a youth centre
- Certificate programs in youth development (varies by state)
🇨🇦 Canada
- Volunteer at youth centres or community programs
- Work as a youth support worker while studying (varies by province)
🗺️ Your path to this career
- 1Take part in youth clubs or volunteering
- 2Study for a youth work or social care qualification
- 3Work as a volunteer or assistant youth worker
- 4Gain a recognised qualification and a background check
- 5Lead a youth project or manage a youth centre
⏰ A day in the life
You open the youth centre after school and chat with teenagers as they arrive. You run a cooking session, then sit with one young person who is worried about exams. At the end of the day you write notes and plan next week's activities.