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Job outlook for residential assistants in the United States
Residential assistant job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected residential assistant job growth rate is 12% from 2018-2028.
About 52,400 new jobs for residential assistants are projected over the next decade.
Residential assistant salaries have increased 13% for residential assistants in the last 5 years.
There are over 67,800 residential assistants currently employed in the United States.
There are 91,326 active residential assistant job openings in the US.
The average residential assistant salary is $30,918.
Are residential assistant jobs in demand?
Residential assistant job and salary trends over time
Residential assistant jobs over time
Residential assistant job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 67,800 | 0.02% |
| 2020 | 69,967 | 0.02% |
| 2019 | 71,382 | 0.02% |
| 2018 | 101,082 | 0.03% |
| 2017 | 96,576 | 0.03% |
Average residential assistant salary over time
Residential assistant salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $30,918 | $14.86 | +2.6% |
| 2025 | $30,144 | $14.49 | +3.9% |
| 2024 | $29,018 | $13.95 | +1.9% |
| 2023 | $28,476 | $13.69 | +4.1% |
| 2022 | $27,350 | $13.15 | +3.2% |
Residential assistant jobs by state
Most common states for residential assistants
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 2,815 | 41% |
| 2 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 1,252 | 22% |
| 3 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 126 | 18% |
| 4 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 229 | 17% |
| 5 | Alaska | 739,795 | 116 | 16% |
| 6 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 145 | 14% |
| 7 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 1,617 | 13% |
| 8 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 814 | 13% |
| 9 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 722 | 13% |
| 10 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 179 | 13% |
| 11 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 420 | 12% |
| 12 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 94 | 12% |
| 13 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 971 | 11% |
| 14 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 814 | 11% |
| 15 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 352 | 11% |
| 16 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 217 | 11% |
| 17 | West Virginia | 1,815,857 | 193 | 11% |
| 18 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 113 | 11% |
| 19 | Vermont | 623,657 | 67 | 11% |
| 20 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 61 | 11% |
Most common cities for residential assistants
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ellicott City | 7 | 11% | $33,385 |
| 2 | Newark | 7 | 2% | $32,905 |
| 3 | East Orange | 1 | 2% | $32,903 |
| 4 | Hackensack | 1 | 2% | $32,910 |
| 5 | La Mesa | 1 | 2% | $32,557 |
| 6 | Jersey City | 3 | 1% | $32,910 |
| 7 | Mobile | 2 | 1% | $27,680 |
| 8 | Edison | 1 | 1% | $32,890 |
| 9 | Nampa | 1 | 1% | $30,875 |
| 10 | Chicago | 2 | 0% | $31,692 |
| 11 | Cleveland | 1 | 0% | $27,102 |
| 12 | Columbus | 1 | 0% | $26,899 |
| 13 | Orlando | 1 | 0% | $30,675 |
Residential Assistant job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of residential assistant experts
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
University of North Dakota
Austin Community College
Grace Christian University
Auburn University
East Tennessee State University
Lorain County Community College
Tuskegee University
Indiana Wesleyan University - Marion Residential
American University
National Association of Social Workers, New York State
UNLV School of Social Work
Lubbock Christian University
Butler University
Angelo State University
What will help Residential Assistants increase their earning potential?
Emily Yowell Ph.D.: Psychologists should be aware of what others in their field are making for similar positions. It is important to ask for what your work is worth in an initial position to assure raises are based on a solid starting salary. Newer psychologists may also consider asking for an early review that prompts an early conversation around potential raises, bonus, or other job benefits.
Pamela Teaster Ph.D.
Professor and Director, Center for GerontologyVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Department of Human Development and Family
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Residential Assistants?
Pamela Teaster Ph.D.: Possibly. Surely there is an impact on the ability of some students to be hired post-graduation. Some students who had positions lined up in the early spring found themselves without a position due to companies/academia/government halting hiring and work. This circumstance has the unfortunate effect of delaying graduates' entry into the job market and of putting them in competition with students who will be entering the job market in 2020. Students who have interests in fields that have a direct, as well as the indirect relationship to healthcare and public health, could find that their skills are in high demand, now and post-COVID.
