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What is a rehabilitation counselor and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Quoted Expert
Juleen Buser Ph.D.
introduction image

Rehabilitation counselors include Allied Health professionals working in a case management and therapy system to help individuals with disabilities, health, or social disadvantages to engaging in or independently live and gain access to resources in the neighborhood.

Some rehabilitation counselor work with State- and Federal-funded rehabilitation providers to help people with disabilities, health conditions, or disadvantages to get 'back on their feet' and into the paid workforce.

As a rehabilitation counselor, you should possess considerable professional and academic skills on which to build. During your career, you may find yourself working in fields such as counseling therapy, university lecturing, research, management, or developing new disability programs.

The current median pay for a rehabilitation counselor is around $35,950 annually. However, this figure can vary significantly depending upon your experience, skills, or organization.

What general advice would you give to a Rehabilitation Counselor?

Juleen Buser Ph.D.

Professor and Director, School Counseling and Coaching Programs, Rider University

Counseling Services (school counseling concentration) and an MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (we have a CMHC concentration and a Dance Movement Therapy concentration in this program). The general advice I would give to graduates starting positions in the counseling field would be to understand the critical importance of the work of helping professionals. Counselors optimally provide a safe space for clients to discuss their fears, worries, anxieties, joys, traumas, insecurities, accomplishments, etc. This ability to be an empathic, listening, accepting presence will be even more crucial for clients in our current situation.
ScoreRehabilitation CounselorUS Average
Salary
3.4

Avg. Salary $43,111

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
7.4

Growth Rate 11%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
5.6
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.66%

Asian 2.90%

Black or African American 13.69%

Hispanic or Latino 10.79%

Unknown 4.56%

White 66.39%

Gender

female 66.09%

male 33.91%

Age - 45
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 45
Stress Level
7.4

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
8.0

Complexity Level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
7.6

Work Life balance is good

6.4 - fair

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Rehabilitation Counselor career paths

Key steps to become a rehabilitation counselor

  1. Explore rehabilitation counselor education requirements

    Most common rehabilitation counselor degrees

    Bachelor's

    59.4 %

    Master's

    25.5 %

    Associate

    8.8 %
  2. Start to develop specific rehabilitation counselor skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Rehabilitation23.19%
    Social Work12.49%
    Mental Health12.11%
    Patients6.03%
    Management System4.43%
  3. Complete relevant rehabilitation counselor training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New rehabilitation counselors learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a rehabilitation counselor based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real rehabilitation counselor resumes.
  4. Research rehabilitation counselor duties and responsibilities

    • Collaborate with institutions of higher learning and local organizations to help assign veterans achieve independent living and academic success.
    • Develop and manage multidisciplinary rehabilitation center.
    • Organize and implement individualized rehabilitation programs.
    • Supervise CRC and LMHC students for practicum and internships at site.
  5. Prepare your rehabilitation counselor resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your rehabilitation counselor resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a rehabilitation counselor resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Rehabilitation Counselor Resume templates

    Build a professional Rehabilitation Counselor resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Rehabilitation Counselor resume.
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    Rehabilitation Counselor Resume
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    Rehabilitation Counselor Resume
    Rehabilitation Counselor Resume
    Rehabilitation Counselor Resume
  6. Apply for rehabilitation counselor jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a rehabilitation counselor job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First Rehabilitation Counselor Job

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Average rehabilitation counselor salary

The average Rehabilitation Counselor salary in the United States is $43,111 per year or $21 per hour. Rehabilitation counselor salaries range between $31,000 and $58,000 per year.

Average Rehabilitation Counselor Salary
$43,111 Yearly
$20.73 hourly

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How do rehabilitation counselors rate their job?

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Rehabilitation Counselor reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2020
Pros

The (working) clients will always be the best part of this job. There are certain individuals who you can feel want to learn more about their conditions and to adopt healthier thinking patterns or lifestyles.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2019
Pros

To help most people out of their respective concern.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2019
Cons

The over documentation required by DHS that robs the quality time needed in intervention and treatment. This lopsided demand makes the term “best practices” mere bureaucratic lip service without the means to actually deliver quality hands on services.

Pros

Change agent when people are stuck and need support in the process of restoration. One on one and group processing is powerful.


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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