Residential Advisors Salary
Residential Advisors in Indiana make a median of $38,850 a year, or about $18.68 an hour. The range runs from $28K at the entry level to $59K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.81), which stretches that salary to about $42,316 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,144/month, about 42.4% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Indiana. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $39K get you in Indiana?
About residential advisors
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What this looks like in Indiana
Residential advisors pay in Indiana tracks closely to the national median, $39K locally vs. $42K nationwide, a 8% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,144/month, which is 42.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.81 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 8% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Indiana
Entry-level residential advisors (10th percentile) start around $28K. Mid-career wages sit at $39K. Top earners bring in $59K or more, a $31K spread from bottom to top.
Residential Advisors salary by metro in Indiana
7 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bloomington | $57K | +47% | 40 |
| Lafayette-West Lafayette | $44K | +12% | 60 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood | $40K | +4% | 330 |
| South Bend-Mishawaka | $39K | +0% | 120 |
| Fort Wayne | $39K | -0% | 100 |
| Michigan City-La Porte | $31K | -21% | 30 |
| Evansville | $30K | -22% | 80 |
Compare to other states
Track residential advisors salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Indiana numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a residential advisor afford a 2BR apartment alone in Indiana?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $39K, rent takes 42.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,144/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for residential advisors in Indiana?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new residential advisors typically earn — is $28K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,666/month. At HUD’s $1,144/month FMR, rent would take 69% 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 Indiana?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $39K locally vs. $42K nationally, a 8% difference.
How does Indiana compare to the national average for residential advisors?
Indiana pays $39K median vs. the U.S. average of $42K — that’s -8%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.81), the purchasing-power equivalent is $42K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do residential advisors make in Indiana?
The median is $38,850 a year, that works out to about $19 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $27,760, and experienced residential advisors can clear $59,120. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $39K enough to live in Indiana?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,672/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,144/month, which eats 42.8% 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 Indiana?
Indiana has a Regional Price Parity of 91.81 (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 $42,316 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.