Isaac Karikari Ph.D.
MSW Program Director, Chemical Dependency Minor, Assistant ProfessorUniversity of North Dakota
Department of Social Work
What soft skills should all Residential Assistants possess?
Isaac Karikari Ph.D.: By default, social work practice is integrative. The levels of practice, broadly speaking, the micro-and macro-levels, intersect in ways that may not always be apparent. The capacity for critical and analytical thinking in identifying the nuances, seeing how these levels intersect, and understanding the implications for clients is essential for effective practice.
Relatedly, social work practice involves working with a diverse array of people across different systems and levels. A social worker needs to be able to navigate these systems. Systems thinking and the person-in-environment perspective are relevant.
Good interpersonal and communication skills are essential in helping one build and make the needed connections. These skills apply across the micro and macro levels.
The capacity to work collaboratively and with interdisciplinary teams is important. Other skills include genuinely demonstrating respect, empathy, reliability, integrity, and adaptability. Forbearance and emotional intelligence are often understated.
Social workers also need to have grit. Achieving and maintaining successful outcomes can be challenging.
Michelle Kelley Shuler Ph.D.
Department Chair: Human ServicesAustin Community College
Human Services Department
What hard/technical skills are most important for Residential Assistants?
Michelle Kelley Shuler Ph.D.: a. Must have strong basic computer skills and knowledge of software such as excel spreadsheets, google docs, etc. Most, if not all, agencies use electronic health records and treatment planning, so it is necessary to be competent in this area.
b. A degree and additional certifications will assist you in seeking employment. It will also increase your level of competency and diversify the communities you serve. For example, at Austin Community College, we offer our students a chance to complete a certification in Mental Health First Aid Training. This increases their marketability and skill level.
Scott Shaw Ph.D.
Dean / Professor of Human Services, School of Social Sciences and Human ServicesGrace Christian University
School of Social Sciences and Human Services
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Residential Assistant job market given the pandemic?
Scott Shaw Ph.D.: The biggest trends in the current job market include both technical skills and people skills that can be adapted to multiple settings and with a high degree of cultural intelligence (CQ). Many services are adapting to an online, virtual, or personal-delivery format. This has impacted everything from higher education with virtual classes, and telehealth and virtual service delivery models in medical and mental health services, to products ordered online and being delivered to one's doorstep in lieu of large malls and physical stores. Current job applicants must be able to respectfully engage with people from diverse racial, ethnic and cultural backgrounds, as well as help meet the needs of their communities as a direct reflection of the companies and careers they represent.
I encourage my students to embrace 'comfort being uncomfortable' and always be learning. What appears to be a "hot market" or "best" career option today may not be the same answer next year. Being able to engage with all people respectfully, listen well, and provide innovative solutions in a sensitive way will go a long way in whatever developments come along in the current and future job market. I also encourage those looking for work to review their social media accounts - employers check social media accounts and one's digital footprint can make or break an interview based on what one posts, as well as reveal a great deal about one's character and values. Skills and technical abilities should be as diversified and multidisciplinary as possible; however, one's character and values should consistently tell a single story about the applicant as a person.
Adam Greer
Career Services SpecialistAuburn University
Department of Human Development and Family Science
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Residential Assistant job market given the pandemic?
Adam Greer: I think the biggest trend we will see are more people working from home/distance. Our HDFS students have quickly learned how to work from home and be as efficient, if not more efficient, than before the pandemic started.
What skills stand out on Residential Assistant resumes?
Adam Greer: Clearly, the distance/online working skills will stand out with our HDFS majors. Our students have a strong foundation in learning to work with people, and now they have a new way to work with people and remove barriers that might have previously prevented an in-person meeting.
Jamie Brown Ph.D.
ProfessorEast Tennessee State University
Department of Counseling and Human Services
What experience really stands out on Residential Assistant resumes?
Jamie Brown Ph.D.: Community involvement and activism can set a potential candidate apart from other applicants.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Residential Assistants in the next 3-5 years?
