Rehabilitation Counselors
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.
What it pays
Rehabilitation Counselors earn a median of $22.52/hr — about $47,000 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $16.85/hr; the top 10% earn $37.10/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
Rehabilitation Counselors earn a median of $22.52/hr — about $47,000 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $16.85/hr; the top 10% earn $37.10/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
What you'd actually do
- 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.
- Confer with clients to discuss their options and goals so that rehabilitation programs and plans for accessing needed services can be developed.
- Develop rehabilitation plans that fit clients' aptitudes, education levels, physical abilities, and career goals.
- 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.
- Monitor and record clients' progress to ensure that goals and objectives are met.
- Participate in job development and placement programs, contacting prospective employers, placing clients in jobs, and evaluating the success of placements.
How you get there
Typical entry-level education: Master's degree. Overall preparation: considerable preparation (Job Zone 4 of 5).
The feel of the work
Time pressure is a real part of the job. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)
Working for yourself
About 0% of rehabilitation counselors are self-employed.
Who it tends to fit
This work tends to fit people who are people-focused, take-charge and organized and detail-focused.
Work a simulated shift in this job — freeMake the real decisions this job involves, then see what your choices say about you.Related careers
- Health Education Specialists
- Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors
- Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists
- Marriage and Family Therapists
- Healthcare Social Workers
- Social Workers, All Other
Quick questions
- How much does a rehabilitation counselor make?
- The median pay is $22.52 per hour — roughly $47,000 a year, with the real range running from about $16.85/hr (10th percentile) to $37.10/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Do you need a degree to be a rehabilitation counselor?
- The typical entry-level education is: Master's degree. Overall preparation level: considerable preparation (Job Zone 4 of 5).
- What does a rehabilitation counselor actually do all day?
- 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. Confer with clients to discuss their options and goals so that rehabilitation programs and plans for accessing needed services can be developed. Develop rehabilitation plans that fit clients' aptitudes, education levels, physical abilities, and career goals.
Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.