Post job

Residential specialist salary

Quoted expert
Dr. Kate Seltzer Ph.D.

Average residential specialist salary

$16.08

$33,451 yearly

Entry-level residential specialist salary
$25,000 yearly salary
Updated January 8, 2025

Understanding Residential Specialist Salaries

A Residential Specialist typically earns an average salary of $33,451 per year, which equates to about $16 per hour. Factors influencing this salary include geographical location, years of experience, and the specific sector within the residential services field.

For instance, in California, the average salary can be significantly higher due to the state's cost of living. Similarly, specialists in urban areas like New York City may command higher wages compared to their counterparts in rural settings.

Salary by Experience

Experience plays a crucial role in salary determination. Entry-level specialists typically earn less than those who have several years of experience. For example:

  • Entry-level: $25,000 - $30,000
  • Mid-career: $30,000 - $40,000
  • Experienced: $40,000+

In addition to salary, many positions offer benefits such as health insurance and retirement plans, which can further enhance total compensation. Job seekers should consider these factors while exploring opportunities in this field.

On this page
Residential specialist salary by: 

Let Zippi find your next residential specialist job

Floating question marks illustration

Let Zippi find your next residential specialist job

Floating question marks illustration

Where can a Residential Specialist earn more?

Compare salary by location
Vs
56k
36k
16k
-4k
Columbus, OH$44,678
Coventry, RI$25,843
Compare salary by company
Vs
63k
43k
23k
3k
University of California-Berkeley$48,823
Randstad North America, Inc.$32,629

Residential specialist salaries by experience level

Experience levelAvg. salaryHourly rate
Entry-level residential specialist$23,200$11.16
Mid-level residential specialist$32,900$15.84
Senior-level residential specialist$37,800$18.19

Residential specialist salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Indeed, Glassdoor and Ziprecruiter, the average salary for a residential specialist typically falls between $33,451 and $49,065.
zippia
$33,451yearly
glassdoor[1]
$49,065yearly
indeed[2]
$38,254yearly
ZipRecruiter[3]
$38,985yearly

Average residential specialist salary by state

The average residential specialist salary in California, Hawaii, and North Dakota are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average residential specialist salary states are West Virginia, Montana, and Alabama.

  • State view
  • County view
Average salary:

Highest paying states for residential specialists

RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
1District of Columbia$48,767$23.45
2North Carolina$36,758$17.67
3Hawaii$39,510$19.00
4Nevada$36,271$17.44
5Pennsylvania$33,263$15.99
6Minnesota$35,365$17.00
7Idaho$35,717$17.17
8California$44,681$21.48
9Oklahoma$34,821$16.74
10North Dakota$36,875$17.73
11Maine$34,481$16.58
12Utah$33,322$16.02
13Washington$35,820$17.22
14New Jersey$34,140$16.41
15Illinois$36,137$17.37
16Louisiana$33,431$16.07
17Connecticut$33,274$16.00
18Arkansas$33,512$16.11
19Florida$31,800$15.29
20New York$32,824$15.78
21Delaware$32,632$15.69
22Indiana$33,411$16.06
23Texas$32,249$15.50
24Michigan$32,079$15.42
25Mississippi$32,877$15.81
26Oregon$32,754$15.75
27Kansas$33,074$15.90
28Nebraska$31,672$15.23
29Massachusetts$31,111$14.96
30Alaska$29,326$14.10
31Ohio$31,884$15.33
32New Hampshire$33,384$16.05
33Wyoming$30,038$14.44
34Wisconsin$31,932$15.35
35Arizona$30,632$14.73
36Maryland$31,080$14.94
37Missouri$30,983$14.90
38New Mexico$31,903$15.34
39Colorado$31,379$15.09
40Iowa$27,142$13.05
41Virginia$30,851$14.83
42Vermont$27,504$13.22
43Montana$26,816$12.89
44West Virginia$26,956$12.96
45Georgia$29,493$14.18
46Rhode Island$25,770$12.39
47Tennessee$27,114$13.04
48Kentucky$27,688$13.31
49South Dakota$26,543$12.76
50Alabama$26,545$12.76
51South Carolina$26,458$12.72

Highest paying cities for residential specialists

The highest-paying cities for residential specialists are San Francisco, CA, Hilo, HI, and Jacksonville, NC.

RankCityAvg. salaryHourly rate
1San Francisco, CA$44,678$21.48
2Hilo, HI$39,207$18.85
3Jacksonville, NC$36,703$17.65
4Chicago, IL$36,167$17.39
5Olympia, WA$36,026$17.32
6Elizabeth, NJ$34,098$16.39
7Waterbury, CT$33,264$15.99
8New York, NY$32,893$15.81
9Wilmington, DE$32,623$15.68
10Tallahassee, FL$32,043$15.41
11Toledo, OH$32,020$15.39
12Beloit, WI$31,905$15.34
13Lakewood, CO$31,378$15.09
14Eldersburg, MD$31,058$14.93
15Saint Louis, MO$31,016$14.91
16Richmond, VA$30,771$14.79
17Johnson City, TN$27,094$13.03
18Columbia, SC$26,410$12.70
19Coventry, RI$25,843$12.42

Residential specialist salary details

A residential specialist's salary ranges from $25,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $44,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average residential specialist salary graph
Average residential specialist salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a residential specialist's salary?

PercentileAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rate
90th Percentile$44,000$3,667$21
75th Percentile$38,000$3,167$18
Average$33,451$2,788$16
25th Percentile$28,000$2,333$13
10th Percentile$25,000$2,083$12

Highest paying residential specialist jobs

The highest paying types of residential specialists are specialist, treatment specialist, and mental health specialist.

Job titleAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rateJob openings
Residential Counselor$34,117$2,843$16.4081,287
Residential Coordinator$39,577$3,298$19.0347,261
Residential Advisor$33,593$2,799$16.1547,150
Residential Aide$26,176$2,181$12.5874,826

How would you rate the starting salaries for residential specialists, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?

Dr. Kate Seltzer Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Rowan University

Educators are not paid nearly enough. However, working in a state with strong teachers' unions helps to ensure a starting salary that recent graduates can live off of and growth opportunities, albeit modest, over their careers.

Which companies pay residential specialists the most?

Residential specialist salaries at University of California, Berkeley and Washington State University are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average residential specialist salary at companies like First Republic Bank and Community Solutions are highly competitive.

RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rate
1University of California-Berkeley$48,823$23.47
2Washington State University$42,108$20.24
3First Republic Bank$41,349$19.88
4Professional$36,552$17.57
5Gustave A. Larson$34,925$16.79
6Thresholds$34,425$16.55
7Peoples Health$34,284$16.48
8Intercept Health$34,190$16.44
9Florida United Methodist Children's Home$34,030$16.36
10Gateway Hudson Valley$34,014$16.35
11Thompson Child & Family Focus.$33,659$16.18
12PosiGen$33,219$15.97
13Maid Right$33,113$15.92
14Home On The Range$33,105$15.92
15Lawrence Hall$33,057$15.89
16Samaritan Health Services Inc$33,036$15.88
17RWJBarnabas Health$32,850$15.79
18Urban Resources$32,831$15.78
19Trinitas Regional Medical Center$32,760$15.75
20Randstad North America, Inc.$32,629$15.69

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$36,000$35,600$35,200$34,800$34,400$34,000
MaleFemale

Residential Specialist salary by industry

The average residential specialist salary varies across industries:

  • The average residential specialist salary in the non profits industry is $35,090, the highest of any industry.
  • The average residential specialist salary in the finance industry is $31,562.
  • Residential specialists in the government industry earn an average salary of $30,701, the lowest of any industry.

Highest paying industries for residential specialists

RankIndustryAverage salaryHourly rate
1Non Profits$35,090$16.87
2Professional$31,562$15.17
3Finance$31,503$15.15
4Real Estate$31,353$15.07
5Health Care$30,813$14.81
6Government$30,701$14.76

High paying residential specialist jobs

Residential specialist salary trends

The average residential specialist salary has risen by $6,717 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average residential specialist earned $26,734 annually, but today, they earn $33,451 a year. That works out to a 13% change in pay for residential specialists over the last decade.

Compare residential specialist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average residential specialist salary over time

Compare residential specialist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Residential specialist salary by year

YearAvg. salaryHourly rate% Change
2025$33,500$16.08+2.5%
2024$32,600$15.68+3.7%
2023$31,400$15.09+1.9%
2022$30,800$14.81+4.0%
2021$29,600$14.23+3.1%

Recently added residential specialist salaries

CompanyJobLocationDate addedSalary
Community Counseling SolutionsEquine Specialist/Residential AssociateHeppner, OR06/30/2025$38,923
HCRS Current PositionsResidential Specialist-1St. Shift--AlternativesSpringfield, VT06/28/2025$41,740
Klamath Youth Development CenterAdult Residential SpecialistKlamath Falls, OR06/26/2025$41,218
National Capital Treatment and RecoveryResidential SpecialistArlington, VA06/24/2025$41,740
State of FloridaResidential Unit Specialist-67042610 (Sunland-Unit 2-All Homes/Shifts)Marianna, FL06/23/2025$37,136
Community SolutionsResidential Re-Entry SpecialistBloomfield, CT06/20/2025$40,175
Mental Health CenterResidential Specialist-1ST ShiftManchester, NH06/20/2025$46,352
Youth Emergency ServicesResidential SpecialistOmaha, NE06/19/2025$35,479
MyarrowleafResidential SpecialistVienna, IL06/16/2025$55,620
ArrowleafResidential SpecialistVienna, IL06/16/2025$55,620

Residential specialist salary FAQs

Search for residential specialist jobs

Browse community and social services jobs