Personal care and service
Residential advisor
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.
Median pay
$42,240
Growth to 2035
+4%
about as fast as average
Openings a year
16,500
Time to qualify*
1 month
* From a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field.
Pay
Residential advisor
Getting in
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
- Prior experience
- None
What the work is like
Dealing with the public
Unpleasant or angry people
Time pressure
Cost of a mistake
Freedom to make decisions
Repeating the same tasks
Time sitting
Time standing
Outdoors in all weather
Exposure to disease
Residential advisor: 50% usually work over 40 hours a week
Core 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.
Also called: Hall Coordinator · Residence Director · Residence Hall Director · Residence Life Coordinator · Residence Life Director · Resident Advisor · Resident Assistant · Resident Director
Outlook and AI
Residential advisors held 94,100 jobs in 2025. BLS projects 97,400 by 2035 (+4%, about as fast as average; all jobs: +3.5%).
Compare with
- Residential advisor vs. Social and community service managers
- Residential advisor vs. Rehabilitation counselor
- Residential advisor vs. First-line supervisor of personal service workers
- Residential advisor vs. Social worker
- Residential advisor vs. Educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors
- Residential advisor vs. Social and human service assistants
- Residential advisor vs. First-line supervisors of entertainment and recreation workers, except gambling services
- Residential advisor vs. Health technologists and technicians, all other
- Residential advisor vs. Recreation worker
- Residential advisor vs. First-line supervisors of housekeeping and janitorial workers