jobfacts

Youth work professionals

SOC 2020 2464

Youth work professionals look after the welfare and support the development of young people.

Also calledYouth offending team officerYouth offending service officerProfessional youth workerYouth offending officerYouth and community workerYouth support workerand 2 more titles
Typical full-time pay£36,6002025 Provisional
People in the job10,000across the UK
Demand for workersNot high
New adverts a month93↓ 22%on last year · 390th of 412

Pay

ONS · ASHE 2025
What full-time youth work professionals earn, 2025
£36,600 typicaln/ptop 10%
n/p: top 10% not published by ONS
Show as table
Lowest 10% earn less thanNot published
Lowest 20% earn less thanNot published
25%Not published
Median£36,600
75%Not published
Top 20% earn more thanNot published
Top 10% earn more thanNot published
Typical pay by regionUK median £36,600
North EastNot published by ONS–
North WestNot published by ONS–
Yorkshire and The HumberNot published by ONS–
East MidlandsNot published by ONS–
West MidlandsNot published by ONS–
East of EnglandNot published by ONS–
LondonNot published by ONS–
South EastNot published by ONS–
South WestNot published by ONS–
ScotlandNot published by ONS–
WalesNot published by ONS–
Show as table
UK median, £36,600
North EastNot published by ONS
North WestNot published by ONS
Yorkshire and The HumberNot published by ONS
East MidlandsNot published by ONS
West MidlandsNot published by ONS
East of EnglandNot published by ONS
LondonNot published by ONS
South EastNot published by ONS
South WestNot published by ONS
ScotlandNot published by ONS
WalesNot published by ONS
Typical pay over 2 years
  • 2023 £38,400
  • 2025 Provisional£36,600
↓ 4.7% since 2023Provisional figures are revised when ONS publishes the next year’s survey.

Jobs and demand

ONS · Textkernel adverts · DfE

About 93 jobs for youth work professionals are advertised each month. The Department for Education rates demand for workers as not high.

New job adverts a month, Jan 2017 to Aug 2026
New advertsMonth not published by ONS (2 in all)
Show as table
Aug 2026Not published
Jul 2026132
Jun 202684
May 202694
Apr 202666
Mar 2026Not published
Feb 202682
Jan 202688
Dec 202556
Nov 2025103
Oct 2025103
Sept 2025118
Aug 2025112
Jul 2025119
Jun 2025127
May 2025145
Apr 202597
Mar 202596
Feb 2025133
Jan 2025126
Dec 202483
Nov 202483
Oct 2024137
Sept 2024135
Aug 2024100
Jul 2024131
Jun 2024132
May 2024140
Apr 2024133
Mar 202493
Feb 202495
Jan 2024114
Dec 202380
Nov 202391
Oct 202395
Sept 202379
Aug 2023108
Jul 202391
Jun 2023118
May 2023162
Apr 2023106
Mar 2023170
Feb 2023100
Jan 2023149
Dec 2022130
Nov 2022134
Oct 2022124
Sept 2022112
Aug 2022168
Jul 2022154
Jun 2022121
May 2022146
Apr 2022114
Mar 2022113
Feb 202295
Jan 2022116
Dec 202177
Nov 202195
Oct 202191
Sept 2021112
Aug 202191
Jul 2021105
Jun 202198
May 2021116
Apr 202199
Mar 2021141
Feb 202189
Jan 202195
Dec 202071
Nov 2020114
Oct 2020112
Sept 202068
Aug 202067
Jul 202063
Jun 202078
May 2020100
Apr 202085
Mar 2020124
Feb 2020145
Jan 2020133
Dec 201971
Nov 2019136
Oct 2019121
Sept 2019130
Aug 201989
Jul 2019111
Jun 2019140
May 2019146
Apr 201999
Mar 2019123
Feb 201996
Jan 201999
Dec 201895
Nov 2018139
Oct 2018128
Sept 2018112
Aug 201882
Jul 201886
Jun 2018131
May 201895
Apr 201868
Mar 201896
Feb 201869
Jan 201899
Dec 201770
Nov 201799
Oct 201790
Sept 201796
Aug 2017121
Jul 2017120
Jun 2017161
May 2017117
Apr 2017131
Mar 2017120
Feb 2017110
Jan 2017106
Is there a shortage of youth work professionals?
Not high

The Department for Education rates demand as not high, elevated or critical, using five indicators. This is its 2025 assessment.

  • Visas grantedUsual
  • Online job advertsUsual
  • Wage growthUsual
  • Pay against similar jobsUsual
  • Hours workedAbove usual
Vacancies hard to fill because of skills
28%against 27% for all jobs
Broader groupFigure for business, media and public service professionals, which includes youth work professionals. DfE Employer Skills Survey 2024.
Where the most jobs are advertisedadverts a quarter
London47
Barnsley17
Manchester9
Salford8
Bath and North East Somerset7
Bristol, City of7
Birmingham6
Leeds6
South Gloucestershire5
Orkney Islands4
London is published as one area. Averages leave out quarters ONS withheld.
Where youth work professionals are most concentratedShare of local job adverts, compared with the UK.

