How to hire a residential advisor

How to hire a residential advisor, step by step

Here's a step-by-step residential advisor hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a residential advisor job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new residential advisor
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a residential advisor do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The residential advisor hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A residential advisor's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, residential advisors from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list shows salaries for various types of residential advisors.

   Type of Residential Advisor	Description	Hourly rate
   Residential Advisor		$12-21
   Day Camp Counselor	The job of the camp counselors is to develop recreational plans and oversee camp activities in residential camps. Their duties and responsibilities include organizing camping trips, planning and scheduling group activities, and guiding children and teenagers in various outdoor activities such as swimming and hiking... Show more	$9-21
   Youth Counselor	A Youth Counselor's role is to provide guidance and interact with children or teenagers in need of care and counseling. The duty of a Youth Counselor is diverse, and it highly depends on the organization or employer... Show more	$12-23

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patrol
   • Substance Abuse
   • Behavior Management
   • Intellectual Disabilities
   • Direct Care
   • Independent Living
   • CPR
   • Conflict Resolution
   • Behavior Modification
   • Mental Health
   • Crisis Intervention
   • Dependability
   • Incident Reports
   • Stress Management

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Engage, educate and empower participants to access community base resources in order to achieve greater self-determination, rehabilitation and recovery.
   • Assist medical and clinical staff who cares for patients admit to a residential drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility.
   • Help with activities of daily life, such as groceries shopping.
   • Check mail, shopping for groceries and handling and maintaining individual's money.
   • Provide training and administer first aid and emergency medical procedures, such as CPR.
   • Lead staff member on cottage and assume cottage manager duties when RAS is not present.

   More residential advisor duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your residential advisor job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A residential advisor can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, residential advisors' average salary in ohio is 40% less than in north dakota.
   • Seniority. Entry-level residential advisors 43% less than senior-level residential advisors.
   • Certifications. A residential advisor with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a residential advisor's salary.

   Average residential advisor salary

   $16.15hourly

   $33,593 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level residential advisor salary

   $25,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 23, 2026

   Average residential advisor salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New Jersey	$38,632	$19
   2	California	$37,816	$18
   3	New York	$37,699	$18
   4	Minnesota	$37,291	$18
   5	Louisiana	$36,996	$18
   6	Illinois	$36,162	$17
   7	Texas	$35,796	$17
   8	North Carolina	$35,379	$17
   9	Connecticut	$33,763	$16
   10	Maryland	$32,034	$15
   11	South Carolina	$32,021	$15
   12	Pennsylvania	$31,719	$15
   13	Montana	$30,586	$15
   14	Missouri	$30,148	$14
   15	Utah	$30,038	$14
   16	Wisconsin	$29,368	$14
   17	Arkansas	$29,138	$14
   18	Georgia	$27,784	$13
   19	Florida	$27,654	$13
   20	Kentucky	$26,783	$13

   Average residential advisor salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Dynamic Educational Systems, Inc.	$36,213	$17.41	8
   2	AIMED INC	$36,213	$17.41	3
   3	Memorial Health Systems Corporation	$36,213	$17.41	2
   4	Pico de Gallo	$36,189	$17.40	27
   5	Memorial Health	$35,929	$17.27	2
   6	Aleut	$35,807	$17.21	2
   7	Chugach Alaska	$35,009	$16.83	4
   8	Covenant House California	$33,813	$16.26	14
   9	MINACT	$33,020	$15.88	2
   10	Memorial Hospital	$32,439	$15.60	1
   11	Dak	$32,330	$15.54
   12	Trinity Health	$31,483	$15.14	18
   13	Management & Training	$31,453	$15.12	22
   14	FHI 360	$31,380	$15.09	1
   15	American Residential Services	$31,374	$15.08	20
   16	Project Transition	$31,151	$14.98	15
   17	Horizon House	$31,099	$14.95	33
   18	Grantham University	$30,801	$14.81
   19	SMASH	$30,581	$14.70
   20	Community Human Services	$30,546	$14.69	1

4. Writing a residential advisor job description

   A residential advisor job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a residential advisor job description:

   Residential advisor job description example

   + Jobs
   
   + Login
   
   + 39-0000 Personal Care and Service Occupations
   
   + SF, CA, USA
   
   + 21.50 per hour
   
   + Hourly
   
   + Full Time
   
   401k, Medical, Dental, Vision, STA, Holidays, and Vacation
   
   Email Me Similar JobsEmail Me This Job
   
   GENERAL FUNCTION:
   
   Provide guidance, direction and supervision to students in assigned dormitory in accordance with PRH Chapter 3; 3.16 Residential Living. Assist students in achievement of academic, career technical training, and employability goals. Assist students in development of self-management, independent living and community living skills. Model workplace expectations, and mentor and monitor students in achieving the Career Success Standards competencies.
   
   MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
   
   High School Diploma or equivalent required.Education above the high school level with experience working with youth in a residential setting preferred.
   
   Licenses or Certificates
   
   n A valid Driver's License is required.
   
   ** Shift Times-
   
   Thursday and Friday 3 p.m to 12 a.m and Saturday and Sunday 11:30 a.m to 12:30 a.m
   
   Wednesday and Friday 3 p.m to 12 a.m and Saturday and Sunday 11:30 a.m to 12:30 a.m
   
   Tuesday and Friday 3 p.m to 12 a.m and Saturday and Sunday 11:30 a.m to 12:30 a.m
   
   Monday and Friday 3 p.m to 12 a.m and Saturday and Sunday 11:30 a.m to 12:30 a.m
   
   Monday and Tuesday 11:30 p.m to 8:30 a.m and Friday and Saturday 11:30 p.m to 12:30 p.m
   
   Monday, Thursday and Sunday 11:30 p.m to 8:30 a.m and Friday and Saturday 11:30p.m to 12:30 p.m
   
   Shuttle is offered to all staff from the MacArthur Bart Station on Martin Luther King Jr. and 40th st at 7:00am and return shuttle at 4:45pm
   
   **Union membership is a condition of employment.**
   
   An Equal Opportunity Employer
   
   M/F/Veterans/Disability
   
   MINACT is a federal contractor and desires priority referrals of protected veterans.
   
   MINACT, Inc is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and is committed to providing equal employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, legal domicile status, veteran status, disability or AIDS/HIV status or any other characteristic protected under federal or state law. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right residential advisor for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with residential advisors they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit residential advisors who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your residential advisor job on Zippia to find and recruit residential advisor candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit residential advisors, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new residential advisor

   Once you've selected the best residential advisor candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new residential advisor. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a residential advisor?