Explore national salary, projected growth, education requirements, and career opportunities across the United States.
A concise view of this occupation’s national scale, compensation, and projected demand.
National median annual wage for this occupation.
Estimated jobs currently supported nationwide.
Projected employment change through 2034.
Estimated openings created each year.
The typical education, prior experience, and on-the-job training associated with entry into this career.
Master's degree
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These are the highest-rated capabilities associated with success in this occupation. Scores are derived from occupational skill analysis and are measured on a 100-point scale.
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Explore the states and metropolitan areas offering the strongest combination of salary, employment, demand, and long-term opportunity.
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Understand the salary, outlook, education, and geographic opportunities shaping this career.
Rehabilitation counselors work in a field that combines interpersonal support, problem solving, and professional communication. Nationally, there are 92,000 jobs in this occupation, with 10,000 annual openings, indicating a steady flow of opportunities for new and experienced professionals. The national median annual salary is $46,110, with some states and metro areas offering higher typical pay. A master’s degree is the typical education, so this path is best suited for people ready to invest in graduate-level training. Success in this career draws on strong interpersonal and customer service skills, along with speaking, listening, and writing abilities. Critical thinking, creativity, and project management also play a role, supported by comfort with computers and information technology. For people interested in rehabilitation-focused counseling and who are prepared for advanced education, this occupation offers a defined professional track and a range of geographic options, from large states like California and New York to metro areas such as San Jose, New York City, San Francisco, Washington, DC, and Boston.
The national median annual salary for rehabilitation counselors is $46,110, but pay varies across states and metro areas. Among the highlighted states, Washington shows the highest median salary at $58,050, followed by New York at $47,960, Massachusetts at $47,320, Colorado at $47,840, and California at $44,480. This range illustrates that earnings can differ meaningfully by location. At the metro level, San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara, CA, stands out with a median salary of $60,450, the highest among the listed areas. Other metros with relatively higher pay include San Francisco–Oakland–Fremont, CA, at $50,510 and New York–Newark–Jersey City, NY–NJ, at $50,000. Washington–Arlington–Alexandria, DC–VA–MD–WV, and Boston–Cambridge–Newton, MA–NH, are closer to the national median, at $48,290 and $47,440 respectively. Overall, salary potential for rehabilitation counselors is closely tied to geographic choice, with some regions offering notably higher typical earnings than the national median.
Rehabilitation counseling offers a defined, stable employment picture. National employment stands at 92,000, and projected employment growth is 1.4%. The same 1.4% growth rate appears in the listed states and metro areas, creating a consistent outlook across many locations. With 10,000 annual openings nationally, there is an ongoing need for workers to fill new and replacement positions. This combination of existing employment, projected growth, and recurring openings suggests that people entering the field can reasonably expect opportunities to compete for jobs in different regions. States such as California, Massachusetts, New York, Colorado, and Washington all reflect the same projected growth rate, as do major metropolitan areas like San Jose, New York City, San Francisco, Washington, DC, and Boston. For career planners and career changers, this creates a relatively predictable environment in which to pursue graduate education and align skills with the typical requirements of rehabilitation counselor roles.
Location choices can significantly shape the experience of rehabilitation counselors. Among states, California has the largest employment level at 13,690, followed by Massachusetts at 5,760, Washington at 5,440, and New York at 3,810; Colorado has 980 jobs. Washington offers the highest state median salary at $58,050, while New York, Massachusetts, and Colorado cluster in the upper $40,000s, and California is slightly lower at $44,480. Opportunity scores also differ: California leads with 67.38, followed closely by Massachusetts and New York in the mid‑60s, while Colorado and Washington are in the mid‑50s. At the metro level, San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara, CA, posts both the highest median salary ($60,450) and the top opportunity score (77.42). New York–Newark–Jersey City, NY–NJ, has a similar high opportunity score (77.27) with a median salary of $50,000. San Francisco, Washington, DC, and Boston metros offer opportunity scores in the mid‑60s to upper‑60s, with median pay around the upper $40,000s to low $50,000s.
Rehabilitation counselors typically need a master’s degree, so this career path involves completing graduate-level education before entering most roles. That advanced education aligns with the broad mix of skills associated with the occupation. Interpersonal and customer service skills are central, reflecting the importance of building relationships and working directly with people. Speaking and listening, along with writing and reading, support clear, professional communication in different formats. Critical and analytical thinking, problem solving and decision making, and creativity and innovation help rehabilitation counselors assess situations and develop appropriate responses. Leadership and project management skills are also part of the profile, suggesting that organizing work and coordinating activities can be important aspects of practice. Comfort with computers and information technology rounds out the skill set, supporting modern documentation and information tasks. People considering this career should plan for graduate study and be ready to develop across all of these skill areas during their training and early work experiences.
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