# 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.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/careers/residential-advisors
- SOC code: 39-9041.00
- Career family: Personal care and service
- Median annual pay: $42,240 (10th percentile $29,870, 90th percentile $61,060)
- Projected growth: As fast as average, +3.5%
- Openings a year: 16,500
- Typical entry education: High school diploma
- Bright outlook: no
- Data years: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

## Interest profile (code SCE)

| Interest area | Score (0–100) |
| --- | ---: |
| Realistic (R) | 30 |
| Investigative (I) | 23 |
| Artistic (A) | 21 |
| Social (S) | 71 |
| Enterprising (E) | 47 |
| Conventional (C) | 61 |

## What you'd do

- Assisting and Caring for Others (importance 94/100)
- Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work (importance 86/100)
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships (importance 84/100)
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates (importance 80/100)
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events (importance 78/100)
- Getting Information (importance 77/100)
- Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings (importance 76/100)
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems (importance 75/100)
- Documenting/Recording Information (importance 73/100)
- Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards (importance 72/100)

## Skills

Social Perceptiveness, Active Listening, Coordination, Monitoring, Speaking, Critical Thinking, Negotiation, Service Orientation, Time Management, Persuasion

## Knowledge

Customer and Personal Service, Administration and Management, Public Safety and Security, Education and Training, English Language, Sociology and Anthropology, Administrative, Personnel and Human Resources, Therapy and Counseling, Psychology

## Also called

Cottage Parent, Cottage Supervisor, Dormitory Counselor, Dormitory Supervisor, Hall Coordinator, Hall Director, House Father, House Mother, House Parent, Housefellow

## Majors that lead here (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk, 4-digit CIP)

- [Student Counseling and Personnel Services](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/1311) (CIP 1311, 482 colleges)

## Related careers

- [Social and Community Service Managers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/social-and-community-service-managers): $80,390 median pay
- [Rehabilitation Counselors](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/rehabilitation-counselors): $46,850 median pay
- [First-Line Supervisors of Personal Service Workers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/first-line-supervisors-of-personal-service-workers): $48,590 median pay
- [Child, Family, and School Social Workers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/child-family-and-school-social-workers): $59,550 median pay
- [Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/educational-guidance-and-career-counselors-and-advisors): $64,330 median pay
- [Social and Human Service Assistants](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/social-and-human-service-assistants): $45,930 median pay

## Sources

- [O*NET Database](https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html), version 31.0 (CC BY 4.0)
- [BLS Employment Projections](https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables.htm), version 2025-35, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm), version 2025, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/resources.aspx?y=56), version 2020, data year 2020 (Public domain (U.S. government work))

O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.