Residential Advisors
Also called: Cottage Parent, Cottage Supervisor, Dormitory Counselor, Dormitory Supervisor, Hall Coordinator, Hall Director, House Father, House Mother
Coordinate activities in resident facilities in secondary school and college dormitories, group homes, or similar establishments.
What residential advisors do
Typical 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.
- Collaborate with counselors to develop counseling programs that address the needs of individual students.
- Develop and coordinate educational programs for residents.
- Develop program plans for individuals or assist in plan development.
- Provide requested information on students' progress and the development of case plans.
Typical path into the job (BLS)
Residential Advisors salary
The median annual wage for residential advisors is $42,240 (BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national). The lowest 10 percent earn less than $29,870 and the highest 10 percent earn more than $61,060. The mean annual wage is $43,990.
The mean hourly wage of $21.00 is 2.9× the federal minimum wage of $7.25. State minimums are higher in most large states. Minimum wage by state →
How does your pay compare with people your age?
Your numbers are not sent or stored. The comparison uses this occupation's BLS wage percentiles, adjusted for age with BLS median weekly earnings by age group (Q3 2026).
Pay by percentile
Annual wage percentiles from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Percentiles are a good proxy for pay by experience.
Projected pay for Residential Advisors (3, 5 and 10 years)est.
Today $42,240 → in 3 years $46,200 → in 5 years $49,000 → in 10 years $56,900 (10-year range $48,900–$66,000). The model assumes pay growth of +3.0% per year.
What drives the annual growth rate
Projected pay = current pay × (1 + annual growth)^years. The annual growth rate starts from a base wage-growth rate and adds or subtracts labor demand (BLS projected employment growth), wage momentum and AI replacement risk for each occupation. Projections are not guarantees. How it is calculated →
Outlook score for Residential Advisors
Each component is a percentile rank among all occupations in the same country (0–100). Weights: labor demand 25, wage momentum / openings 15, pay level 15, AI resistance 25, aging workforce 10 (Japan only), entry barrier 10.
Will AI replace Residential Advisors? AI replacement risk
How AI is changing this job
A written analysis for this occupation is being prepared.
AI replacement risk compares the parts of a job that are easy to hand to AI or software (processing information, documentation, repetitive computer work) with the parts that are hard to automate (physical work, working closely with people, judgment in unpredictable settings), using O*NET work activities, work context, skills and knowledge. The result is a relative position among all occupations in the country, scaled to 0–100%. Methodology →
Labor demand for Residential Advisors
Employment projections are from the BLS Employment Projections program (2025–35). Annual openings include both new jobs and replacement of workers who leave the occupation.
The same job in Japan
| Residential Advisors United States | 障害者グループホーム世話人 Japan | |
|---|---|---|
| Median / average pay | $42,240 | ¥4.03M ≈ $25,607 |
| Pay in 10 years (est.) | $56,900 | ¥5.43M |
| Outlook score | 53 | 58 |
| AI replacement risk | 44% Moderate | 15% Very low |
| Workers | 85K | — |
Matched by occupation (SOC code). Yen converted at 157.25 JPY/USD for reference; Japanese figures are averages, U.S. figures are medians, and the surveys define occupations differently.
Skills, education and requirements for Residential Advisors
Key skills
O*NET skill level ratings (0–7).
Key knowledge areas
What the work involves
Important abilities
Education of workers
Training before entry
Related work experience
Job Zone 3 — medium preparation needed (O*NET)
Difficulty of entry: ★★☆☆☆ Fairly easy (from education, training, experience and Job Zone)
How to become residential advisors
A step-by-step guide for this occupation is being prepared. The education, training and experience data above show the typical path.
Career path and how to earn more as residential advisors
Career-path guidance is being prepared. Pay by percentile is shown in the Pay section.