Resident assistant vs social services assistant

The differences between resident assistants and social services 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 social services assistant. Additionally, a social services assistant has an average salary of $37,445, 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 social services assistant are social work, patients, and rehabilitation.

Resident assistant vs social services assistant overview

	Resident Assistant	Social Services Assistant
Yearly salary	$29,971	$37,445
Hourly rate	$14.41	$18.00
Growth rate	12%	12%
Number of jobs	19,033	152,760
Job satisfaction	4	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 57%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	12	12

What does a resident assistant do?

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.

What does a social services assistant do?

A social services assistant is responsible for supporting the social needs of citizens within society. Social services assistants work within the community office or health institutions to assist patients and their families in processing their needs and obtaining medical information. They also coordinate with other organizations to gather additional resources and financial assistance to plan community programs that will be beneficial for society. A social services assistant provides counseling to the families to identify the services and referrals they needed.

Resident assistant vs social services assistant salary

Resident assistants and social services assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Resident Assistant	Social Services Assistant
Average salary	$29,971	$37,445
Salary range	Between $22,000 And $39,000	Between $29,000 And $47,000
Highest paying City	Roseville, CA	Tacoma, WA
Highest paying state	California	Washington
Best paying company	Mount St. Mary's University	Research Foundation of The City University of New York
Best paying industry	Education	Government

Differences between resident assistant and social services assistant education

There are a few differences between a resident assistant and a social services assistant in terms of educational background:

	Resident Assistant	Social Services Assistant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 57%
Most common major	Psychology	Social Work
Most common college	SUNY at Binghamton	SUNY at Binghamton

Resident assistant vs social services assistant demographics

Here are the differences between resident assistants' and social services assistants' demographics:

	Resident Assistant	Social Services Assistant
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 34.0% Female, 66.0%	Male, 17.0% Female, 83.0%
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, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 18.9% Asian, 6.7% White, 56.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.8%
LGBT Percentage	11%	11%

Differences between resident assistant and social services assistant duties and responsibilities

Resident assistant example 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.
General care giving (elderly disable), food prep., activity assistant, CPR certify.
Maintain compliance with procedures and schedules, maintain safety of all residents as according to HIPAA regulations.

Social services assistant example responsibilities.

Initial triage of members, administrative intake of members and managing the admission/discharge information post-notification.
Assist individuals and families in need with applications for food stamps, Medicaid, Medicare, cash assistance and housing.
Develop, organize and conduct programs to prevent and resolve problems relevant to substance abuse, human relationships and rehabilitation.
Verify Medicare coverage/ benefits/ obtain prior authorization.
Process specialize Medicaid applications receive from government agencies and social service organizations which require urgent processing.
Establish, maintain and generate military and community contacts structure to address various services available to respective patients.

Resident assistant vs social services assistant skills

Common resident assistant skills

Home Health, 16%
CPR, 10%
Vital Signs, 9%
Residential Life, 7%
Compassion, 7%
Memory Care, 6%

Common social services assistant skills

Social Work, 17%
Patients, 15%
Rehabilitation, 9%
Discharge Planning, 6%
Term Care, 6%
Community Resources, 3%

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Resident Assistant
Resident Assistant vs Social Services Assistant

Updated January 8, 2025

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