How to hire a resident advisor

How to hire a resident advisor, step by step

Here's a step-by-step resident advisor hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a resident advisor job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new resident advisor
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a resident advisor do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the resident advisor you need to hire. Certain resident advisor roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect resident advisor also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   Here's a comparison of resident advisor salaries for various roles:

   Type of Resident Advisor	Description	Hourly rate
   Resident Advisor		$7-18
   Residence Director	A Residence Director serves as the supervisor of a residence hall community on campus. They supervise the day-to-day operations of a residence hall, including staff supervision, organizational planning, programming, and counseling.	$15-34
   Community Advisor	The duties of a community advisor depend on their line of work or place of employment. In universities, a community advisor plays a vital role in helping residing students attain a positive learning and living environment... Show more	$18-52

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Residential Life
   • Crisis Management
   • Incident Reports
   • Mental Health
   • Conflict Resolution
   • Role Model
   • Front Desk
   • Administrative Tasks
   • CPR
   • Educational Programs
   • Crisis Intervention
   • Community Building
   • Emergency Situations
   • Bulletin Boards

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Engage, educate and empower participants to access community base resources in order to achieve greater self-determination, rehabilitation and recovery.
   • Train in emergency situations including CPR certification.
   • Act immediately and appropriately in an emergency situation, including calling emergency units and administering CPR or first aid.
   • Engage, educate and empower participants to access community base resources in order to achieve greater self-determination, rehabilitation and recovery.
   • Deliver telemedicine system to support and improve data driven health management and care delivery programs of various state governments in India.
   • Train to administer basic first responder first aid as necessary to youth, including, cardiopulmonary and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

   More resident advisor duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your resident advisor job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A resident advisor salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, resident advisors' average salary in ohio is 46% less than in maine.
   • Seniority. Entry-level resident advisors earn 59% less than senior-level resident advisors.
   • Certifications. A resident advisor with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a resident advisor's salary.

   Average resident advisor salary

   $12.18hourly

   $25,324 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level resident advisor salary

   $16,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 21, 2026

   Average resident advisor salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$31,381	$15
   2	New York	$27,966	$13
   3	West Virginia	$27,826	$13
   4	Virginia	$27,105	$13
   5	Texas	$26,432	$13
   6	Colorado	$26,135	$13
   7	Minnesota	$25,876	$12
   8	Massachusetts	$25,777	$12
   9	Iowa	$25,538	$12
   10	South Carolina	$24,553	$12
   11	Pennsylvania	$24,467	$12
   12	Alaska	$22,799	$11
   13	Georgia	$22,454	$11
   14	Florida	$20,444	$10
   15	Delaware	$19,402	$9
   16	Ohio	$18,635	$9

   Average resident advisor salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	American Ballet Theatre	$62,488	$30.04
   2	Skidmore College	$48,227	$23.19
   3	University of California	$45,324	$21.79	5
   4	S A F E Inc	$35,689	$17.16
   5	University of Georgia Small Business Development Center	$29,756	$14.31	4
   6	Trinity Health	$29,519	$14.19	33
   7	VISTA PACIFICA ENTERPRISES	$28,730	$13.81
   8	The GEO Group	$28,548	$13.72
   9	Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Albany	$28,321	$13.62
   10	CHRIS Kids	$28,253	$13.58
   11	FHI 360	$27,698	$13.32	1
   12	Merakey	$26,780	$12.88
   13	Universal Health Services	$26,664	$12.82	4
   14	Kettering Health Network	$26,576	$12.78	1
   15	Capstone On Campus Management	$26,382	$12.68	5
   16	Covenant House California	$26,379	$12.68
   17	EF Education First	$26,039	$12.52
   18	YES House	$25,702	$12.36	1
   19	Ashley Hall	$25,217	$12.12
   20	The Eagle	$24,872	$11.96

4. Writing a resident advisor job description

   A resident advisor job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a resident advisor job description:

   Resident advisor job description example

   Lighthouse Behavioral Health Solutions (Lighthouse) provides individual, outpatient, intensive outpatient, partial hospitalization, residential, psychiatric services, and medication assisted treatment for mental health and substance abuse treatment needs.
   
   We are a treatment facility that prides itself in a welcoming and compassionate approach to substance use and mental health treatment. We believe our clients can achieve recovery and be valued community members through positive engagement and meaningful participation in treatment.
   
   Treatment plans are individualized, and there is great attention to client needs and preferences to achieve the maximum self-actualization that can be derived from treatment.
   
   We apply evidence-based, best practice models reflective of the behavioral healthcare redesign to promote efficient and effective treatment operation and service outcomes.
   
   We believe in achieving quality service through workforce development. Lighthouse invests in training and education to promote professional growth.
   
   Our programs and services are dedicated to adults struggling to cope with alcohol and/or drug addiction and mental health challenges brought about by difficult life experiences on an outpatient basis.
   Job Description/Duties
   Proactively ensure the safety and security of clients and facilities on first and second shift. Proactively seek to support individuals in recovery from a substance use disorder. Expresses understanding, support and respect the many paths of recovery an individual client may wish to pursue. Maintaining confidentiality of communication between peer and peer recovery supporter. The confidential nature of this relationship does not extend to areas covered by mandated reporting. The Resident Advisor will serve as a role model, act as a mentor, advocate and motivator Support connections to community based, mutual self-help groups Participate and contribute to weekly staffing discussions with clinical and case management Communicate shift notes to the Director of Housing and relevant staff.
   Qualifications Minimum high school diploma/ G.E.D. Must have an understanding and respect for addiction recovery. Must be able to read and write Must be willing to obtain your CMS certification upon hire (must be eligible to bill Medicaid) Knowledge of Electronic Health Records systems preferred. Must have proficient computer skills
   Preferred CDCA Peer Recovery Support Certification
   Benefits Medical/Dental/Vision Insurance Group Life Insurance Paid Time Off (PTO) 401(k) 9 paid holidays
   Schedule Second shift, Monday - Friday 1pm - 9:30pm Third shift weekends, Friday - Sunday 8pm - 8am
   Lighthouse is certified by the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (for Mental Health & Substance Abuse). Lighthouse is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, age, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, disability status, genetics, gender identity and/or expression, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. Lighthouse is committed to modeling diversity and inclusion within and outside our organization and to maintaining an inclusive environment with equitable treatment for all.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find resident advisors for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any resident advisors they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level resident advisors with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your resident advisor job on Zippia to find and recruit resident advisor candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with resident advisor candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new resident advisor

   Once you've found the resident advisor candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new resident advisor. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a resident advisor?