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The differences between advising assistants and resident assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both an advising assistant and a resident assistant. Additionally, an advising assistant has an average salary of $42,453, which is higher than the $29,971 average annual salary of a resident assistant.
The top three skills for an advising assistant include financial aid, customer service and scheduling appointments. The most important skills for a resident assistant are home health, CPR, and vital signs.
| Advising Assistant | Resident Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $42,453 | $29,971 |
| Hourly rate | $20.41 | $14.41 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 15,603 | 19,033 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
An advising assistant works with school or university counselors, with a primary focus on students' mental welfare. Their responsibilities are to document sessions with patients, provide clerical assistance, and assist with psychological assessments. This position preferably requires a degree in psychology. Strong communication and organization skills are also necessary.
Resident assistants help manage peers or younger students who live in a particular residence hall on campus. They are usually in charge of welcoming fellow students, providing residence hall tours, and helping students cope with their new environment. To help students become more at ease with their environment, resident assistants usually act as buddies. They answer inquiries that the students may have and act as the bridge between the students and the residence hall management. They assist with administrative activities in the residence hall, such as handing out forms for students and ensuring documents are correctly filled out.
Advising assistants and resident assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Advising Assistant | Resident Assistant | |
| Average salary | $42,453 | $29,971 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $69,000 | Between $22,000 And $39,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Roseville, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | California |
| Best paying company | - | Mount St. Mary's University |
| Best paying industry | - | Education |
There are a few differences between an advising assistant and a resident assistant in terms of educational background:
| Advising Assistant | Resident Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Most common major | Business | Psychology |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | SUNY at Binghamton |
Here are the differences between advising assistants' and resident assistants' demographics:
| Advising Assistant | Resident Assistant | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 42.9% Female, 57.1% | Male, 34.0% Female, 66.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 13.7% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 20.6% Asian, 7.2% White, 51.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.2% | Black or African American, 11.7% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 16.1% Asian, 6.7% White, 58.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |