Occupations · Community and Social Service

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.

O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 21-1015.00

$46,110median annual wage, May 2024

88,930people employed, United States

▲ 1.4%projected change, 2024→2034

10,000openings a year, incl. replacements

What it pays

A single “average salary” hides the spread. This is the whole distribution — the gap between the bottom and top bar is usually the number that matters.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 · national, cross-industry · annual wage

Pay over time

Median up 73% between 2003 and 2024, before inflation. The band shows the 10th to 90th percentile.

BLS OEWS, one release per year. Before May 2011 only national estimates were published, so geography detail starts there.

Where the jobs are

Metro area	Median wage	Employed
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	$43,010	4,750
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH	$45,730	3,400
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	$46,600	2,920
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI	$48,850	2,450
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	$59,630	2,330
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA	$52,330	2,170
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA	$49,230	1,640
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	$47,400	1,520
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI	$47,330	1,450
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD	$45,340	1,340
Cleveland, OH	$55,910	1,280
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI	$45,210	1,260

BLS OEWS May 2024, metropolitan estimates · the 12 areas with the most people in this occupation

Typical education to enter: Master's degree · BLS Employment Projections 2024–34

What people in this job actually do

Ordered by how important the work is rated.

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.
Collaborate with clients' families to implement rehabilitation plans, such as behavioral, residential, social, or employment goals.
Analyze information from interviews, educational and medical records, consultation with other professionals, and diagnostic evaluations to assess clients' abilities, needs, and eligibility for services.
Develop and maintain relationships with community referral sources, such as schools or community groups.
Maintain close contact with clients during job training and placements to resolve problems and evaluate placement adequacy.
Arrange for on-site job coaching or assistive devices, such as specially equipped wheelchairs, to help clients adapt to work or school environments.
Arrange for physical, mental, academic, vocational, and other evaluations to obtain information for assessing clients' needs and developing rehabilitation plans.

O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale

Skills that matter most

Importance, rated 1 to 5.

Speaking4.0

Active Listening4.0

Monitoring3.9

Reading Comprehension3.8

Critical Thinking3.6

Writing3.6

Learning Strategies3.1

Active Learning3.1

Science2.2

Mathematics2.0

O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale

Software and tools

A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.

Microsoft Excel●Microsoft Office software●Microsoft Outlook●Microsoft PowerPoint●Microsoft Word●Adobe Acrobat ReaderBudgeting softwareChart LinksClient information database softwareData input softwareElectronic medical record EMR softwareEmail softwareEncryption softwareFanatic Software InformantGlobal positioning system GPS softwareMicrosoft ActiveSyncMicrosoft Internet ExplorerMicrosoft Mobile Explorer MMEMicrosoft Office MobileMicrosoft Office OutlookNetscape NavigatorScheduling softwareSkillTRAN Job Browser ProSkillTRAN OASYSTest interpretation softwareVirus protection softwareWeb browser softwareWord recognition software

O*NET 30.3 software skills · hot-technology flag

What this work is actually like

Conditions rated against the average across all occupations — only what makes this job different is listed.

4 / 5Considerable preparation — a four-year degree plus several years in the field.

O*NET 30.3 Job Zones

Working conditions that stand out

Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets−1.5 below average

Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls−1.1 below average

Exposed to Hazardous Conditions−1.0 below average

Exposed to Hazardous Equipment−1.0 below average

Exposed to Contaminants−0.9 below average

E-Mail+0.9 above average

In an Enclosed Vehicle or Operate Enclosed Equipment+0.9 above average

O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2020-08

How people actually get in

Share of workers by the education they hold.

Bachelor's Degree56%

Master's Degree28%

High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)13%

Post-Master's Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master's degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.2%

O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2020-08

What kind of person the work suits

Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.

Social6.8

Enterprising3.6

Investigative3.3

O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)

Tasks O*NET flags as emerging

Supervise rehabilitation counselors and staff.

O*NET 24.3 emerging tasks

What you take with you

Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.

Social Perceptiveness4.0

Service Orientation4.0

Coordination3.6

Judgment and Decision Making3.4

Time Management3.2

Complex Problem Solving3.1

Systems Analysis3.1

Instructing3.1

O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale

Knowledge the work draws on

Customer and Personal ServiceTherapy and CounselingPsychologyEducation and TrainingEnglish LanguageAdministrative

Abilities it leans on

Speech ClarityOral ExpressionOral ComprehensionWritten ComprehensionWritten ExpressionProblem Sensitivity

O*NET 30.3 abilities and knowledge, importance scale

How this job is advertised

The same work is posted under many titles — this is what to search for.

Job CoachJob DeveloperWork CounselorClient TrainerCare NavigatorOptions AdvisorGroup CounselorSuccess PartnerClient NavigatorCareer NavigatorHousing NavigatorEmployment AdvisorResource NavigatorEmployment Trainer

O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation

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What changed since 2015

Comparing O*NET release 20.1 (2015-10-01) with 30.3 (2026-05-01). Signs, not colour alone, carry the meaning. 1 entries that were only relabelled between releases are left out.

Now listed 8

+Adobe Acrobat Reader+SkillTRAN Job Browser Pro+SkillTRAN OASYS+Fanatic Software Informant+Electronic medical record EMR software+Microsoft Outlook+Microsoft PowerPoint+Microsoft Office Outlook

No longer listed 9

−Voice recognition software−Client System−Microsoft Office Outlook (Email)−Microsoft Office Outlook (Calendar)−Spreadsheet software−Word processing software−Adobe Systems Adobe Reader−Microsoft Office Outlook Mobile−WebIS Pocket Informant

Diff across the O*NET releases held here in full since October 2015, following occupations through merges and retirements. O*NET re-surveys occupations on a rolling cycle, so “no change” can also mean “not re-surveyed”.

O*NET 30.3 related occupations

Also called

CounselorJob CoachJob CoachingCase ManagerJob DeveloperCare NavigatorClient TrainerWork CounselorSuccess PartnerGroup CounselorOptions AdvisorClient Navigator

O*NET 30.3 alternative titles

The same work in Europe

ESCO occupation	ISCO	Match
rehabilitation support worker	2635.3.22	exact
employment and vocational integration consultant	2423.2	close
employment support worker	2635.3.11	close
career guidance advisor	2423.1	close
occupational therapist	2269.4	close
life coach	3412.3	close
occupational therapy assistant	2269.5	broader

Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)

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