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What is a rehabilitation psychologist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
2 min read
Quoted expert
Dr. Jim Sliwinski Ph.D.
introduction image
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a rehabilitation psychologist. For example, did you know that they make an average of $38.22 an hour? That's $79,499 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 6% and produce 11,300 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a rehabilitation psychologist?

Dr. Jim Sliwinski Ph.D.Dr. Jim Sliwinski Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Assistant Professor of Psychology, Defiance College

I encourage all undergraduate psychology majors to consider graduate school. A bachelor's degree in psychology is becoming much more of a pre-professional program. That's not to say that there are not many jobs out there for individuals who only have a bachelor's, but full-time jobs, with benefits, are becoming harder to come by.
ScoreRehabilitation PsychologistUS Average
Salary
6.2

Avg. Salary $79,499

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
-

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
2.9
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.24%

Asian 3.47%

Black or African American 3.95%

Hispanic or Latino 7.71%

Unknown 3.42%

White 81.20%

Gender

female 58.62%

male 41.38%

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
Complexity level
3.5

Complexity level is basic

7 - challenging

Rehabilitation psychologist career paths

Key steps to become a rehabilitation psychologist

  1. Explore rehabilitation psychologist education requirements

    Most common rehabilitation psychologist degrees

    Bachelor's

    52.0 %

    Doctorate

    24.0 %

    Master's

    20.0 %

  2. Start to develop specific rehabilitation psychologist skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Rehabilitation52.84%
    Patient Care18.72%
    Behavior Management7.80%
    Pain Management7.79%
    Crisis Intervention5.25%
    Show more

  3. Research rehabilitation psychologist duties and responsibilities

    • Provide outpatient neuropsychological evaluations to inform and guide rehabilitation treatment planning.
    • Provide witness testimony regarding the care and progress of patients in the psychosocial rehabilitation program.
    • Develop cognitive behaviorally-base educational module for post-surgery patients.
    • Develop cognitive behaviorally-base educational module for post-surgery patients.

  4. Apply for rehabilitation psychologist jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a rehabilitation psychologist 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 psychologist job

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Average rehabilitation psychologist salary

The average rehabilitation psychologist salary in the United States is $79,499 per year or $38 per hour. Rehabilitation psychologist salaries range between $54,000 and $115,000 per year.

Average rehabilitation psychologist salary
$79,499 Yearly
$38.22 hourly

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Rehabilitation psychologist reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2019
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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.

Updated January 8, 2025

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