Careers / Residential Advisors

Residential Advisors — Career Decision Dashboard

United States

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Median annual wage

$42,240

United States, 2025

Employment

84,760

United States, 2025

Typical education

Some College Courses

Job Zone 3

Skills identified

35

10 related careers

Career overview

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.

O*NET code
39-9041.00
Job zone
3
Experience required
None

Typical tasks

  • Inventory, pack, and remove items left behind by former residents.
  • Assign rooms to students.
  • 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.

Choose a location

Salary analysis — United States

$29,870
10th
$35,510
25th
$42,240
Median
$49,920
75th
$61,060
90th

10th percentile

$29,870

25th percentile

$35,510

75th percentile

$49,920

90th percentile

$61,060

Most important skills

  • Social Perceptiveness4.0
  • Active Listening3.9
  • Coordination3.8
  • Monitoring3.8
  • Speaking3.8
  • Service Orientation3.6
  • Time Management3.6
  • Critical Thinking3.6
  • Negotiation3.6
  • Persuasion3.4
  • Reading Comprehension3.1
  • Complex Problem Solving3.1

What skills do you need?

Select the skills you already have

Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.

Skill coverage

0%

0 of 15 identified skills

Matched

0

Missing

15

Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.

Skills to develop

SkillImportanceRequired levelYour levelGap
Active Listening3.93.9Not selected3.9
Speaking3.83.9Not selected3.9
Critical Thinking3.64.0Not selected4.0
Social Perceptiveness4.03.5Not selected3.5
Monitoring3.83.6Not selected3.6
Coordination3.83.4Not selected3.4
Time Management3.63.3Not selected3.3
Service Orientation3.63.1Not selected3.1
Negotiation3.63.0Not selected3.0
Reading Comprehension3.13.4Not selected3.4
Persuasion3.43.0Not selected3.0
Judgment and Decision Making3.13.1Not selected3.1
Complex Problem Solving3.13.0Not selected3.0
Active Learning3.03.0Not selected3.0
Writing3.03.0Not selected3.0

Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.

Related careers

How salary varies by location

LocationMedianEmploymentYear
Barnstable Town, MA$59,1401002025
Bloomington, IN$57,080402025
Durham, NC$56,1703702025
San Jose, CA$55,8003002025
Waco, TX$55,110402025
San Francisco, CA$54,5101,1302025
Seattle, WA$54,3108202025
Ithaca, NY$53,760902025
Missoula, MT$53,250402025
Springfield, MO$52,7301602025
Naples, FL$52,420302025
Minneapolis, MN$52,4101,9102025
Fort Collins, CO$52,190502025
Bloomington, IL$51,680402025
Syracuse, NY$51,6701902025
Yakima, WA$51,450402025
Champaign, IL$51,400802025
Kingston, NY$51,210802025
Vallejo, CA$51,1701002025
Fargo, ND$50,8201202025
All locations with published data

Career transition paths

Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Residential Advisors to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.

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Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0.

Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).

Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.