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.
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. The role reports a median annual salary of $39,180 in the US and is projected to grow 4% over the next decade (about as fast as average). Entry typically requires a High school diploma or equivalent, and shows moderate AI exposure (0.53 on a 0-1 scale) — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. The most in-demand skills for the role include Social Perceptiveness, Active Listening, Speaking, Monitoring, Coordination.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £26,934 a year for Sports and leisure assistants (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
Middle half of full-time jobs: £23,762 to £30,474 a year
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 6211). ONS rates this estimate precise. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Service and sales workers” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only Residential advisors, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 5. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Customer and Personal Service
- Administration and Management
- Public Safety and Security
- Education and Training
- English Language
- Sociology and Anthropology
- Administrative
- Personnel and Human Resources
What you'd actually 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.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does Residential advisors do?
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.
How much does Residential advisors earn?
The median annual salary for Residential advisors in the US is $39,180.
What is the job outlook for Residential advisors?
The role is projected to grow 4% over the next decade (about as fast as average). Current US employment is approximately 91,200 workers.
How do I become residential advisors?
The typical entry education is a High school diploma or equivalent. Building a foundation in the top skills below will strengthen your application.
What skills does Residential advisors need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include Social Perceptiveness, Active Listening, Speaking, Monitoring, Coordination, Critical Thinking. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace Residential advisors?
Our AI-durability model gives Residential advisors a score of 0.53 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at moderate AI exposure — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. Learning to work with AI tools rather than against them is the path forward.
How hard is it to enter this field?
Residential advisors has low barrier to entry — generally accessible — you can enter with basic credentials and on-the-job learning.