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Job outlook for residential specialists in the United States
Residential specialist job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected residential specialist job growth rate is 12% from 2018-2028.
About 52,400 new jobs for residential specialists are projected over the next decade.
Residential specialist salaries have increased 13% for residential specialists in the last 5 years.
There are over 68,826 residential specialists currently employed in the United States.
There are 49,467 active residential specialist job openings in the US.
The average residential specialist salary is $33,451.
Are residential specialist jobs in demand?
Residential specialist job and salary trends over time
Residential specialist jobs over time
Residential specialist job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 68,826 | 0.02% |
| 2020 | 68,969 | 0.02% |
| 2019 | 69,157 | 0.02% |
| 2018 | 98,644 | 0.03% |
| 2017 | 93,704 | 0.03% |
Average residential specialist salary over time
Residential specialist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $33,451 | $16.08 | +2.6% |
| 2024 | $32,613 | $15.68 | +3.9% |
| 2023 | $31,395 | $15.09 | +1.9% |
| 2022 | $30,809 | $14.81 | +4.1% |
| 2021 | $29,590 | $14.23 | +3.2% |
Residential specialist jobs by state
Most common states for residential specialists
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 1,877 | 27% |
| 2 | Alaska | 739,795 | 118 | 16% |
| 3 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 112 | 16% |
| 4 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 120 | 11% |
| 5 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 552 | 10% |
| 6 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 354 | 10% |
| 7 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 313 | 10% |
| 8 | Delaware | 961,939 | 101 | 10% |
| 9 | Vermont | 623,657 | 65 | 10% |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 1,125 | 9% |
| 11 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 174 | 9% |
| 12 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 116 | 9% |
| 13 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 98 | 9% |
| 14 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 501 | 8% |
| 15 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 104 | 8% |
| 16 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 66 | 8% |
| 17 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 58 | 8% |
| 18 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 49 | 8% |
| 19 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 741 | 7% |
| 20 | Hawaii | 1,427,538 | 105 | 7% |
Most common cities for residential specialists
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hilo | 2 | 5% | $39,207 |
| 2 | Cranberry | 1 | 4% | $33,093 |
| 3 | Bangor | 1 | 3% | $33,962 |
| 4 | Gainesville | 3 | 2% | $31,967 |
| 5 | Hartford | 2 | 2% | $33,125 |
| 6 | Waterbury | 2 | 2% | $33,264 |
| 7 | Alpharetta | 1 | 2% | $29,415 |
| 8 | Columbia | 2 | 1% | $26,410 |
| 9 | Tampa | 2 | 1% | $32,011 |
| 10 | Cherry Hill | 1 | 1% | $34,379 |
| 11 | Atlanta | 1 | 0% | $29,437 |
| 12 | Charlotte | 1 | 0% | $36,684 |
| 13 | Durham | 1 | 0% | $36,854 |
| 14 | Milwaukee | 1 | 0% | $31,979 |
Residential Specialist job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of residential specialist experts
University of Arkansas at Little Rock
North Dakota State University
Brown University
Assumption University
Ohio Wesleyan University
University of the Incarnate Word
Kent State University
East Tennessee State University
University of Oregon
Miami Dade College
Rowan University
North Carolina Central University
American Public University System
Forsyth County, Georgia
Dr. Raymond Ortega Ph.D.
Associate ProfessorUniversity of Arkansas at Little Rock
Rehabilitation Counseling Program
What skills will help Residential Specialists earn the most?
Dr. Raymond Ortega Ph.D.: Specialization in Life Care Planning, Psychiatric Rehabilitation, or Worker's Compensation.
Joel Hektner Ph.D.
Professor and Department HeadNorth Dakota State University
Human Development and Family Science
What skills will help Residential Specialists earn the most?
Joel Hektner Ph.D.: The ability to adapt your skills to the context you are in.
What soft skills should all Residential Specialists possess?
Joel Hektner Ph.D.: Interpersonal skills, communication, ability to work collaboratively. Respect for individual and cultural differences.
J. Brian Atwood
Visiting Scholar in International and Public AffairsBrown University
International and Public Affairs
What skills stand out on Residential Specialist resumes?
J. Brian Atwood: A good policy analyst uses empirical data and understands how to utilize modern software systems to summarize and compare data sets. An analyst would be familiar with cultural and historical factors that influence the actors in a diplomatic setting in international relations. Language skills are essential in understanding the nuances of the protagonists' positions in a conflict situation. Objective analysis will lead to the capacity to make strong judgments.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Residential Specialists?
J. Brian Atwood: In this day and age, computer software programs and language skills are most important.
Susan Scully-Hill Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Human Services and Rehabilitation Studies and Director of the School Counseling program at Assumption UniversityAssumption University
Department of Human Services and Rehabilitation Studies
What's a good job out of college for Residential Specialists?
Susan Scully-Hill Ph.D.: Most of our students who graduate from a master's degree program in school counseling or school adjustment counseling are seeking a position as a school counselor or school adjustment counselor. Therefore, these are excellent positions for graduates to acquire. However, if students are not able to be hired in a counselor position, other student support positions, such as those mentioned above, are great ways for graduates to get into a school system. Once in a school system they will have an opportunity to move into a counselor position when an opening occurs.
What experience really stands out on Residential Specialist resumes?
