Residential Advisors Salary
Residential Advisors in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY make a median of $44,300 a year, or about $21.3 an hour. The range runs from $36K at the entry level to $64K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 95.84), that's roughly $46,223 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,343/month, about 43.9% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $44K get you in Buffalo-Cheektowaga?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Buffalo-Cheektowaga’s Regional Price Parity (95.84). 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 Buffalo-Cheektowaga
Residential advisors pay in Buffalo-Cheektowaga tracks closely to the national median, $44K locally vs. $42K nationwide, a 5% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,343/month, which is 45% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 95.84) 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 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | $48K | $42K |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy | $49K | $49K |
| Rochester | $44K | $46K |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh | $47K | $43K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY
Entry-level residential advisors (10th percentile) start around $36K. Mid-career wages sit at $44K. Top earners bring in $64K or more, a $28K 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)
Track residential advisors salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Buffalo-Cheektowaga numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a residential advisor afford a 2BR apartment alone in Buffalo-Cheektowaga?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $44K, rent takes 45% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,343/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 Buffalo-Cheektowaga?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new residential advisors typically earn — is $36K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,155/month. At HUD’s $1,343/month FMR, rent would take 62% 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 Buffalo-Cheektowaga?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $44K locally vs. $42K nationally, a 5% difference.
How does Buffalo-Cheektowaga compare to the national average for residential advisors?
Buffalo-Cheektowaga pays $44K median vs. the U.S. average of $42K — that’s +5%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 95.84), the purchasing-power equivalent is $46K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do residential advisors make in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY?
The median is $44,300 a year, that works out to about $21 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $35,910, and experienced residential advisors can clear $64,370. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $44K enough to live in Buffalo-Cheektowaga?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,983/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,343/month, which eats 45% 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 Buffalo-Cheektowaga?
Buffalo-Cheektowaga has a Regional Price Parity of 95.84 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median residential advisors salary is worth about $46,223 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.