# Residential Advisors

US SOC code 39-9041. Markdown version of https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/39-9041

Also called: Resident advisor, RA, Resident assistant, Hall director, Residence director.

## In brief

In May 2025, [BLS](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) counted **84,760** US residential advisors, with median pay of **$42,240** a year. Of the BLS counts since 2003, the highest was **110,720**, in May 2017. The earliest figure here is [an estimate](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Association_of_College_and_University_Housing_Officers-International) of **5,000** from 1949, not measured the same way as today's count. The last full technology era for residential advisors: Residential life platforms + student success analytics, 2014 to 2023. Platform adoption correlated with increased professionalization of the RA position but did not reduce RA headcounts at most institutions.

## What the sources say

### Official outlook

BLS projects employment to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035. Source: [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=39-9041&ioType=o).

### AI exposure studies

- **28%** of this job's tasks are exposed to large language models. Not a forecast of job losses. [Eloundou and others, 2023](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv)

Data as of BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35. BLS publishes these counts as yearly survey snapshots and cautions against reading them as a precise trend. In May 2021 BLS changed how it estimates these counts (a model-based method using three years of survey data) and moved fully to the 2018 occupation codes, so part of a change across 2021 can come from the method rather than the work.

## Residential Advisors employment and pay by year

- On record since: 1760
- Latest US employment: 84,760 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [3]
- Latest US median pay: $42,240 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [4]
- Outlook: +3.5% by 2035. Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025-35 [14]

### All 25 years of cited US data

| Year | US employment | Annual pay (median unless marked) | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1949 | 5,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., ACUHO-I [1] |
| 1970 | 35,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., National WWII Museum [2] |
| 2003 | 49,650 | $20,930 | BLS OEWS May 2003 [3] |
| 2004 | 49,960 | $21,430 | BLS OEWS May 2004 [3] |
| 2005 | 50,490 | $21,850 | BLS OEWS May 2005 [3] |
| 2006 | 48,470 | $22,670 | BLS OEWS May 2006 [3] |
| 2007 | 51,630 | $23,050 | BLS OEWS May 2007 [3] |
| 2008 | 52,240 | $23,410 | BLS OEWS May 2008 [3] |
| 2009 | 57,280 | $24,160 | BLS OEWS May 2009 [3] |
| 2010 | 65,610 | $24,440 | BLS OEWS May 2010 [3] |
| 2011 | 76,450 | $24,540 | BLS OEWS May 2011 [3] |
| 2012 | 83,760 | $24,520 | BLS OEWS May 2012 [3] |
| 2013 | 88,220 | $24,520 | BLS OEWS May 2013 [3] |
| 2014 | 95,750 | $24,340 | BLS OEWS May 2014 [3] |
| 2015 | 102,540 | $24,990 | BLS OEWS May 2015 [3] |
| 2016 | 110,330 | $25,570 | BLS OEWS May 2016 [3] |
| 2017 | 110,720 | $26,830 | BLS OEWS May 2017 [3] |
| 2018 | 108,380 | $27,860 | BLS OEWS May 2018 [3] |
| 2019 | 107,930 | $29,450 | BLS OEWS May 2019 [3] |
| 2020 | 102,450 | $31,190 | BLS OEWS May 2020 [3] |
| 2021 | 92,500 | $31,220 | BLS OEWS May 2021 [3] |
| 2022 | 86,770 | $35,720 | BLS OEWS May 2022 [3] |
| 2023 | 88,700 | $37,950 | BLS OEWS May 2023 [3] |
| 2024 | 82,810 | $39,180 | BLS OEWS May 2024 [3] |
| 2025 | 84,760 | $42,240 | BLS OEWS May 2025 [3] |

## Sources (77)

### Employment series

1. [ACUHO-I — "The History of the Association of College and University Housing Officers-International" (founding 1951)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Association_of_College_and_University_Housing_Officers-International), ACUHO-I / Wikipedia
2. [National WWII Museum / EBSCO Research Starters — GI Bill and American Education (US college enrollment 1950-1970)](https://www.nationalww2museum.org/students-teachers/student-resources/research-starters/research-starters-gi-bill), National WWII Museum
3. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)

### Wage series

4. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)