Recruitment from abroad. 15 sponsored work visas were granted for this job from July 2025 to June 2026, most to people from United States, Israel, Germany, ranking it 198th of 313. Home Office

Who does it

ONS · Annual Population Survey · April 2025 to March 2026
WomenToo few in the survey to give a reliable figure
Age of youth work professionals
n/p
25%!
38%!
n/p
n/p
n/p
!Small sample: treat with cautionn/p: too few in the survey to publish
Show as table
16–24Not published
25–3425% (small sample)
35–4438% (small sample)
45–54Not published
55–64Not published
65+Not published
Highest qualification
Degree or equivalent!73%
Higher education below degree–
Not published
A levels or equivalent!43%
GCSEs or equivalent!8.6%
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
Degree or equivalent73% (small sample)
Higher education below degreeNot published
A levels or equivalent43% (small sample)
GCSEs or equivalent8.6% (small sample)

Main employers: other social work activities without accommodation nec (76%), general public administration activities (19%), activities of other membership organisations nec (9.4%).

How to get in

Hold a degree
73%
as their highest qualification
Apprenticeships
1
from level 5
Apprenticeships take
2 years
typically

Routes in

You can get into this job through:

University

You could do a foundation degree, degree or postgraduate award in:

  • youth work
  • youth justice
  • social work
  • criminology
Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • at least 1 A level, or equivalent, for a foundation degree
  • 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree
  • a degree in any subject for a postgraduate course

Apprenticeship

You could apply to do a Youth Justice Practitioner Level 5 Higher Apprenticeship.

You'll need paid or voluntary experience of working with young people, and sometimes adults, in challenging situations. This could include work in hostels, special schools, family support teams, residential childcare or youth services.

Entry requirements

Employers will set their own entry requirements.

Other ways in

Volunteering

You can start by volunteering to work with young people. For example, mentoring will give you an understanding of the issues they face.

You can also support young people in the criminal justice system by volunteering as an appropriate adult. Opportunities and training are organised locally.

You can get more information on volunteering opportunities in your area from Do-it and at NCVO.

Apply directly

You may be able to apply directly for jobs if you have relevant experience and a qualification in:

  • youth work
  • probation
  • social work
  • policing

You'll find more details about working with young people, training and volunteering through the Youth Justice Board.

What you’ll need

  • pass enhanced background checks

Routes in are from the National Careers Service job profile for youth offending team officer. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Apprenticeships

1 for this job
Level 5About 2 years

Youth justice practitioner

Employers may ask for
The most common requirement would be experience of working with young people and sometimes adults in challenging situations which could include hostels…
Details on Skills England

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Other qualifications

QualificationTypeLevel
FdSc Youth Justice PractitionerHigher technical0
FdA Youth Justice PractitionerHigher technical5
Foundation Degree in Arts in Criminology and Criminal JusticeHigher technical5

The work

ONS · ESCO · O*NET

Typical tasks

  • provides activities to assist young people develop and fulfil their potential as individuals and within the community
  • develops relationships with and provides guidance to young people
  • advises and supports young people experiencing stress or crisis
  • mentors and counsels young people with mental health problems
  • manages volunteers and part-time workers, and liaises with other relevant professionals
  • keeps records and controls budgets

Skills

  • accept own accountability
  • apply quality standards in social services
  • apply socially just working principles
  • assess social service users' situation
  • assess the development of youth
  • communicate professionally with colleagues in other fields
  • communicate with social service users
  • communicate with youth
  • cooperate at inter-professional level
  • deliver social services in diverse cultural communities
  • demonstrate leadership in social service cases
  • empower individuals, families and groups
  • follow health and safety precautions in social care practices
  • handle conflicts

Knowledge

  • adolescent psychological development
  • counselling methods
  • legal requirements in the social sector
  • social justice
  • social sciences
  • supervision of persons
  • client-centred counselling
  • pedagogy

Suits people who like

  • Helping and caring for people
  • Working with ideas and solving problems

Outlook

DfE · Skills Imperative 2035
Broader groupThese projections are for business, media and public service professionals, a group of 32 jobs that includes youth work professionals.
Change in jobs, 2020 to 2035↑ 26%about 670,000 more jobs
Workers needed by 20352.1 millionincluding people replacing those who retire or leave

Sources

Pay
ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 provisional
People in the job, who does it
ONS, Annual Population Survey, April 2025 to March 2026
Job adverts
ONS, online job adverts (Textkernel), to Aug 2026
Demand, skill shortages
Department for Education and Skills England, Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey
Outlook
The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE
Routes in
National Careers Service job profiles
Apprenticeships, qualifications
Skills England occupational maps
Skills, interests
ESCO classification of the European Commission; O*NET data, U.S. Department of Labor (CC BY 4.0, modified)
Visas
Home Office, immigration system statistics

Figures as of 10 October 2026.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey: Department for Education and Skills England. Immigration system statistics: Home Office. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Source: The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE.

This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission.

This service includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This service has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. CC BY 4.0 licence.

jobfacts is independent. It is not part of, affiliated with or endorsed by the Office for National Statistics, the Department for Education, Skills England, the National Careers Service, the Home Office, the European Commission or the U.S. Department of Labor.