Jennifer Kukis: Well, tele-health services will increase and, I think, we will see other types of social services using virtual means, such as Zoom, to provide services and offer programming.
What type of skills will young Residential Assistants need?
Dr. April Jones: In society, we have always known the individuals need hard and soft skills to function well in the workplace. It's often known as employability skills. Over time, emotional intelligence was another skill noted to have to work in the workplace. For social worker graduates, at entry-level to the workforce, in the coming years there may be new skillsets needed beyond the traditional knowledge of social work competencies and code of ethics, analytic and critical thinking skills, interpersonal skills, communication and problem-solving skills, team/group work, how to apply theory to methods of practice, etc. if COVID 19 pandemic sets a new norm or norm that will continue post an epidemic.
Technology use and application will bring a need for more tech-savvy graduates to interact with humans via videoconference, Bot chats, AR/VR therapy applications, communicating with symbols (e.g., memes, GIFs, emojis), Artificial Intelligence for best practices of assessment, interventions, or diagnosis, and much more. I can see more training on cultural awareness and various technology applications and etiquette.
This opens an excellent time for research and development of technology use in the social work as well. Skills that will be important are time management, self-management, and multi-tasking in a digital world. Information overload and faster communication processing must be balanced for graduates and their future clients. It appears an integration of current and new skills will need to be apart of a young graduate's toolbox to meet the workforce demands and to have a competitive advantage.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Residential Assistants?
Dr. Katti Sneed Ph.D.: Students will never forget their time during COVID. They are trying to learn from field supervisors who are adapting to the ever-changing environment due to society's uncertainty. In many ways, students and field instructors are learning together on how to adapt. The pandemic has caused an increase in anxiety, depression, and other societal problems, which inadvertently will increase social workers' need. Our graduates are walking into a world that certainly needs them. Therefore, the job market is up-and-coming.
Will there be an increase or decrease in demand for Residential Assistants in the next 5 years?
Dr. Michelle Newton-Francis Ph.D.: The upheaval of the pandemic sees graduates entering the worst job market in more than a decade. Still, some forecasters say it is slowly getting better. I encourage graduates to remain flexible in their thinking and search strategies. For example, many companies will expand their remote positions, opening opportunities for jobs they may not have previously considered due to geographic location. Pandemic or not, graduates may not obtain their "dream job" right away and should also consider opportunities that build transferable skills. Pandemic or not, job searching should always be treated like a full-time job. It is just more challenging and competitive right now. Networking is vital and remains one of the most viable ways to get a job. To create networks, students should take advantage of virtual or socially distanced internships, which build contacts and skills. Students and alumni often overlook their college career centers, which offer invaluable services (and connections), including virtual career fairs and meetings with potential employers.
Samantha Fletcher Ph.D.
Executive DirectorNational Association of Social Workers, New York State
What type of skills will young Residential Assistants need?
Samantha Fletcher Ph.D.: The core skills of social work do not change over time. These skills include empathy, active listening, critical thinking, assessment, intervention, evaluation, advocacy, policy analysis, and adaptability. Social workers also need to evaluate the organizations they work in to assess for oppressive practices and policies. One of the profession's core values is social justice, which directs social workers to "pursue social change, particularly with and on behalf of vulnerable and oppressed individuals and groups of people. Social workers' social change efforts are focused primarily on issues of poverty, unemployment, discrimination, and other forms of social injustice" (National Association of Social Workers, 2017). As a profession, social workers aim to dismantle racist, sexist, heterosexist, xenophobic, ableist, classist, and religiously biased systems and structures.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Residential Assistants to find work opportunities?
Samantha Fletcher Ph.D.: Employment in the social work profession is increasing across the United States (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2018). Social work education focuses on societal problems and strengths at every level, including individual, small groups, family systems, communities, and globally. This broad lens education positions social workers to work in almost every area of society. Social workers provide services in mental health facilities, hospitals, schools, political offices, nursing homes, libraries, jails, prisons, courts, think tanks, non-profit organizations, state and federal offices, and universities. In these positions, social workers work with people throughout the life cycle.