Dr. Andrew Busch: For students looking to get into graduate school and those looking to get hired within the field of Exercise Science (Physiology, Kinesiology, Athletic Training, Physical Therapy, Strength Coaching) the more hands-on experiences one can be exposed to, the better equipped they will be to hit the ground running. I know of many different four-year institutions that hand out degrees in this field where the students never actually work with a real person. Everything is a theory or textbook-based approach, and while those things are certainly important, if a student is never asked to actually apply those concepts, and asked to respond to the issues/questions that arise when those concepts don't always work like advertised in the textbook, they are missing out on the big picture of what a degree should be giving them. If practical experiences are not part of a given academic program, then students should seek out these experiences, because that is what they will be asked about in their interview process with employers. What have you done? Why are you interested in this field? What differences can you make? They are never asked what score they got on their midterm or final exam.
Dr. Maria Felix-Ortiz Ph.D.
Professor of Psychology and ChairUniversity of the Incarnate Word
Department of Psychology
What experience really stands out on Residential Specialist resumes?
Dr. Maria Felix-Ortiz Ph.D.: A good cover letter! Unfortunately, many applicants forget the importance of submitting a cover letter for the resume and HR usually skims a cover letter to see if the applicant's skills match the skills described in the job advertisement. Use the language of the job description to describe skills you may bring to the work! Beyond this, applicants can impress those hiring with an internship or research assistantship where the student has worked for two or more semesters, with skills in a second language and culture OR being very "fluent" in technology, with a substantial study-abroad experience, and/or some sort of research product (e.g., a poster, a paper accepted to a journal).
What skills stand out on Residential Specialist resumes?
Dr. Andrew Wiley Ph.D.: Graduates from the special education program at Kent State demonstrate adaptive expertise. The "expertise" is in specially designed instruction and interventions in academics, life skills, social skills, communication - whatever the special educational needs of students with disabilities may be. The "adaptive" refers to the ability to collaborate with other professionals to solve problems. What stands out on resumes is expert training in both research-based special education practices and the ability to function within a team. Kent State's special education program provides both.
Jamie Brown Ph.D.
ProfessorEast Tennessee State University
Department of Counseling and Human Services
What experience really stands out on Residential Specialist resumes?
Jamie Brown Ph.D.: Community involvement and activism can set a potential candidate apart from other applicants.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Residential Specialist job market given the pandemic?
Dr. Julie Alonzo Ph.D.: With so much uncertainty about the future, many school districts and institutes of higher education imposed hiring freezes in the spring of 2020 and started the 2020-2021 academic year without the influx of new hires that we would typically see at the start of a new school year. The approval of vaccines with demonstrated efficacy against COVID-19 should, hopefully, prompt a return to a more normal job market in the coming spring. The job market will likely be quite competitive, with new graduates vying for open positions with those who were not offered positions in education last spring.
Given the challenges that schools have faced during the pandemic, I believe we will see an increasing need for culturally-competent, highly-skilled educators who can think critically and allocate limited resources creatively. Schools across the country are likely to struggle with budget shortfalls, as high unemployment rates reduce states' tax bases and as other high-priority needs compete for the limited money available. Thus, finding jobs might be more challenging than in the past.
In terms of the skills that will be needed to be competitive in the job market, the pandemic and resulting move to remote instruction for many in education will increase the demand for educators with expertise in developing literacy and numeracy, particularly in the early grades (K-5). Those with an understanding of how to use student performance data to screen for students at risk, to identify their areas of need, to provide instructional supports to meet those needs, and to monitor the progress being made so that instruction can be adjusted on a regular basis will be in high demand.
In addition, disparities in access to educational technology and the resulting disproportionality in "learning loss" as a result of the move to remote instruction for students from different demographic backgrounds will increase the demand for educators who have experience working with students from low-income families and those experiencing homelessness, as well as demand for educators who have demonstrated their ability to work effectively with students from different ethnicities.
With the continued focus on increasing the diversity of the educator workforce to better match demographics in the United States, Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and Southeast Asian educators will continue to be in high demand.
Dr. Thomas Uhle
Teacher Education ProgramMiami Dade College
School of Education
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Residential Specialists to find work opportunities?
Dr. Thomas Uhle: Especially due to the pandemic, there is a teacher shortage in many areas of the country. Work opportunities are available for qualified graduates. At Miami Dade College, we work very closely with Miami Dade County Public Schools to ensure that our graduates are able to secure a position upon graduation. Larger cities tend to have larger school districts and therefore a wider range of positions available. Having a background in Exceptional Student Education should increase the likelihood of finding a job no matter where the graduate wants to go.
Dr. Kate Seltzer Ph.D.
Assistant ProfessorRowan University
Department of Language, Literacy and Sociocultural education
How would you rate the starting salaries for Residential Specialists, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Dr. Kate Seltzer Ph.D.: 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.
Elisha Blankson
Program Director NCCU, Assistant ProfessorNorth Carolina Central University
Communication Disorders Department
What type of skills will young Residential Specialists need?
Elisha Blankson: Graduates will need a skill set about the field in which they received training and additional skills useful to the job market. For example, with the changing demographics in the United States, extra skills in information technology and foreign languages will be a plus when entering the job market.
Dr. Elizabeth Keavney Ph.D.
Associate ProfessorAmerican Public University System
Public Administration Department
How do you envision technology impacting Residential Specialists in the next 5 years?
Dr. Elizabeth Keavney Ph.D.: COVID-19 has increased the number of people who are working at home. This means a solid basic knowledge of telecommuting, and the ability to work unsupervised will be necessary. The ability to use remote security protocols, the cloud, and various software platforms will be required.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Residential Specialists to find work opportunities?
Donna Kukarola: This one, not so sure of, the southeast continues to see options as well as mid-western states.