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Job outlook for residential case managers in the United States
Residential case manager job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected residential case manager job growth rate is 12% from 2018-2028.
About 52,400 new jobs for residential case managers are projected over the next decade.
Residential case manager salaries have increased 13% for residential case managers in the last 5 years.
There are over 59,574 residential case managers currently employed in the United States.
There are 33,760 active residential case manager job openings in the US.
The average residential case manager salary is $39,297.
Are residential case manager jobs in demand?
Residential case manager job and salary trends over time
Residential case manager jobs over time
Residential case manager job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 59,574 | 0.02% |
| 2020 | 61,054 | 0.02% |
| 2019 | 61,581 | 0.02% |
| 2018 | 60,974 | 0.02% |
| 2017 | 58,579 | 0.02% |
Average residential case manager salary over time
Residential case manager salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $39,297 | $18.89 | +2.6% |
| 2024 | $38,313 | $18.42 | +3.9% |
| 2023 | $36,882 | $17.73 | +1.9% |
| 2022 | $36,193 | $17.40 | +4.1% |
| 2021 | $34,762 | $16.71 | +3.2% |
Residential case manager jobs by state
Most common states for residential case managers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 94 | 14% |
| 2 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 721 | 11% |
| 3 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 94 | 9% |
| 4 | Alaska | 739,795 | 64 | 9% |
| 5 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 551 | 7% |
| 6 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 91 | 7% |
| 7 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 58 | 7% |
| 8 | Florida | 20,984,400 | 1,267 | 6% |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 769 | 6% |
| 10 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 421 | 6% |
| 11 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 341 | 6% |
| 12 | South Carolina | 5,024,369 | 290 | 6% |
| 13 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 217 | 6% |
| 14 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 182 | 6% |
| 15 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 115 | 6% |
| 16 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 99 | 6% |
| 17 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 78 | 6% |
| 18 | California | 39,536,653 | 1,886 | 5% |
| 19 | New York | 19,849,399 | 1,038 | 5% |
| 20 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 342 | 5% |
Most common cities for residential case managers
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Framingham | 1 | 1% | $43,444 |
| 2 | Worcester | 1 | 1% | $43,456 |
| 3 | Anchorage | 1 | 0% | $39,195 |
| 4 | Boston | 1 | 0% | $43,418 |
| 5 | Denver | 1 | 0% | $40,065 |
| 6 | Fort Worth | 1 | 0% | $41,373 |
| 7 | Milwaukee | 1 | 0% | $41,344 |
Residential Case Manager job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of residential case manager experts
Erikson Institute- Graduate School in Child Development
Gannon University
Portland State University
Rollins College
Alabama A & M University
Angelo State University
Kansas State University
Belmont University
Kean University
Saginaw Valley State University
Centre College
Cassandra McKay-Jackson Ph.D.
Associate Professor,DirectorErikson Institute- Graduate School in Child Development
Social Work Program
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Residential Case Managers?
Cassandra McKay-Jackson Ph.D.: Social workers are in high demand due to the amount of stress people are under. This is a time when many counselors are at their height of services. We are seeing legislation that is supporting loan forgiveness and loan repayment that may support more individuals coming into the field.
What will help Residential Case Managers increase their earning potential?
Parris Baker: Social Work - social work students should receive graduate education and training in clinical social work and learn indigenous healing therapies. Specialization with adolescents/young adults and geriatrics. Attaining licensure in social
Mortuary Science - students who acquire knowledge of indigenous death care customs will increase their customer base and the relationships with diverse communities. This will ultimately translate into greater profits long term. The funeral home industry is changing rapidly. More people are opting for cremations rather than traditional burials (partially related to COVID-19). Green burials (also referred to as natural burial) are becoming more popular with millennials. The body is simply placed in a biodegradable coffin or shroud and interred without a concrete burial vault.
Kimberly Jayne Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Counselor Education, School Counseling Program CoordinatorPortland State University
Counselor Education Department
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Residential Case Managers?
Kimberly Jayne Ph.D.: I think the pandemic will change how school counselors interact with and deliver a comprehensive school counseling program as schools navigate returning to in-person learning, hybrid, or continuing with comprehensive distance learning (CDL). School counselors have had to be creative, flexible, and adapt to meet the new and increasing challenges of serving students and families through CDL and that will change how school counselors approach their work into the future.
Additionally, students and families will continue to experience the effects of the pandemic, multiple natural disasters, and the crisis of racial injustice far beyond this year. School counselors will need to continue to meet students in the midst of these multiple crises and traumas and provide developmentally and culturally-responsive support as we all navigate the longer term emotional and mental health, academic, and social impacts on our communities.
