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The differences between residential assistants and program 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 residential assistant and a program assistant. Additionally, a program assistant has an average salary of $35,193, 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 a program assistant are patients, customer service, and data entry.
| Residential Assistant | Program Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $30,918 | $35,193 |
| Hourly rate | $14.86 | $16.92 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 91,326 | 96,901 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
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.
Program assistants are usually entry-level or junior employees assigned to a department that handles a specific program in the organization. They assist the team they are assigned to in the implementation of the programs. They usually take care of administrative or clerical activities while also getting exposure to actual program management. Program assistants get trained to handle agendas from inception, to sourcing, to implementation, to evaluation. They may also handle documentary support for business cases or other presentation materials that the team may need for a specific part of the program management cycle.
Residential assistants and program assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Residential Assistant | Program Assistant | |
| Average salary | $30,918 | $35,193 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $37,000 | Between $27,000 And $45,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | University of California | The Aspen Institute |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Government |
There are a few differences between a residential assistant and a program assistant in terms of educational background:
| Residential Assistant | Program Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Business |
| Most common college | SUNY at Binghamton | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between residential assistants' and program assistants' demographics:
| Residential Assistant | Program Assistant | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 34.4% Female, 65.6% | Male, 24.8% Female, 75.2% |
| 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, 13.8% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.0% Asian, 6.7% White, 53.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |