Residential Advisor Job Outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of residential advisors to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035 (about 3,300 more jobs), with about 16,500 openings a year, and the May 2025 median pay of $42,240 a year ranks 703rd of 825 occupations.
- Projected change
- +3.5%
- Openings a year
- 16,500
- Median pay
- $42,240
- Pay rank
- 703rd of 825
Is employment of residential advisors growing or shrinking?
Growing: BLS projects employment of residential advisors to rise 3.5% (about 3,300 more jobs) from 2025 to 2035, about the same as the 3.5% projected across all occupations. That is slower than the +4.4% summed from BLS's employment levels across the 32 personal care and service occupations with a projection. That change ranks 357th of 830 projected occupations.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Employment, 2025 | 94,100 |
| Employment, 2035 | 97,400 |
| Projected change | +3.5% |
| Openings a year | 16,500 |
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035. A projection is a BLS estimate, not a count. The 94,100 jobs here differ from the 84,760 on the salary page because Employment Projections also counts the self-employed and a wider set of workers, while OEWS counts wage and salary jobs in May 2025. BLS published these projections on August 27, 2026; checked November 10, 2026. Confirm any figure in the BLS Employment Projections tables.
BLS's reasons for this projection are at the Occupational Outlook Handbook. State projections are at Projections Central; projections by industry are left to BLS. Education, licensing and work context at O*NET.
How many job openings are there each year?
About 16,500 openings a year, from job growth and from workers leaving the occupation, the 189th most of 830 occupations. About 98% of them replace workers who change occupations or leave the labor force; the rest come from the 330 jobs added in an average year.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
How does pay for residential advisors rank?
The median of $42,240 a year ranks 703rd of 825 occupations with a published median. It sits in the upper half of occupations on openings and the lower half on pay.
Source: BLS OEWS national file, May 2025. Wage and salary jobs only; the self-employed are not counted. OEWS pay excludes overtime, shift differentials and non-production bonuses. Ranks count only the occupations with that published figure: 830 for projected change, 830 for openings, 825 for median pay, which is why the totals differ.
What does it take to start?
- Typical entry-level education: high school diploma or equivalent.
- Typical on-the-job training: short-term on-the-job training.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, education and training assignments.
How do related jobs compare on outlook?
| Occupation | Change | Openings a year | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-Line Supervisors of Personal Service Workers | +6.3% | 12,000 | $48,590 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Entertainment and Recreation Workers, Except Gambling Services | +5.3% | 10,600 | $48,560 |
| Recreation Workers | +4.3% | 67,000 | $36,560 |
| Social and Community Service Managers | +7.2% | 18,500 | $80,390 |
| Rehabilitation Counselors | +2.2% | 8,200 | $46,850 |
| Child, Family, and School Social Workers | +4.4% | 33,900 | $59,550 |
| Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors | +2.9% | 27,800 | $64,330 |
| Social and Human Service Assistants | +7.4% | 48,900 | $45,930 |
Related occupations from O*NET; projections from BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035; pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.