Residential Advisors Salary
Residential Advisors in Columbus, OH make a median of $41,930 a year, or about $20.16 an hour. The range runs from $31K at the entry level to $48K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 95.47), that's roughly $43,920 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,430/month, about 50% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $42K get you in Columbus?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Columbus’s Regional Price Parity (95.47). 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 Columbus
Residential advisors pay in Columbus tracks closely to the national median, $42K locally vs. $42K nationwide, a 1% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,430/month, which is 48.6% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 95.47) 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 Columbus, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Cleveland | $40K | $42K |
| Cincinnati | $40K | $42K |
| Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek | $37K | $40K |
| Toledo | $37K | $41K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Columbus, OH
Entry-level residential advisors (10th percentile) start around $31K. Mid-career wages sit at $42K. Top earners bring in $48K or more, a $16K 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
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Frequently asked questions
Can a residential advisor afford a 2BR apartment alone in Columbus?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $42K, rent takes 48.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,430/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 Columbus?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new residential advisors typically earn — is $31K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,876/month. At HUD’s $1,430/month FMR, rent would take 76% 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 Columbus?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $42K locally vs. $42K nationally, a 1% difference.
How does Columbus compare to the national average for residential advisors?
Columbus pays $42K median vs. the U.S. average of $42K — that’s -1%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 95.47), the purchasing-power equivalent is $44K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do residential advisors make in Columbus, OH?
The median is $41,930 a year, that works out to about $20 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $31,270, and experienced residential advisors can clear $47,600. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $42K enough to live in Columbus?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,940/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,430/month, which eats 48.6% 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 Columbus?
Columbus has a Regional Price Parity of 95.47 (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 $43,920 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.