All careersEducation, law & social work

Rehabilitation Counselor

$46,850
median / year
$35,060 – $77,170
what most earn per year (10th–90th percentile)

What the job actually is

Help people with disabilities live and work independently by coordinating services and support plans.

You may also see this posted as: Employment Specialist, Job Coach, Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor (VRC), Employment Advisor, Employment Services Case Manager, Human Services Care Specialist.

Where you work

Community agencies, clinics, and government programs.

The hours

Mostly full-time weekday schedule

The day to day

What you'd actually spend time doing

  • 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.

Good fit if you like…

Social

helping, teaching, caring for, or supporting other people

Enterprising

leading, persuading, selling, or turning an idea into action

Investigative

solving problems, analyzing evidence, and figuring out how things work

O*NET job zone 4 of 5

High preparation—usually a four-year degree plus experience—is common.

Work styles that matter most

EmpathyCooperationDependabilityOptimism

Software that shows up in the work

Examples employers report—not a checklist you must already know.

Microsoft Office softwareMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft WordAdobe Acrobat Reader

By the numbers

May 2025 BLS wage & employment data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.

Median pay
$46,850
per year
Hourly median
$22.52
per hour
What most earn
$35,060–$77,170
yearly, 10th to 90th percentile
Openings a year
~10,000
projected, 2024–34
Outlook to 2034
+1.4%
Little change
Working in the U.S.
94,740
people, nationwide

Openings a year counts new jobs plus the ones that open when people retire or move on — a truer picture of your odds than growth alone.

“Median” means half earn more and half earn less. Your city, employer, and years on the job move it a lot — that is what the 10th-to-90th range shows.

What it pays in your state

Statewide medians are a better starting point than the national number. Your city and experience still matter.

BLS state wage tables

How you get in

Typical starting education

Master's degree

Training path: Master's degree + license.

Related work experience: None.

On-the-job training: None.

License or certification

Many roles require certification, and counseling in some settings requires a state license.

Check the path where you live

Licensing rules and available programs change by state. These federal tools take you to the current official listings.

Find state licensesFind recognized certifications

What it takes

Case managementCounselingResource planningRecordkeeping

The honest take

Meaningful work with high turnover — pay runs modest for a role that requires a master's.

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Standard Occupational Classification 21-1015. Pay and employment from the BLS May 2025 OEWS survey; outlook and openings from the 2024–34 employment projections; job context from the Occupational Outlook Handbook; tasks, interests, work styles, software examples, and job zone from O*NET 30.3. See something off? Tell us.