Residential Advisors Salaries by State

Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for residential advisorss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).

National mean salary $43,990 ≈ $21/hr
National median salary $42,240
Total employment 84,760 nationwide

Job Outlook, 2024–2034

Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.

Projected growth +3.8% About as fast as average
Annual openings 17,400 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 91,200 → 94,700 (+3,500)
Typical entry education High school diploma or equivalent

Salary Map

Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.

💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States

  1. New York$51,030
  2. Washington$50,940
  3. Massachusetts$50,910
  4. Minnesota$50,770
  5. California$50,350

📉 5 Lowest-Paying States

  1. Alabama$29,650
  2. Kentucky$31,560
  3. West Virginia$32,860
  4. Mississippi$34,070
  5. Oklahoma$35,270
#StateMeanMedian Hourlyvs. U.S.Employment
1 New York $51,030 $48,380 $25 +16% 6,150
2 Washington $50,940 $48,640 $24 +15.8% 1,810
3 Massachusetts $50,910 $48,190 $24 +15.7% 5,120
4 Minnesota $50,770 $48,770 $24 +15.4% 3,410
5 California $50,350 $46,650 $24 +14.5% 8,120
6 New Hampshire $50,170 $49,010 $24 +14% 420
7 Rhode Island $49,260 $45,280 $24 +12% 460
8 North Dakota $49,220 $48,590 $24 +11.9% 260
9 New Jersey $48,560 $43,880 $23 +10.4% 1,630
10 Oregon $48,390 $47,160 $23 +10% 840
11 Montana $48,340 $47,230 $23 +9.9% 350
12 Alaska $47,310 $46,180 $23 +7.5% 380
13 Virginia $47,190 $42,890 $23 +7.3% 2,950
14 Maryland $47,160 $46,950 $23 +7.2% 2,640
15 Connecticut $47,020 $43,620 $23 +6.9% 1,250

Top-Paying Metro Areas

Highest median pay among 400 metro areas.

#Metro areaMedianMeanEmployment
1 Maryland nonmetropolitan area $59,550 $52,820 160
2 Barnstable Town, MA $59,140 $54,710 100
3 Bloomington, IN $57,080 $52,380 40
4 Durham-Chapel Hill, NC $56,170 $52,460 370
5 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $55,800 $60,630 300
6 Waco, TX $55,110 $47,760 40
7 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $54,510 $57,350 1,130
8 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $54,310 $54,530 820
9 Ithaca, NY $53,760 $54,430 90
10 Missoula, MT $53,250 $51,180 40

Pay by Industry

Highest-paying industries employing residential advisorss (BLS OEWS, by median).

#IndustryMedianMeanEmployment
1 Management of Companies and Enterprises $60,500 $58,200 630
2 Management of Companies and Enterprises $60,500 $58,200 630
3 Sector 55 - Management of Companies and Enterprises $60,500 $58,200 630
4 Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals $60,140 $71,580 40
5 Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals, Privately Owned $60,140 $71,580 40
6 Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries $55,600 $52,890 30
7 Sector 71 - Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation $52,000 $50,650 50
8 Offices of Other Health Practitioners $49,940 $52,250 80
9 Offices of Mental Health Practitioners (except Physicians) $49,940 $52,250 80
10 Real Estate $48,820 $49,830 1,850
11 Sector 53 - Real Estate and Rental and Leasing $48,820 $49,830 1,850
12 Elementary and Secondary Schools, Local Government Owned $47,950 $44,090 160

Workforce Deep-Dive

Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.

Annual wage distribution

< $10K
57,272
$10-20k
19,075
$20-30k
7,931
$30-40k
9,234
$40-50k
7,105
$50-60k
3,499
$60-70k
1,635
$70-80k
920
$80-90k
569
$90-100k
948
$100-110k
508
$130-140k
46
$140-150k
62
$150-160k
143
$190-200k
226
$200k+
1,332

Pay by age band

16-24
$8,466
25-34
$52,237
35-44
$40,831
45-54
$35,248
55-64
$36,060
65+
$30,275

Education level

1 or more years of college credit, no degree
$10,646
Regular high school diploma
$15,489
Bachelors Degree
$33,076
Some college, but less than 1 year
$23,743
Associates Degree
$55,141
Masters Degree
$41,335
GED or alternative credential
$12,355
Professional degree
$38,433
12th grade - no diploma
$55,410
Grade 10
$16,637
Grade 9
Doctorate degree
$12,452
Grade 6
$7,746
No schooling completed
$20,971
Grade 8
$35,989
Nursery school, preschool
Grade 11
$12,030

Full-time vs part-time

Part-time
57,777 · $10,201
Full-time
34,159 · $46,392

Race / ethnicity

White
$20,451
Black
$22,208
Two or More Races
$20,778
Asian
$5,309
Other
$34,906
American Indian
$10,489
American Indian and Alaska Native tribes specified; or American Indian or Alaska Native, not specified and no other races
$6,117

Top fields of study

Psychology
$34,193
Biology
$25,065
Business Management And Administration
$36,786
Social Work
$63,638
General Medical And Health Services
$15,770
Liberal Arts
$25,999
Computer Science
$19,357
Nursing
$8,592

Top Skills

Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).

Social Perceptiveness
4.0
Active Listening
3.9
Speaking
3.8
Monitoring
3.8
Coordination
3.8
Critical Thinking
3.6
Time Management
3.6
Service Orientation
3.6
Negotiation
3.6
Persuasion
3.4
Reading Comprehension
3.1
Judgment and Decision Making
3.1

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do residential advisors make in the U.S.?

The median residential advisors salary in the United States is $42,240 per year (mean $43,990), and about 80% earn between $29,870 and $61,060.

How much do residential advisors make per hour?

Roughly $21 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $43,990 and 2,080 work hours per year.

Which state pays residential advisors the most?

New York has the highest average pay for residential advisors at $51,030 per year (median $48,380).

What is the job outlook for residential advisors?

Employment is projected to change +3.8% from 2024 to 2034 (About as fast as average), with about 17,400 openings per year.