Residential Advisors Salary
Personal Care and Service Occupations · 85K employed in the U.S.
Median annual
$42,240
Median hourly
$20
Average annual
$43,990
Typical range
$29,870–$61,060
Pay distribution
10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.
What this role pays
The median annual salary for Residential Advisors is $42,240 as of May 2025, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. That works out to about $20 an hour at a full-time schedule.
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.
Most earn between $29,870 and $61,060 a year. There are roughly 85K people employed as residential advisors in the United States. Use the state and metro pages below to see how pay changes by location, and the calculator to convert any hourly or annual figure.
Salary calculator
Convert your pay and see where it lands for Residential Advisors.
- Hourly
- $20.31
- Daily
- $162
- Weekly
- $812
- Bi-weekly
- $1,625
- Monthly
- $3,520
- Annual
- $42,240
$42,240 a year is around the 50th percentile for Residential Advisorss. The median is $42,240.
Highest-paying states
Median annual wage by state.
- 1New Hampshire$49,010
- 2Minnesota$48,770
- 3Washington$48,640
- 4North Dakota$48,590
- 5New York$48,380
- 6Massachusetts$48,190
- 7Montana$47,230
- 8Oregon$47,160
- 9Maryland$46,950
- 10California$46,650
- 11Alaska$46,180
- 12Nebraska$45,980
Top-paying metro areas
Median annual wage by metro area.
- 1Barnstable Town, MA$59,140
- 2Bloomington, IN$57,080
- 3Durham-Chapel Hill, NC$56,170
- 4San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$55,800
- 5Waco, TX$55,110
- 6San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$54,510
- 7Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$54,310
- 8Ithaca, NY$53,760
- 9Missoula, MT$53,250
- 10Springfield, MO$52,730
- 11Naples-Marco Island, FL$52,420
- 12Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI$52,410
Related job titles
Employers advertise Residential Advisors roles under these titles.
Related occupations
- Social and Community Service Managers$80,390
- Rehabilitation Counselors$46,850
- First-Line Supervisors of Personal Service Workers$48,590
- Child, Family, and School Social Workers$59,550
- Social and Human Service Assistants$45,930
- First-Line Supervisors of Entertainment and Recreation Workers, Except Gambling Services$48,560
- Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors$64,330
- Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other$50,290
What a Residential Advisors does
- 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.
- Mediate interpersonal problems between residents.
- Enforce rules and regulations to ensure the smooth and orderly operation of dormitory programs.
- Collaborate with counselors to develop counseling programs that address the needs of individual students.
- Develop and coordinate educational programs for residents.
- Confer with medical personnel to better understand the backgrounds and needs of individual residents.
- Answer telephones, and route calls or deliver messages.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Residential Advisors make?
- The median annual wage for Residential Advisors is $42,240 ($20 per hour). Pay ranges from about $29,870 at the 10th percentile to $61,060 at the 90th percentile.
- What is the average salary for a Residential Advisors?
- The average (mean) annual salary is $43,990, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
- Which state pays Residential Advisorss the most?
- New Hampshire has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $49,010.
- Is Residential Advisors a growing occupation?
- BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 85K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.
- What does a Residential Advisors do?
- 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.; Mediate interpersonal problems between residents..