Coordinate activities in resident facilities in secondary school and college dormitories, group homes, or similar establishments. Order supplies and determine need for maintenance, repairs, and furnishings. May maintain household records and assign rooms. May assist residents with problem solving or refer them to counseling resources.
National median · BLS
$42,240
▲ +7.81%YoY
H-1B sponsor median
—
Too few H-1B filings
Average salary · BLS
$43,990
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
84,760
Jobs (BLS)
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Enter your pay and a location to see where you stand against BLS and H-1B pay, your estimated take-home pay, and your purchasing power.
Pay range for Residential Advisors
Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation.
Percentile
All U.S. workers (BLS)
10th — entry pay
$29,870
25th
$35,510
Median (50th)
$42,240
75th
$49,920
90th — top pay
$61,060
Hourly ⇄ annual pay
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Monthly—
Every 2 weeks—
Weekly—
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Based on
hrs/week ×
weeks/year
= 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035
Job outlook for Residential Advisors
BLS projects employment of residential advisors to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035, about the same as the 3.5% average for all occupations.
About 16,500 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.
Jobs 2025 → 2035
94,100 → 97,400
+3,300 jobs
Projected change
+3.5%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
16,500
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
No related experience required
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
Self-employed
3% of workers (2025)
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 3)
Medium Preparation Needed. Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035
Residential Advisors salaries by state
BLS state medians, plus the same figure adjusted for local prices (BEA Regional Price Parities). Tap a state for its full range and H-1B pay.
State
Median
Jobs
Cost-adjusted
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Residential Advisors salaries by metro area
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Metro area
Median
Jobs
Cost-adjusted
Profile
Skills & tools
Skills needed for Residential Advisors
How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.
Top skills
Social Perceptiveness4.0
Active Listening3.9
Coordination3.8
Monitoring3.8
Speaking3.8
Critical Thinking3.6
Negotiation3.6
Service Orientation3.6
Time Management3.6
Persuasion3.4
Top knowledge areas
Customer and Personal Service4.5
Administration and Management4.2
Public Safety and Security4.0
Education and Training4.0
English Language3.9
Sociology and Anthropology3.7
Administrative3.5
Personnel and Human Resources3.5
Software and technology used
Microsoft Office softwareGoogle DocsMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft WordBudgeting softwareEmail softwareSurvey softwareWeb browser softwareWebsite development software
Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).
Source: 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.
About the job
What residential advisors do
Communicate with other staff to resolve problems with individual students.
Observe students to detect and report unusual behavior.
Supervise, train, and evaluate residence hall staff, including resident assistants, participants in work-study programs, and other student workers.
Provide emergency first aid and summon medical assistance when necessary.
Make regular rounds to ensure that residents and areas are safe and secure.
Mediate interpersonal problems between residents.
Enforce rules and regulations to ensure the smooth and orderly operation of dormitory programs.
Determine the need for facility maintenance and repair, and notify appropriate personnel.
Also called
Residence Hall DirectorResidence Life DirectorResident AssistantResident DirectorHall CoordinatorResidence DirectorResidence Life CoordinatorResident AdvisorResidential CoordinatorResidential Life Director
More job titles for this occupation (30)
Cottage ParentCottage SupervisorDormitory CounselorDormitory SupervisorHall DirectorHouse FatherHouse MotherHouse ParentHousefellowHousing and Residence Life DirectorHousing AssistantHousing DirectorResidence SupervisorResident AideResident Care AssistantResident Life DirectorResident MonitorResidential AdvisorResidential AideResidential AssistantResidential CounselorResidential DirectorResidential InstructorResidential Service CoordinatorResidential Services SpecialistResidential SpecialistResidential Support SpecialistSorority MotherSorority SupervisorStudent Development Coordinator
Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.
Similar jobs and how they pay
Occupations O*NET lists as closely related to Residential Advisors, with BLS national medians compared with this occupation's $42,240.
