Residential Advisors Salary
Residential Advisors in Pennsylvania make a median of $40,010 a year, or about $19.24 an hour. The range runs from $29K at the entry level to $58K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.97), which stretches that salary to about $42,129 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,351/month, about 48.6% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Pennsylvania. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $40K get you in Pennsylvania?
About residential advisors
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What this looks like in Pennsylvania
Residential advisors pay in Pennsylvania tracks closely to the national median, $40K locally vs. $42K nationwide, a 5% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,351/month, which is 49.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 94.97 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 5% 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, Pennsylvania
Entry-level residential advisors (10th percentile) start around $29K. Mid-career wages sit at $40K. Top earners bring in $58K or more, a $30K spread from bottom to top.
Residential Advisors salary by metro in Pennsylvania
14 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lebanon | $47K | +17% | 40 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton | $45K | +12% | 250 |
| Lancaster | $43K | +7% | 140 |
| Reading | $42K | +5% | 170 |
| York-Hanover | $41K | +3% | 100 |
| Johnstown | $40K | +0% | 90 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $40K | -0% | 1,820 |
| Williamsport | $40K | -0% | N/A |
| Pittsburgh | $40K | -1% | 870 |
| Scranton--Wilkes-Barre | $39K | -1% | 240 |
| Chambersburg | $38K | -5% | 50 |
| Erie | $37K | -7% | 150 |
| Harrisburg-Carlisle | $36K | -10% | 250 |
| Altoona | $34K | -15% | 30 |
Showing 1–10 of 14 metros
Compare to other states
Track residential advisors salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Pennsylvania numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a residential advisor afford a 2BR apartment alone in Pennsylvania?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $40K, rent takes 49.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,351/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 Pennsylvania?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new residential advisors typically earn — is $29K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,715/month. At HUD’s $1,351/month FMR, rent would take 79% 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 Pennsylvania?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $40K locally vs. $42K nationally, a 5% difference.
How does Pennsylvania compare to the national average for residential advisors?
Pennsylvania pays $40K median vs. the U.S. average of $42K — that’s -5%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.97), the purchasing-power equivalent is $42K — below the national median.
How much do residential advisors make in Pennsylvania?
The median is $40,010 a year, that works out to about $19 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $28,580, and experienced residential advisors can clear $58,330. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $40K enough to live in Pennsylvania?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,747/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,351/month, which eats 49.2% 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 Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania has a Regional Price Parity of 94.97 (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 $42,129 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.