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The differences between resident assistants and family service assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a resident assistant and a family service assistant. Additionally, a family service assistant has an average salary of $33,090, 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 a family service assistant are social work, child care, and community resources.
| Resident Assistant | Family Service Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $29,971 | $33,090 |
| Hourly rate | $14.41 | $15.91 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 19,033 | 47,477 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
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.
A family service assistant offers practical and emotional support to family service workers in support of families. Family service workers are often assigned to at-risk clients through government or social service agencies. A service assistant assesses these families' needs to identify how to resolve issues. A family service assistant must have good communication skills, be calm under pressure, and be adaptable.
Resident assistants and family service assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Resident Assistant | Family Service Assistant | |
| Average salary | $29,971 | $33,090 |
| Salary range | Between $22,000 And $39,000 | Between $18,000 And $59,000 |
| Highest paying City | Roseville, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Mount St. Mary's University | Mount Sinai Health System |
| Best paying industry | Education | Non Profits |
There are a few differences between a resident assistant and a family service assistant in terms of educational background:
| Resident Assistant | Family Service Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | SUNY at Binghamton | SUNY at Binghamton |
Here are the differences between resident assistants' and family service assistants' demographics:
| Resident Assistant | Family Service Assistant | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 34.0% Female, 66.0% | Male, 18.8% Female, 81.2% |
| 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, 11.7% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.9% Asian, 6.3% White, 54.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |