Rehabilitation Counselors

Pay and outlook

Median annual wage, May 2025

$46,850

Half earn more, half earn less

Middle half earn

$38,770 – $59,260

25th to 75th percentile

People employed, May 2025

94,740

Wage and salary jobs (OEWS)

Projected change, 2025–35

+2.2%

Growing slower than all jobs (0% to under 3.5%)

Openings a year (projected)

8,200

New jobs plus replacing people who leave

Typical education to enter

Master's degree

BLS

• All figures are for the United States as a whole. Pay varies a lot by state and city.
• Wages are for everyone working in the occupation in May 2025, at every career stage. They are not starting salaries or figures for new graduates.
• Growth and openings are BLS projections for 2025–35. They are estimates, not promises. Openings include jobs that open up when people retire or change occupation, not just new jobs.

What the work involves

Counsel individuals to maximize the independence and employability of persons coping with personal, social, and vocational difficulties that result from birth defects, illness, disease, accidents, aging, or the stress of daily life. Coordinate activities for residents of care and treatment facilities. Assess client needs and design and implement rehabilitation programs that may include personal and vocational counseling, training, and job placement.

Main tasks

• Develop rehabilitation plans that fit clients' aptitudes, education levels, physical abilities, and career goals.
• Confer with clients to discuss their options and goals so that rehabilitation programs and plans for accessing needed services can be developed.
• Prepare and maintain records and case files, including documentation, such as clients' personal and eligibility information, services provided, narratives of client contacts, or relevant correspondence.
• Locate barriers to client employment, such as inaccessible work sites, inflexible schedules, or transportation problems, and work with clients to develop strategies for overcoming these barriers.
• Analyze information from interviews, educational and medical records, consultation with other professionals, and diagnostic evaluations to assess clients' abilities, needs, and eligibility for services.
• Monitor and record clients' progress to ensure that goals and objectives are met.
• Develop and maintain relationships with community referral sources, such as schools or community groups.
• Maintain close contact with clients during job training and placements to resolve problems and evaluate placement adequacy.

Description and tasks from the O*NET® 31.0 Database.

Getting in

Typical education to enter (BLS)

Master's degree

O*NET Job Zone 5

Extensive preparation

Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).

Fields of study that lead here

From the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk, which links 3 programmes to this occupation. A link means the programme prepares people for this kind of work. It doesn't mean the programme is required, or that it's the only route.

Related careers

Related occupations from the O*NET database, in its order.

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• Child, Family, and School Social Workers

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• Occupational Therapy Aides

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• Psychiatric Technicians

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