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What is a vocational rehabilitation counselor and how to become one
Vocational rehabilitation counselors are responsible for assessing patients with disabilities and other vocational difficulties. They evaluate the patients' qualifications, strengths, and weaknesses to determine the best jobs for each of them. They also record patient information by adding notes to their files and keeping the records updated with new information after every session. Vocational rehabilitation counselors earn an average sum of $42,000 annually or $20 per hour.
Vocational rehabilitation counselors are healthcare professionals who primarily assess the clients' preparedness to enter the labor market and facilitate sessions with family members and caregivers to understand better and support clients' employment goals. A great vocational rehabilitation counselor possesses solid communication, interpersonal, and listening skills.
Vocational rehabilitation counselors typically hold a master's degree in rehabilitation science, counseling psychology, or other related fields. They are expected to have some years of extensive experience with psychological and physical abilities. Some employers prefer candidates who can stay updated with the advancements in the field, healthcare regulations, and applicable labor laws.
What general advice would you give to a vocational rehabilitation counselor?
Dr. Tommy Casarez Ph.D.
Dr., Assistant Professor of Historical and Systematic Theology, Vanguard University
Avg. Salary $45,871
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth rate 11%
Growth rate 0.3%
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%
Genderfemale 70.61%
male 29.39%
Age - 45American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 45Stress level is high
7.1 - high
Complexity level is challenging
7 - challenging
Work life balance is good
6.4 - fair
Vocational rehabilitation counselor career paths
Key steps to become a vocational rehabilitation counselor
Explore vocational rehabilitation counselor education requirements
Start to develop specific vocational rehabilitation counselor skills
Skills Percentages Rehabilitation 19.79% Substance Abuse 11.62% Transferable 7.84% Plan Development 7.47% Vocational Assessments 6.11% Complete relevant vocational rehabilitation counselor training and internships
Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New vocational 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 vocational rehabilitation counselor based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real vocational rehabilitation counselor resumes.Research vocational rehabilitation counselor duties and responsibilities
- Collaborate with institutions of higher learning and local organizations to help assign veterans achieve independent living and academic success.
- Conduct vocational assessments, transferable skills analyses, labor market surveys; write r sum s and relate correspondence.
- Conduct diagnosis interview, eligibility determination, review assessments, plan and implement individual plan for employment (IPE).
- Determine eligibility for services and develop individualized rehabilitation programs.
Prepare your vocational rehabilitation counselor resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your vocational 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 vocational 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 vocational rehabilitation counselor resume templates
Build a professional vocational 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 vocational rehabilitation counselor resume.
Apply for vocational rehabilitation counselor jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a vocational rehabilitation counselor job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
How did you land your first vocational rehabilitation counselor job
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Average vocational rehabilitation counselor salary
The average vocational rehabilitation counselor salary in the United States is $45,871 per year or $22 per hour. Vocational rehabilitation counselor salaries range between $33,000 and $62,000 per year.
What am I worth?
How do vocational rehabilitation counselors rate their job?
Vocational rehabilitation counselor reviews
I like being practically helpful to people with disabilities to find a career direction, and to help the counselors working with those people to do their jobs better. I like the mental challenge of assessment and figuring out what is the true picture of the person, and what they really need to be able to overcome their obstacles. Assessment and Integration of data is my number one skill set. I like being a certified professional vocational evaluator (ICVE).
I don't like expectations such as that I have jobs in my back pocket, or that any old rehab counselor can do my job, or that I only need a couple of hours to do my job effectively. I don't like competing with folks who only give a few tests, without cross validating those results with work samples, situational assessments or community based assessment.
Change agent when people are stuck and need support in the process of restoration. One on one and group processing is powerful.
Updated January 8, 2025