How do you envision technology impacting Residential Assistants in the next 5 years?
Marde Closson: We envision technology positively impacting the field. As we were thrust into more of an online world in March, we have learned that services can still be effectively provided to clients. At some of our integrated practicum sites(which combine primary health care and behavioral health services), platforms such as Telehealth have been used even more so as the way to deliver health care services. We are sure that there will be other platforms available within the next five years, which will probably serve as cutting edge in the care of patients and clients. We might even see agencies expand their services because they can reach more people.We envision technology positively impacting the field. As we were thrust into more of an online world in March, we have learned that services can still be effectively provided to clients. At some of our integrated practicum sites (which combine primary health care and behavioral health services), platforms such as Telehealth have been used even more as the way to deliver health care services. We are sure that there will be other platforms available within the next five years, which will probably serve as cutting edge in the care of patients and clients. We might even see agencies expand their services because they can reach more people.
Chris Hennington Ph.D.
School Counseling Program CoordinatorLubbock Christian University
Department of Graduate Psychology and Counseling
What type of skills will young Residential Assistants need?
Chris Hennington Ph.D.: School counselors will be tasked with the usual school counseling responsibilities while also encountering trauma that students experience outside of school and in school. Being well versed in trauma response is going to be a vital aspect of being a school counselor. Kids are experiencing more trauma, but we are getting better at recognizing and treating trauma as well.
Lisa Farley
Associate ProfessorButler University
Department of Human Movement & Health Sciences
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Residential Assistants to find work opportunities?
Lisa Farley: I think this type of field is wide open across the country. If people are interested in travel, I think the field of Healthcare and Health Education is open around the world. Highly skilled applicants will be sought-after everywhere. Those who are successful as college students, and especially those who complete an internship, demonstrate that they can juggle their responsibilities successfully - those are the people who will be hired quickly.
I can't imagine a place in the country that wouldn't want them. Certainly, the larger cities with more healthcare and health education opportunities will be the largest draw, but even our smaller communities need qualified people. That is until technology surpasses the small towns and we start shifting our healthcare to the larger conglomerations in larger cities.
How do you envision technology impacting Residential Assistants in the next 5 years?
Lisa Farley: That's the trillion-dollar question, isn't it?
Telehealth became much more commonly accepted during this pandemic. I believe that will continue to impact the field of healthcare. At some point, perhaps we will all have pulse-ox, blood-pressure cuffs, thermometers, or other things connected where we can "meet" with a practitioner from a distance. It removes the personal touch, but also removes the risk of infection, provides a better range of practitioners, and perhaps gives opportunities to those in small towns where there wasn't that opportunity in the past. It might be a good/bad situation.
As for the rest of technology, I'm not one to envision futuristic gizmos - so I can't imagine how much more complex technology will impact us. What I do know is that those who are educated should be taught not only how to handle the here and now, and the content we do know, but how to learn, so that as new things that we don't now know come, they are able to adapt. Some things we teach transfer to the practice, no matter what technology is - ethics, ways to educate people, how your philosophy impacts your profession, etc. Those things will not be changed due to the ever-changing landscape of technology.
Lesley Casarez Ph.D.
Director, Quality Enhancement Plan Program Coordinator, M.S. Professional School Counseling Associate Professor, Curriculum and InstructionAngelo State University
Department of Curriculum and Instruction
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Residential Assistants in the next 3-5 years?
Lesley Casarez Ph.D.: Graduates will need to learn to use technology in which virtual platforms are taking place and web conferencing platforms. Numerous platforms are being used, so the particular platform itself is not as crucial as being well-versed in how virtual education differs from face-to-face environments. Typically, the instructional role in online learning is more of a facilitator, as the educator guides the students to think critically, integrate, and apply new knowledge. This may be difficult for educators who would rather stand in front of a classroom and pass on their knowledge through lecture-based formats. Additionally, being well-versed in various web conferencing platforms will benefit graduates, as they move into a career that is currently requiring communication in virtual environments.