How long does it take to become a Resident Assistant?

It takes one year or less to become a resident assistant. That is the time it takes to learn specific resident assistant skills, but does not account for time spent in formal education. If you include the normal education requirements to complete a college degree, then it takes 4 to 6 years years to become a resident assistant.

How To Become A Resident Assistant: What It Is and Career Path

What is a resident assistant and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Resident assistants typically work in long-term care and retirement facilities. As a resident assistant, your job is to care for and serve the residents who live in these facilities. Typically, it's normal everyday things that we take for granted, like getting dressed, taking a bath, and even eating.

For the most part, there aren't any formal education requirements for this job. Sometimes an employer will require you to complete some specialized training and earn a state certification before you're able to work. While other employers just require some on-the-job training.

ScoreResident AssistantUS Average

Salary

2.3

Avg. Salary $29,971

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

8.9

Growth Rate 12%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

10.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 2.10%

Asian 6.68%

Black or African American 11.73%

Hispanic or Latino 16.06%

Unknown 5.13%

White 58.31%

Gender

female 66.05%

male 33.95%

Age - 43

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 43

Stress Level

8.9

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

8.1

Complexity Level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

6.2

Work Life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

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Key steps to become a resident assistant

Explore resident assistant education requirements

Most common resident assistant degrees

Bachelor's

59.7 %

High School Diploma

15.3 %

Associate

11.1 %

Start to develop specific resident assistant skills

Skills	Percentages
Home Health	16.17%
CPR	9.80%
Vital Signs	9.38%
Residential Life	7.30%
Compassion	6.89%

Complete relevant resident assistant training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New resident assistants learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a resident assistant based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real resident assistant resumes.

Research resident assistant duties and responsibilities

Manage pediatrics emergencies, indoor & outdoor patients, neonatal & intensive care units.
Assist 3rd stage Alzheimer's residents with ADL'S, housekeeping, ROM, provide residents with daily medications at specify times
Used Hoyer lift when need.
Assist in safety transfers including hoyer lifts and wheel chair.

Prepare your resident assistant resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your resident assistant resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a resident assistant resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

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