1. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
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.
There are certain skills that many resident assistants have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed organizational skills, problem-solving skills and time-management skills.
If you're interested in becoming a resident assistant, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 59.7% of resident assistants have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 4.3% of resident assistants have master's degrees. Even though most resident assistants have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.
As you move along in your career, you may start taking on more responsibilities or notice that you've taken on a leadership role. Using our career map, a resident assistant can determine their career goals through the career progression. For example, they could start out with a role such as certified nursing assistant, progress to a title such as team leader and then eventually end up with the title general manager.
What Am I Worth?
The role of a resident assistant includes a wide range of responsibilities. These responsibilities can vary based on an individual's specific job, company, or industry.Here are some general resident assistant responsibilities:
There are several types of resident assistant, including:
A resident is a freshly graduated medical student, completing a physician fellowship under the supervision of medical professionals. Residency is a regular phase of medical education that lasts for three to seven years, depending on the specialization. In fact, there is around one resident for every five physicians active in healthcare facilities.
Residents are involved in patient care, do rounds and attend seminars, complete medical records, and perform any task assigned to them by healthcare staff. They examine patients and assess their health status, develop treatment plans, and assist in medical procedures and surgery.
As a new resident on the job, you are likely to feel a bit overwhelmed in the beginning. But not to worry, according to the latest regulations, the workload is limited to 80 hours a week, and the maximum length of shifts first-year residents are allowed to take is 28 hours.
Resident assistants are enrolled students of universities and colleges who live on campus. They are responsible for helping their peers to get comfortable in their student residences and contribute to organizing community life on campus. They give a hand with studying and make sure everyone in the residence feels safe. Resident assistants will be the ones notified upon emergencies, and they are there to resolve any personal problem as well.
In most cases, as a resident assistant or RA, you will receive a discount or full waiver on your housing fees. It is a rewarding job that will allow you to make many connections during your studies. It might be a bit challenging to make time for your duties while not neglecting your studies, and sometimes you have to deal with serious problems like drugs, conflicts, or even violence.
Still, it is a great way to make the best of your college years while saving money on housing.
Mouse over a state to see the number of active resident assistant jobs in each state. The darker areas on the map show where resident assistants earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.
Vestal, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
Evanston, IL • Private
In-State Tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
Carson, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,942
Enrollment
13,871
Durham, NC • Private
In-State Tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
Washington, DC • Private
In-State Tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-State Tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,309
Enrollment
9,142
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-State Tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 16.2% of resident assistants listed home health on their resume, but soft skills such as organizational skills and problem-solving skills are important as well.
Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Resident Assistant templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Resident Assistant resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.
After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
1. Conflict Resolution Skills
Resolving conflict in a positive manner is a skill that can be developed and practiced. Being heard can be one of the most important goals of someone engaged in conflict. Knowing how to listen and deploy appropriate communication tactics is determinative of whether a conflict will have a positive or negative resolution. Examine listening skills, appropriate and strategic verbal and non-verbal communication skills, and how to assemble a conflict management plan likely to yield positive...
2. Living with Dementia: Impact on Individuals, Caregivers, Communities and Societies
Health professionals and students, family caregivers, friends of and affected individuals, and others interested in learning about dementia and quality care will benefit from completing the course. Led by Drs. Nancy Hodgson and Laura Gitlin, participants will acquire foundational knowledge in the care of persons with Alzheimer’s Disease and other neurocognitive disorders...
3. Crisis Intervention Seminar
The emphasis is on the development of fundamental clinical skills in the area of crisis intervention...
Some places are better than others when it comes to starting a career as a resident assistant. The best states for people in this position are California, Connecticut, North Dakota, and Alaska. Resident assistants make the most in California with an average salary of $34,915. Whereas in Connecticut and North Dakota, they would average $33,924 and $33,888, respectively. While resident assistants would only make an average of $32,819 in Alaska, you would still make more there than in the rest of the country. We determined these as the best states based on job availability and pay. By finding the median salary, cost of living, and using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Location Quotient, we narrowed down our list of states to these four.
1. North Dakota
$33,888
Avg. Salary
2. Alaska
$32,819
Avg. Salary
3. Minnesota
$30,830
Avg. Salary
Not training
Sweatpants women an jeans 👖 for men long sleeve shirt 👕 on the time
I like participating in the building up of a person. Also I like helping them to develop a success story for their lives.
I don't like working when there is no structure, such as rules. And standards are not provided for those who lack basic daily living principles.
Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | University of Connecticut | $55,903 | $26.88 | 121 |
2 | Florida State University | $41,972 | $20.18 | 111 |
3 | University of Delaware | $34,803 | $16.73 | 137 |
4 | University of Pittsburgh | $33,294 | $16.01 | 105 |
5 | Hofstra University | $32,808 | $15.77 | 116 |
6 | West Virginia University | $31,300 | $15.05 | 127 |
7 | Morningside | $30,192 | $14.52 | 143 |
8 | Boston University | $29,546 | $14.20 | 135 |
9 | Rutgers University | $29,497 | $14.18 | 142 |
10 | Miami University | $29,477 | $14.17 | 130 |
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.