Rehabilitation Counselors Career, Salary and Skills
Rehabilitation Counselors have a BLS-reported national median annual wage of $46,850 based on the 2025 OEWS dataset, with reported national employment of 94,740. Wage data is published for 333 locations.
Occupation description
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.
O*NET code
21-1015.00
Job zone
5
Typical education
Not recorded
Experience
Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years
National salary and employment
Median annual
$46,850
Hourly median
$22.52
Employment
94,740
Data year
2025
National salary distribution
Top skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Social Perceptiveness | 4.12 | 5.00 |
| Speaking | 4.12 | 4.12 |
| Monitoring | 4.12 | 4.12 |
| Active Listening | 4.12 | 4.25 |
| Coordination | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| Service Orientation | 4.00 | 4.12 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.88 | 4.00 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.88 | 4.12 |
| Writing | 3.50 | 4.00 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.50 | 3.62 |
Typical 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.
- Participate in job development and placement programs, contacting prospective employers, placing clients in jobs, and evaluating the success of placements.
Technology
- Adobe Acrobat Reader
- Budgeting software
- Chart Links
- Client information database software
- Data input software
- Electronic medical record EMR software
- Email software
- Encryption software
- Fanatic Software Informant
- Global positioning system GPS software
- Microsoft ActiveSync
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Internet Explorer
- Microsoft Mobile Explorer MME
Rehabilitation Counselors salary by location
Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.
- Rehabilitation Counselors Salary in CAMedian $44,480 · Employment 13,690
- Rehabilitation Counselors Salary in MAMedian $47,320 · Employment 5,760
- Rehabilitation Counselors Salary in WAMedian $58,050 · Employment 5,440
- Rehabilitation Counselors Salary in Los Angeles, CAMedian $43,480 · Employment 4,980
- Rehabilitation Counselors Salary in ILMedian $49,350 · Employment 4,140
- Rehabilitation Counselors Salary in PAMedian $48,650 · Employment 4,130
- Rehabilitation Counselors Salary in NCMedian $45,890 · Employment 3,820
- Rehabilitation Counselors Salary in NYMedian $47,960 · Employment 3,810
- Rehabilitation Counselors Salary in OHMedian $42,620 · Employment 3,690
- Rehabilitation Counselors Salary in Boston, MAMedian $47,440 · Employment 3,430
- Rehabilitation Counselors Salary in MIMedian $44,580 · Employment 3,340
- Rehabilitation Counselors Salary in MDMedian $40,860 · Employment 3,300
Related careers
- Physical Therapist AidesNational median $35,240
- Low Vision Therapists, Orientation and Mobility Specialists, and Vision Rehabilitation TherapistsNational median $100,330
- Psychiatric AidesNational median $44,910
- Health Education SpecialistsNational median $64,070
- Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder CounselorsNational median not published
- Community Health WorkersNational median $51,850
- Occupational Therapy AssistantsNational median $72,300
- Social and Human Service AssistantsNational median $45,930
Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0 (onetcenter.org). Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, 2025 (bls.gov/oes). Figures are published survey estimates, not real-time market data.