### Tool eras

5. [St. John's University Law Review — "The Curious Life of In Loco Parentis at American Universities" (history of dormitory supervision doctrine)](https://scholarship.law.stjohns.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1614&context=faculty_publications), St. John's University School of Law
6. [Ohio University — "Making OHIO Home: The History of Housing and Residence Life from the 1800s to the Present" (Student Resident Counselors program, 1950)](https://www.ohio.edu/news/2019/02/making-ohio-home-history-housing-and-residence-life-1800s-present), Ohio University
7. [ACUHO-I — Association of College and University Housing Officers-International (founded 1951, professionalization of residential life)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Association_of_College_and_University_Housing_Officers-International), Wikipedia / ACUHO-I
8. [StateUniversity.com — College and University Residence Halls (staffing structures and RA duty models)](https://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/1845/College-University-Residence-Halls.html), StateUniversity.com / Education Encyclopedia
9. [Roompact — "What Student Conduct Software Solutions Are Most Commonly Used?" (Maxient background, 2021)](https://www.roompact.com/2021/06/what-student-conduct-software-solutions-are-the-most-commonly-used-by-roomapct-campuses/), Roompact
10. [Roompact — "In 2025: More New Software Features Than Ever Before" (Roompact platform history and adoption)](https://www.roompact.com/2025/12/roompact-in-2025-more-new-software-features-than-ever-before/), Roompact
11. [EAB Navigate — Student Success Platform (early-alert and academic risk flagging for residential staff)](https://eab.com/solutions/navigate360/), EAB
12. [EliseAI — AI for Student Housing (automated resident inquiry handling)](https://eliseai.com/asset/student), EliseAI
13. [Spaces4Learning — "Can AI Help Build Stronger Communities in Student Housing?" (May 2026)](https://spaces4learning.com/articles/2026/05/14/ai-stronger-communities-student-housing.aspx), Spaces4Learning

### Forecasts and exposure studies

14. [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35, National Employment Matrix: 39-9041 Residential advisors (2025: 94.1 thousand; 2035: 97.4 thousand; +3.5%)](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=39-9041&ioType=o), Bureau of Labor Statistics
15. [Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin & Rock (2023), "GPTs are GPTs", occupation-level exposure data occ\_level.csv (O\*NET-SOC 39-9041.00, human-rated β 0.28)](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv), OpenAI

### Historical notes

16. [St. John's University Law Review — "The Curious Life of In Loco Parentis at American Universities"](https://scholarship.law.stjohns.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1614&context=faculty_publications), St. John's University School of Law
17. [National WWII Museum — Research Starters: The GI Bill (enrollment impact, 8 million veterans enrolled)](https://www.nationalww2museum.org/students-teachers/student-resources/research-starters/research-starters-gi-bill), National WWII Museum
18. [Ohio University — "Making OHIO Home: The History of Housing and Residence Life from the 1800s to the Present"](https://www.ohio.edu/news/2019/02/making-ohio-home-history-housing-and-residence-life-1800s-present), Ohio University
19. [Wikipedia — Association of College and University Housing Officers-International (founding 1951)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Association_of_College_and_University_Housing_Officers-International), Wikipedia / ACUHO-I
20. [SUNY System — "The Legacy of Dixon v. Alabama" (2020, 59th anniversary)](https://system.suny.edu/sci/news/2-21-20-legacy-of-dixon-v-alabama/index.html), State University of New York
21. [Higher Education Today — "Leveraging AI to Support Student Mental Health" (2024, citing ACHA National College Health Assessment trends)](https://www.higheredtoday.org/2024/10/16/ai-student-mental-health/), American Association of State Colleges and Universities
22. [Wikipedia — Resident assistant (unionization activity at Columbia, Barnard, Tufts, UPenn)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resident_assistant), Wikipedia

### Predecessors & successors

23. [St. John's University Law Review — "The Curious Life of In Loco Parentis at American Universities" (faculty dormitory supervision lineage)](https://scholarship.law.stjohns.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1614&context=faculty_publications), St. John's University School of Law
24. [Ohio University — "Making OHIO Home: History of Housing and Residence Life" (housemother to resident counselor transition)](https://www.ohio.edu/news/2019/02/making-ohio-home-history-housing-and-residence-life-1800s-present), Ohio University

### Present-day analysis

- [O\*NET 30.3 — Residential Advisors (39-9041.00)](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/39-9041.00), accessed 2026-06-05
- [Eloundou et al. 2024 — GPTs are GPTs (Science)](https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130), accessed 2026-06-05
- [Goldman Sachs — The Jobs AI Is Likely to Boost and Those It May Disrupt (2024)](https://www.goldmansachs.com/insights/articles/the-jobs-ai-is-likely-to-boost-and-those-it-may-disrupt), accessed 2026-06-05
- [Spaces4Learning — Can AI Help Build Stronger Communities in Student Housing? (May 2026)](https://spaces4learning.com/articles/2026/05/14/ai-stronger-communities-student-housing.aspx), accessed 2026-06-05
- [Global Student Living — The AI Debate in Student Accommodation (2025)](https://gslglobal.com/2025/08/03/the-ai-debate-in-student-accommodation/), accessed 2026-06-05
- [EliseAI — AI for Student Housing](https://eliseai.com/asset/student), accessed 2026-06-05
- [STAN AI — Student Housing Chatbot](https://www.stan.ai/sector/student-housing), accessed 2026-06-05
- [Roompact — In 2025: More New Software Features Than Ever Before](https://www.roompact.com/2025/12/roompact-in-2025-more-new-software-features-than-ever-before/), accessed 2026-06-05
- [Roompact — What Student Conduct Software Solutions Are Most Commonly Used (2021)](https://www.roompact.com/2021/06/what-student-conduct-software-solutions-are-the-most-commonly-used-by-roomapct-campuses/), accessed 2026-06-05

How to read these figures: https://futurehistory.earth/methodology. Every figure links to its own source; gaps stay gaps.