The sources of work motivation for resident assistants have received little attention in the literature over the last decade. As the role grows more complex and more expectations are added to the RA position, determining what current factors motivate students to apply for the RA position is essential. This study presents quantitative research to determine the sources of RA work motivation; the study, which included 231 respondents from 46 different institutions in the Mid-Atlantic region, found that helping behavior was the most prominent factor for seeking the RA position. The desire to meet financial obligations and RA cohesiveness were also factors of prominence. There were no significant differences in motivational factors when comparing work environment characteristics (type of residential community, semesters in the RA position, class standing of population RA was serving, number of students the RA served on the floor/wing, and type of institution) or demographic characteristics (gender and race/ethnicity). In addition, there were no work environment or demographic characteristics that could predict high levels of motivation for current RAs. This finding can help housing professionals focus more clearly on developing a specific overall institutional recruitment strategy, as the research does not support using either supplemental recruitment strategies based on gender and race/ethnicity or specific work environment characteristics. Further, housing professionals can concentrate on recruitment strategies that emphasize RA helping behaviors and RA cohesiveness, in addition to financial compensation, as these factors were shown to be critical to the motivation of RAs.