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The differences between residential counselors and residential advisors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a residential counselor has an average salary of $34,117, which is higher than the $33,593 average annual salary of a residential advisor.
The top three skills for a residential counselor include direct care, medication administration and mental health. The most important skills for a residential advisor are patrol, substance abuse, and behavior management.
| Residential Counselor | Residential Advisor | |
| Yearly salary | $34,117 | $33,593 |
| Hourly rate | $16.40 | $16.15 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 81,287 | 47,150 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| Average age | 41 | 26 |
| Years of experience | 4 | - |
A residential counselor is responsible for guiding and providing the residents with their basic needs and other resources to support them in their daily living. Residential counselors' duties include maintaining the safety of the community by enforcing safety guidelines and procedures for the residents' compliance, organizing productive and engaging community activities, updating the residents of any changes and policies in the community, and resolving conflicts by counseling and understanding each resident's differences. A residential counselor must have excellent communication and decision-making skills to ensure the development of residents in a living facility.
Residential advisors are responsible for coordinating activities in various residential buildings and facilities, such as group homes and dormitories. They perform various tasks that include ordering supplies, determining the need for maintenance and repair, and assigning rooms. Residential advisors may help residents with solving their problems or connect them to counseling services or resources. Also, they are responsible for providing first aid or seeking medical assistance in times of emergency, and mediating conflicts between residents. They are also expected to implement rules and regulations for the orderly and smooth operation of residential facilities.
Residential counselors and residential advisors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Residential Counselor | Residential Advisor | |
| Average salary | $34,117 | $33,593 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $42,000 | Between $25,000 And $44,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Edison, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Washington | North Dakota |
| Best paying company | The Evergreens | Dynamic Educational Systems, Inc. |
| Best paying industry | Education | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a residential counselor and a residential advisor in terms of educational background:
| Residential Counselor | Residential Advisor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | Howard University |
Here are the differences between residential counselors' and residential advisors' demographics:
| Residential Counselor | Residential Advisor | |
| Average age | 41 | 26 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 33.0% Female, 67.0% | Male, 42.3% Female, 57.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 3.2% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 14.0% Unknown, 5.8% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 7.7% White, 57.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 15% | 13% |