CFChooseField
Personal Care and Service

Residential Advisors

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.

Visual summary of pay, outlook, skills, interests, and preparation for Residential Advisors
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Median pay

$39,180
Median annual pay for Residential Advisors.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2024
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10-year growth

3.8%
Projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2024–2034 projections
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Annual openings

17,400
Projected annual openings, including growth and replacement demand.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2024–2034 projections
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Employment

91,200
Estimated U.S. employment for Residential Advisors in 2024.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2024
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Jobs added or lost

+3,500
Projected numeric employment change from 2024 to 2034.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2024–2034 projections
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Entry preparation

High school diploma or equivalent
Typical additional preparation: Short-term on-the-job training.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2024 profile
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O*NET occupation profile

What the work involves

Strongest O*NET signals first.

Essential skills

  1. 1Active Listening
  2. 2Monitoring
  3. 3Speaking
  4. 4Critical Thinking
  5. 5Reading Comprehension
  6. 6Active Learning

Knowledge areas

  1. 1Customer and Personal Service
  2. 2Administration and Management
  3. 3Public Safety and Security
  4. 4Education and Training
  5. 5English Language
  6. 6Sociology and Anthropology

Abilities

  1. 1Oral Comprehension
  2. 2Oral Expression
  3. 3Problem Sensitivity
  4. 4Speech Clarity
  5. 5Speech Recognition
  6. 6Deductive Reasoning

Career interests

  1. 1Social
  2. 2Conventional
  3. 3Enterprising
  4. 4Realistic
  5. 5Investigative
  6. 6Artistic

Work styles

  1. 1Dependability
  2. 2Cooperation
  3. 3Empathy
  4. 4Social Orientation
  5. 5Optimism
  6. 6Self-Control

Work activities

  1. 1Assisting and Caring for Others
  2. 2Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
  3. 3Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
  4. 4Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
  5. 5Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
  6. 6Getting Information

Work context

  1. 1E-Mail
  2. 2Contact With Others
  3. 3Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
  4. 4Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
  5. 5Telephone Conversations
  6. 6Health and Safety of Other Workers

Representative tasks

  • 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.

Software and tools

Microsoft Office software · in demandGoogle Docs · hot technologyMicrosoft Excel · hot technologyMicrosoft Outlook · hot technologyMicrosoft PowerPoint · hot technologyMicrosoft Word · hot technologyBudgeting softwareEmail softwareSurvey softwareWeb browser softwareWebsite development software

The short answer

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.

The measurable national baseline is $39,180 median annual pay, 3.8% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034, and 17,400 projected openings per year. Use these figures as a national benchmark rather than a personal forecast; location, experience, employer, specialty, credentials, and hours can change individual outcomes.

Pay and the size of the opportunity

The national median-pay figure for Residential Advisors is $39,180. Current employment is 91,200, with projected 2034 employment of 94,700. Pay describes the middle worker nationally, not a guaranteed starting salary, and the employment totals describe the occupation's scale rather than the number of jobs available to one applicant.

Demand, growth, and annual openings

BLS projects 3.8% employment growth for Residential Advisors from 2024 to 2034 and about 17,400 openings per year. Growth measures whether the occupation is expanding, while annual openings also include replacement needs created when workers retire, change occupations, or leave the labor force.

Education and preparation

The typical BLS entry-education category is High school diploma or equivalent. Related work experience is None, and the listed on-the-job training category is Short-term on-the-job training. These categories summarize a national pathway; licensing, certification, portfolios, apprenticeships, or local employer requirements may add to it.

What the work involves

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.

A representative O*NET task is: Communicate with other staff to resolve problems with individual students. The broader activity profile emphasizes Assisting and Caring for Others, Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships.

Skills, knowledge, and tools

The strongest available O*NET skill signals are Active Listening, Monitoring, Speaking. Leading knowledge areas are Customer and Personal Service, Administration and Management, Public Safety and Security. These are national occupational signals, so a specific employer may emphasize a different mix. Examples of software or tools associated with the occupation include Microsoft Office software, Google Docs, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Outlook.

Common questions

What is the median pay for Residential Advisors?

The national median annual pay in the current dataset is $39,180. Actual pay varies by location, experience, employer, specialty, credentials, and hours.

Is demand growing for Residential Advisors?

BLS projects 3.8% employment growth from 2024 to 2034 and about 17,400 openings per year. Openings include both newly created positions and replacement demand.

What education is needed for Residential Advisors?

The typical BLS entry-education category is High school diploma or equivalent. Related experience, on-the-job training, licensing, or certification requirements may also apply.

What does Residential Advisors involve?

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.

Sources

BLS provides national pay, employment, and projections. O*NET provides skills, interests, preparation, tasks, work context, and tools.

ChooseField compares fields using public labor-market and professional sources.