How much should I pay a residential advisors in 2026?

A competitive 2026 offer for Residential Advisors is $42,245 to $49,920 (market median to the 75th percentile). BLS ECI shows retail trade wages growing about 3.4% a year, so budget a similar annual increase to stay at market.

Is a salary competitive for a residential advisors?

Compare it to the BLS OEWS range: below $35,506 is below market, $42,245 to $49,920 is competitive, and above $49,920 is above market for Residential Advisors.

How is residential advisors pay changing in 2026?

Median pay for this role rose 7.8% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, outpacing the 3.4% wage growth of Retail Trade (BLS ECI). Retail Trade is running a 4.8% job-openings rate with quits at 3.0% (BLS JOLTS). Demand has tightened for 2 straight months (4.2% up to 4.8%).

Residential Advisors Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks

SOC 39-9041 · National · May 2025 OEWS Data

Median Annual Salary

$42,245

$20.31/hr

Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026

Is this a competitive Residential Advisors salary in 2026?

Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS June 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q2 2026 wage growth.

Check a salary or offer:$Competitive · ~P50

P10$30K

P25$36K

P50$42K

P75$50K

P90$61K

Drag the dot or type an amount above.

⚡

Demand: ACTIVE. Demand is active -- retail openings are at 4.8% (JOLTS, June 2026). A balanced market where the median is a solid, competitive anchor.

📈

Merit budget: Wages in retail trade are rising about 3.4% a year (BLS ECI, Q2 2026). Budget a 3.0-3.5% merit increase to hold this role at market.

Our read

For a competitive 2026 offer, target $42,245 to $49,920 (market median to the 75th percentile). The median-to-P75 range keeps offers competitive.

Figures are market benchmarks from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; apply professional judgment before making pay decisions.

How Residential Advisors pay is moving in 2026

Trend, demand, and spread context from BLS OEWS, JOLTS, and ECI

Pay trend

Median pay for this role rose 7.8% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, outpacing the 3.4% wage growth of Retail Trade (BLS ECI).

Hiring demand · MODERATE

Retail Trade is running a 4.8% job-openings rate with quits at 3.0% (BLS JOLTS). Demand has tightened for 2 straight months (4.2% up to 4.8%).

Pay spread

Top earners (P90) make about 2.0 times what entry-level (P10) workers make in this role. That spread is in the typical range for U.S. occupations; standard 80% to 120% pay bands around the median work well.

What changed recently

Aug 4, 2026JOLTS June 2026: sector openings climbed to 4.8% and quits returned to 3.0%. Frontline churn pressure is building again.
Jul 31, 2026ECI Q2 2026: sector wages growing 3.4% per year, up from 3.1%, one of the few sectors accelerating.

Commentary is generated from published BLS figures (OEWS May 2025 vs May 2024, JOLTS June 2026, ECI Q2 2026) and refreshed each release. It is interpretation, not a BLS product.

Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026

Next refresh: May 2027

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The national median salary for Residential Advisors is $42,245 per year ($20.31/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $35,506 and $49,920 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $61,069 per year. There are approximately 84,760 residential advisors employed in the United States.

About This Role

BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018

Coordinate activities in resident facilities in secondary school and college dormitories, group homes, or similar establishments. Order supplies and determine need for maintenance, repairs, and furnishings. May maintain household records and assign rooms. May assist residents with problem solving or refer them to counseling resources.

Career Outlook

BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034

10-year growth

+3.8%

About as fast as average

Annual openings

17K

per year, on avg

Workforce today

91K

as of 2024

Why those openings exist

2% from new growth98% from people leaving the role

Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.

Typical entry requirements

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Experience

None

On-the-job training

Short-term on-the-job training

Industry Wage Breakdown

Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific

Industry	Workforce	Median Pay
Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Facilities NAICS 623200	20K	$44,480
Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services NAICS 624200	12K	$39,520
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools NAICS 611300	11K	$41,480
Individual and Family Services NAICS 624100	8K	$39,990
Other Residential Care Facilities NAICS 623900	8K	$40,100

Wage range across top 5 industries: $39,520 to $44,480 (13% spread)

Wage Percentiles

Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)

Percentile	Hourly Rate	Annual Salary
P10	$14.36	$29,869
P25	$17.07	$35,506
P50MEDIAN	$20.31	$42,245
P75	$24.00	$49,920
P90	$29.36	$61,069

Market Context Signal

JOLTS · retail sector

Active

Openings Rate

4.8%

Quits Rate

3.0%

Retail openings rose to 774K (+49K) in June, rate up to 4.8%. Frontline turnover picked back up with the quit rate at 3.0% -- expect continued churn-driven wage pressure in hourly roles.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average residential advisors salary?

The national median salary for Residential Advisors is $42,245 per year ($20.31/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $35,506 and $49,920 annually.

How much do top-earning residential advisors make?

The 90th percentile salary for Residential Advisors is $61,069 per year ($29.36/hr). The 75th percentile is $49,920 per year.

What is the entry-level salary for residential advisors?

Entry-level Residential Advisors (10th percentile) earn approximately $29,869 per year ($14.36/hr). The 25th percentile is $35,506 per year.

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Residential Advisors Salary by State

Top 5 states by employment

California8,120 workers New York6,150 workers Massachusetts5,120 workers Pennsylvania4,380 workers Texas3,630 workers

About This Data

Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.

P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.

Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.

Next OEWS release: May 2027Verify on BLS.gov →

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