Rehabilitation Counselors: salary, outlook & degrees
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.
Middle half $38,770–$59,260. 94,740 jobs.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
68% hold a bachelor's or higher. Those with one: $55,860.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers with at least a high school diploma; EducationGuide calculation
About 8,200 openings a year, including replacements.
BLS Employment Projections 2025-35
Extensive preparation (usually a graduate degree).
BLS; O*NET 31.0 job zone
Degrees that lead to this career
What workers ages 25-34 in this job studied, among those with a bachelor's or higher. This is what people actually did, not a requirement.
| Field of bachelor's degree | Share | Degree pages |
|---|---|---|
| Psychology | 29% | Psychology |
| Treatment Therapy Professions | 13% | Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences |
| Counseling Psychology | 7% | — |
| Communication Disorders Sciences And Services | 7% | Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders |
| Physical Fitness Parks Recreation And Leisure | 6% | Kinesiology / Exercise Science · Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies |
| Sociology | 4% | Sociology |
| Physics | 3% | Physics |
| Social Work | 3% | Social Work |
| Family And Consumer Sciences | 2% | Human Development and Family Studies · Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services |
| Biology | 2% | Biology |
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata (ages 25-34, employed, bachelor's or higher; top 10 fields); EducationGuide calculation.
Pay by state and metro
| State | Median wage |
|---|---|
| Wyoming | $67,640 |
| North Dakota | $63,050 |
| Alaska | $61,590 |
| Kentucky | $58,540 |
| Washington | $58,050 |
| Connecticut | $56,340 |
| Georgia | $55,000 |
| Oregon | $54,970 |
| Idaho | $54,550 |
| Alabama | $54,040 |
| PR | $53,180 |
| Maine | $51,150 |
| Vermont | $50,030 |
| Texas | $49,990 |
| New Jersey | $49,730 |
| District of Columbia | $49,680 |
| Illinois | $49,350 |
| South Dakota | $49,350 |
| Delaware | $48,840 |
| Hawaii | $48,720 |
| Pennsylvania | $48,650 |
| Arizona | $48,330 |
| New Mexico | $48,240 |
| West Virginia | $48,050 |
| Minnesota | $48,010 |
| Louisiana | $47,990 |
| New York | $47,960 |
| Colorado | $47,840 |
| Virginia | $47,530 |
| Massachusetts | $47,320 |
| Nebraska | $47,050 |
| Rhode Island | $47,020 |
| Wisconsin | $46,530 |
| Tennessee | $46,060 |
| Florida | $45,990 |
| North Carolina | $45,890 |
| Montana | $45,240 |
| Missouri | $45,180 |
| Michigan | $44,580 |
| California | $44,480 |
| Indiana | $44,390 |
| Utah | $43,900 |
| Ohio | $42,620 |
| New Hampshire | $42,600 |
| Kansas | $41,980 |
| Mississippi | $41,500 |
| Maryland | $40,860 |
| Nevada | $40,120 |
| Iowa | $39,630 |
| Oklahoma | $38,260 |
| South Carolina | $35,990 |
| Arkansas | $35,210 |
Florida metro areas
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach$48,430
- Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater$47,060
- Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford$47,660
- Jacksonville$38,930
- Tallahassee$43,160
- Gainesville$37,920
- Port St. Lucie$45,540
- Lakeland-Winter Haven$38,910
Virginia metro areas
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria$48,290
- Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk$45,040
- Lynchburg$45,120
- Charlottesville$59,260
- Roanoke$51,840
- Kingsport-Bristol$49,450
- Staunton-Stuarts Draft$72,960
- Winchester$47,220
California metro areas
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim$43,480
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont$50,510
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad$45,700
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario$41,930
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom$43,880
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara$60,450
- Fresno$38,690
- Bakersfield-Delano$35,440
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025: median annual wage, all workers in the job. Metro areas: the largest by employment.
What the work takes
Top skills
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Monitoring
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
Knowledge used
- Therapy and Counseling
- Psychology
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Administrative
Work styles
- Empathy
- Cooperation
- Dependability
- Optimism
- Sincerity
People in this job tend to have Social (helping) interests.
O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0): skills and knowledge by importance; work styles; interest high points.
Rehabilitation Counselors: questions
How much do rehabilitation Counselors make?
Rehabilitation Counselors earn a U.S. median $46,850 a year; the middle half earn $38,770 to $59,260 (BLS, May 2025). Workers ages 25-34 in this job earn a median $50,274 (Census ACS 2020-2024).
Is rehabilitation Counselors a growing field?
BLS projects growth of 2.2% from 2025 to 2035, with about 8,200 openings a year, including replacements.
What degree do you need to be a rehabilitation Counselor?
BLS lists the typical entry education as master's degree. Among workers ages 25-34 with a bachelor's, the most common field of degree is psychology (29%).
How much do rehabilitation Counselors make in Florida?
The median in Florida is $45,990 a year (BLS, May 2025), compared with $46,850 nationally.
Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35); O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0); U.S. Census Bureau ACS microdata. SOC 21-1015. Method
Data: JSON · Markdown · all careers
Cite this: “Rehabilitation Counselors: salary, outlook and degrees,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/careers/rehabilitation-counselors.