What's a good job out of college for Residential Case Managers?
Kimberly Jayne Ph.D.: Upon graduating with a master's degree in school counseling, I highly recommend students pursue a job as a licensed school counselor in a P-12 setting where they develop and facilitate a comprehensive school counseling program for elementary, middle or high school students. The need for highly-skilled, effective, and culturally-responsive school counselors is growing and there are not enough qualified professionals to fill these critical roles in our school communities.
Samuel Sanabria Ph.D.
Professor of Clinical Mental Health CounselingRollins College
Graduate Studies of Counseling
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Residential Case Managers?
Samuel Sanabria Ph.D.: The pandemic has caused a significant change in how we work, connect with friends and family, and maneuver in society. These changes are pushing people to their very limits, resulting in increased reports of depressive and anxious symptoms. Unfortunately, I do not believe that our society will ever go back to pre-pandemic days. Instead, we will continue to struggle as we try to adjust to this new life.
I predict an increase in demand for mental health counselors, expanding employment opportunities for graduates. I also expect that telehealth services are here to stay, making access to counseling easier for many.
What's a day at work look like for a Residential Case Manager?
Samuel Sanabria Ph.D.: I suspect that many graduates will be balancing working from home, providing telehealth mental health counseling services, and in an office, providing face-to-face counseling. The workday will be more flexible, extending to evening hours. I also believe that online support groups will increase. Groups are a great way to provide services to more people while offering a safe space to connect with others with shared experiences.
Samson Chama
ProfessorAlabama A & M University
Department of Social Work, Psychology & Counseling
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Residential Case Manager job market given the pandemic?
Samson Chama: We are living in unpredictable, volatile and uncertain times that have consequentially emerged from the ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic. The lasting effects of this pandemic have led different professionals to rethink their positions, usefulness and survivability. The social work profession in particular is one such profession that is making strides to adjust and adapt to this new environment. The new environment requires that social workers adopt new and innovative technological methods that will allow them to continue to be relevant in this era. Assessing and determining how technology, including how it may leverage service-delivery in a manner that does not negatively impact service delivery beneficiaries, will be key to social work as a profession. This will also involve making strategic adjustments that will allow social workers a degree of flexibility to work remotely but at the same time to demonstrate productivity.
What's a good job out of college for Residential Case Managers?
Anne Scaggs: That is a difficult question to answer because social work is a very broad field. At the BSW level, an entry level position with any social service agency is a great place to start. At the MSW level, if one is interested in private practice, then a job with an agency that provides individual and group counseling would be perfect which the practitioner is under supervision for their clinical license. If one is interested in administration, then any government agency would be great because they provide the opportunity for advancement. It really depends on the interests of the social worker. Mental health facilities, hospitals, schools, and small agencies also offer exposure to diverse clients and will help any social worker hone their skills as a practitioner.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Residential Case Manager job market given the pandemic?
Anne Scaggs: I believe the biggest trends we will see in the job market due to the pandemic will be related to the human service industry. There is already a need for increased mental health professionals to assist not only those who are suffering from depression due to the isolation from others but to assist the first responders who have been dealing with the incredible stress that has been added to their jobs as well as depression, especially as it relates to doctors and nurses who have been watching so many die. We also have high levels of unemployment and that creates stress that can lead to increased domestic violence and child abuse. So, there will definitely be a need for well-trained social workers and other helping professionals.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Residential Case Managers?
Kristen Kremer Ph.D.: In the short-term, the coronavirus pandemic may result in fewer job openings for social workers due to budget constraints within local governments (as a result of reduced tax receipts) and within non-profit social service agencies (as a result of cancelled fundraisers). Additionally, the need for social distancing may translate into being able to have fewer staff in a room at a time, which may further result in lowered ability to have staff present on sight.
The nation's eviction moratorium, which prevents landlords from evicting tenants behind on rent, seems to have momentarily lowered the number of individuals in need of homeless shelters - thus translating into potentially lower short-term needs for staff. However, this will be quickly reversed once the moratorium is lifted. Despite budget cuts, the weakened economy and greater social isolation means that social workers are still very much needed in the community.
In the long-term, the largest impact on social workers will be the shift to telebehavioral health. While many previously questioned the ability to provide social services virtually, expanded use of video conferencing, text messaging, and phone calls is making everyone more comfortable with technology. Social workers should be prepared to do more of their work remotely, potentially from home. Connecting with clients remotely may limit one's ability to pick up on nonverbal cues, but it also has its strengths - such as the ability to reach out to clients who have limited transportation or live in remote areas.
