Residential Advisors Salary
Residential Advisors in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD make a median of $45,400 a year, or about $21.83 an hour. The range runs from $32K at the entry level to $63K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 104.49), that's roughly $43,449 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,857/month, about 59.2% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $45K actually covers in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Baltimore-Columbia-Towson’s Regional Price Parity (104.49). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About residential advisors
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What this looks like in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson
Residential advisors pay in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson tracks closely to the national median, $45K locally vs. $42K nationwide, a 7% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,857/month, which is 61% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 104.49) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for residential advisors in metros near Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Hagerstown-Martinsburg | $42K | $44K |
| Salisbury | $42K | $44K |
| Williamsport | $40K | $43K |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria | $47K | $43K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD
Entry-level residential advisors (10th percentile) start around $32K. Mid-career wages sit at $45K. Top earners bring in $63K or more, a $31K spread from bottom to top.
Residential Advisors pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Residential Advisors salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Hampshire | $49K | +16% | 420 |
| Minnesota | $49K | +15% | 3,410 |
| Washington | $49K | +15% | 1,810 |
| North Dakota | $49K | +15% | 260 |
| New York | $48K | +15% | 6,150 |
| Massachusetts | $48K | +14% | 5,120 |
| Montana | $47K | +12% | 350 |
| Oregon | $47K | +12% | 840 |
| Maryland | $47K | +11% | 2,640 |
| California | $47K | +10% | 8,120 |
| Alaska | $46K | +9% | 380 |
| Nebraska | $46K | +9% | 230 |
| Rhode Island | $45K | +7% | 460 |
| Colorado | $45K | +6% | 760 |
| Vermont | $45K | +6% | 170 |
| Illinois | $44K | +4% | 2,720 |
| New Jersey | $44K | +4% | 1,630 |
| Maine | $44K | +4% | 640 |
| Connecticut | $44K | +3% | 1,250 |
| Virginia | $43K | +2% | 2,950 |
| Wisconsin | $42K | -1% | 1,190 |
| Arizona | $41K | -2% | 1,260 |
| Florida | $41K | -4% | 1,610 |
| Pennsylvania | $40K | -5% | 4,380 |
| Michigan | $40K | -6% | 1,770 |
| Georgia | $39K | -7% | 2,460 |
| Utah | $39K | -7% | 990 |
| North Carolina | $39K | -7% | 2,840 |
| Indiana | $39K | -8% | 1,360 |
| Nevada | $39K | -8% | 190 |
| Ohio | $39K | -9% | 3,070 |
| District of Columbia | $38K | -9% | 670 |
| South Dakota | $38K | -9% | 1,780 |
| Arkansas | $38K | -9% | 910 |
| Kansas | $38K | -11% | 510 |
| Texas | $38K | -11% | 3,630 |
| New Mexico | $38K | -11% | 590 |
| Idaho | $37K | -12% | 400 |
| Hawaii | $37K | -13% | 640 |
| Iowa | $37K | -13% | 780 |
| Missouri | $37K | -14% | 1,380 |
| South Carolina | $36K | -15% | 1,580 |
| Oklahoma | $35K | -16% | 1,060 |
| Tennessee | $35K | -18% | 2,360 |
| Delaware | $35K | -18% | 350 |
| Wyoming | $35K | -18% | N/A |
| Louisiana | $34K | -20% | 420 |
| West Virginia | $32K | -25% | 1,180 |
| Mississippi | $31K | -27% | 660 |
| Kentucky | $30K | -28% | 1,580 |
| Alabama | $28K | -35% | 2,570 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a residential advisor afford a 2BR apartment alone in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $45K, rent takes 61% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,857/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for residential advisors in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new residential advisors typically earn — is $32K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,217/month. At HUD’s $1,857/month FMR, rent would take 84% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is residential advisor a high-paying job in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $45K locally vs. $42K nationally, a 7% difference.
How does Baltimore-Columbia-Towson compare to the national average for residential advisors?
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson pays $45K median vs. the U.S. average of $42K — that’s +7%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 104.49), the purchasing-power equivalent is $43K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do residential advisors make in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD?
The median is $45,400 a year, that works out to about $22 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $32,260, and experienced residential advisors can clear $62,930. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $45K enough to live in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,045/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,857/month, which eats 61% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a residential advisors salary go in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson?
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson has a Regional Price Parity of 104.49 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median residential advisors salary is worth about $43,449 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do residential advisors get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.