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The differences between resident assistants and assistant professors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a resident assistant, becoming an assistant professor takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, an assistant professor has an average salary of $87,099, which is higher than the $29,971 average annual salary of a resident assistant.
The top three skills for a resident assistant include home health, CPR and vital signs. The most important skills for an assistant professor are patients, public health, and pediatrics.
| Resident Assistant | Assistant Professor | |
| Yearly salary | $29,971 | $87,099 |
| Hourly rate | $14.41 | $41.87 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 19,033 | 30,531 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 44% |
| Average age | 43 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 4 |
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.
An assistant professor is an entry-level position who teaches in a university, conducts research, and assists senior professors. Assistant professors supervise undergraduate and graduate students at the same time provide professors and department heads with feedback on the progress of their students. To be effective in teaching and mentoring students, assistant professors must possess strong communication skills with advanced knowledge of their field. They must also have a Ph. D degree in the relevant academic discipline as well as teaching experience in a university setting.
Resident assistants and assistant professors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Resident Assistant | Assistant Professor | |
| Average salary | $29,971 | $87,099 |
| Salary range | Between $22,000 And $39,000 | Between $50,000 And $151,000 |
| Highest paying City | Roseville, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | California | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Mount St. Mary's University | UT Medical Group, Inc. |
| Best paying industry | Education | Government |
There are a few differences between a resident assistant and an assistant professor in terms of educational background:
| Resident Assistant | Assistant Professor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 44% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Nursing |
| Most common college | SUNY at Binghamton | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
Here are the differences between resident assistants' and assistant professors' demographics:
| Resident Assistant | Assistant Professor | |
| Average age | 43 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 34.0% Female, 66.0% | Male, 55.5% Female, 44.5% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.9% Asian, 17.4% White, 62.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 16% |