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The differences between residential assistants and assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a residential assistant, becoming an assistant takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, an assistant has an average salary of $37,363, which is higher than the $30,918 average annual salary of a residential assistant.
The top three skills for a residential assistant include direct care, developmental disabilities and mental health. The most important skills for an assistant are patients, customer service, and patient care.
| Residential Assistant | Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $30,918 | $37,363 |
| Hourly rate | $14.86 | $17.96 |
| Growth rate | 12% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 91,326 | 557,900 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Average age | 43 | 50 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 2 |
A residential assistant is in charge of overseeing the living conditions of students in a university or similar establishment. They are primarily responsible for assisting students and making them feel at ease within the dormitory or campus community. Moreover, a residential assistant must respond to inquiries and concerns, handle and settle any issues or problems, take part in organizing activities that are beneficial to the students, and keep them informed on all community-related updates. Furthermore, it is crucial to adhere to and implement the campus rules and regulations at all times, maintaining a safe environment for everyone.
An assistant intern is responsible for facilitating administrative and clerical tasks as assigned by the management. Assistant interns' duties include keeping records of meetings, receiving calls and handling customer inquiries, assisting on writing reports and data entry processing, cooperating and providing support for business events, and adhering to company policies and regulatory procedures. Successful assistant interns must have excellent time-management, multi-tasking, and communication skills. They must be a team player and fast-learner to handle various tasks in the corporate industry.
Residential assistants and assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Residential Assistant | Assistant | |
| Average salary | $30,918 | $37,363 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $37,000 | Between $16,000 And $82,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | University of California | Latham & Watkins |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Education |
There are a few differences between a residential assistant and an assistant in terms of educational background:
| Residential Assistant | Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Business |
| Most common college | SUNY at Binghamton | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between residential assistants' and assistants' demographics:
| Residential Assistant | Assistant | |
| Average age | 43 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 34.4% Female, 65.6% | Male, 40.7% Female, 59.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 7.1% White, 58.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6% | Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 3.8% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 6% |