What soft skills should all Residential Case Managers possess?
Kristen Kremer Ph.D.: Social workers engage with vulnerable populations, many of whom have histories of traumatic experiences. Thus, high emotional intelligence will allow social workers to best connect with clients and help them reach their goals.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Residential Case Managers?
Sabrina Sullenberger Ph.D.: It is hard to predict in terms of "enduring" but I do think there are some potential long-term impacts that are important to consider. For example, for students who experienced financial disruption during the pandemic, they could be entering their career with more anxiety about salaries and job stability. For students whose field placement experience shifted dramatically due to the pandemic, and perhaps they didn't get as much direct client or organizational contact as they had hoped, they may be entering their career wondering if they know what field of practice is going to be the best fit for them. I think some students are also going to enter the profession with a renewed sense of passion for the work. The coronavirus has highlighted the essential work that social workers do, and has also highlighted inequities in a way that are harder for society at large to ignore.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Residential Case Managers?
Roxanne Ruiz-Adams: COVID-19 has changed society and the way it interacts with its environment, both in negative and positive ways. Because of the necessary adaptations we've all had to make, the market world has found value in remote work. With mental health, this opens opportunities to provide services across state lines, and across county lines. Making treatment more accessible, and positively impacting private practice owners business. In negative ways, we have seen people really need more connection due to the isolation experienced over the year. I think graduates are in a wonderful place to help create those connections for those feeling depressed and along, but they are also in a challenging place of trying to heal themselves from the same woes.
What soft skills should all Residential Case Managers possess?
Roxanne Ruiz-Adams: In the world we are in, empathy and compassion are tools we need most when interacting with each other. Graduates need to practice the skills of listening actively, and communicating in a way that is responsive rather than reactive. As social media expands and the world becomes smaller we all have become more connected and more aware of the experience of being a global citizen. Graduates need to practice having conversations with those who are different from them, practice putting themselves in the shoes of those they interact with, and learn the art of conflict resolution. We are all different in the way we think, but now more than ever we need graduates who are solution focused in their responses to the world rather than problem focused.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Residential Case Managers?
Michael Heron: There will be enduring impacts on graduates due to the coronavirus pandemic. Unfortunately, this cohort of graduates in 2021 will not be given the opportunity to build relationships and network in-person the way that past students have had the opportunity to do. Interpersonal skills are important for people starting out in their professional lives or starting a new career path and like a muscle that does not get worked these can become difficult to use after months of social distancing or isolation. Many people find jobs or other opportunities through the connections they make in college and the networks they build. Online learning has likely limited the number of interactions with new people and stifled the opportunity to strengthen current relationships that create opportunities in the future.
One thing that may be a positive impact due to the pandemic is that the 2021 graduates will be much more well-versed in online content delivery which will benefit them in a post-COVID world. We are finding out that the classic office setting is not as necessary as we thought and working from home while "Zooming" in will become more prevalent. The students now have been able to hone the skills necessary for this in the laboratory of the classroom. For those in the health and human services fields this will benefit telehealth and service delivery in areas that have previously lacked resources.
What's a good job out of college for Residential Case Managers?
Michael Heron: A good job right out of college is the one that hires you. Very few people are lucky enough to be offered their dream job right out of college and so it takes some time and some skills development in order to get to that job. Also, exposure to different jobs or aspects of a profession can help a recent graduate discover things that they may not know they enjoy professionally or discover that what they thought was their dream job is not the case. This is not to say one should take the first job that comes along but it is important to have an open mind about the different paths that exist to get to where you want to be professionally and the goal can change along the way.
What technical skills for a Residential Case Manager stand out to employers?
Michael Heron: Critical thinking skills, interpersonal communication skills, and being proactive. Employers want problem solvers not just someone who can take direction. Critical thinking is important to solve problems and to show that you can be trusted to get things done correctly. Interpersonal skills are important because effective communication is paramount in a high functioning office, agency, or organization. Lastly, being proactive is something that any employer would want to see from their staff. It, again, shows that you are looking to solve problems and can do that before the problems even arise.
What technical skills for a Residential Case Manager stand out to employers?
William Weston: The ability to write clearly and think critically. The deep sense that other people in other cultures, and other positions in our own culture, see the world differently, enabling students to respond to a broad range of people appropriately.
What's a good job out of college for Residential Case Managers?
William Weston: Anything that pays the bills. Honest work is ennobling.
OK, jobs that serve others are more satisfying that those that just make money. Human service jobs lead to all kinds of other careers.