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What is a vocational rehabilitation specialist and how to become one
As a vocational rehabilitation specialist, it's your responsibility to help clients with disabilities and injuries find jobs. Of course, before assisting them in securing employment, you will first need to estimate your client's capabilities so that you can know the kind of job that fits them.
Once your client has secured employment, it then becomes your duty to make sure that they adjust appropriately and deliver as expected despite their disability. If your clients must work in a new industry that they are not familiar with, you can arrange for them to undergo the needed training.
A vocational rehabilitation specialist needs to possess a bachelor's degree in vocational rehabilitation or a closely related course like counseling or social services. You also need skills like patience, problem-solving skills, and the ability to advocate on behalf of others. The average salary is $43,654 a year or $20.99 per hour.
What general advice would you give to a vocational rehabilitation specialist?
Abigail Akande Ph.D., CRC
Assistant Professor of Rehabilitation & Human Services, Pennsylvania State University - Abington
Avg. Salary $47,721
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 59.49%
male 40.51%
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 specialist career paths
Key steps to become a vocational rehabilitation specialist
Explore vocational rehabilitation specialist education requirements
Start to develop specific vocational rehabilitation specialist skills
Skills Percentages Rehabilitation 34.39% Community Resources 9.69% Independent Living 7.46% Vocational Rehabilitation 6.62% IPE 4.01% Complete relevant vocational rehabilitation specialist training and internships
Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New vocational rehabilitation specialists 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 specialist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real vocational rehabilitation specialist resumes.Research vocational rehabilitation specialist duties and responsibilities
- Collaborate with institutions of higher learning and local organizations to help assign veterans achieve independent living and academic success.
- Determine eligibility for vocational rehabilitation services.
- Develop individualize rehabilitation treatment plans.
- Determine eligibility for vocational rehabilitation services.
Prepare your vocational rehabilitation specialist resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your vocational rehabilitation specialist 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 specialist 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 specialist resume templates
Build a professional vocational rehabilitation specialist 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 specialist resume.
Apply for vocational rehabilitation specialist jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a vocational rehabilitation specialist 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 specialist job
Are you a vocational rehabilitation specialist?
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Average vocational rehabilitation specialist salary
The average vocational rehabilitation specialist salary in the United States is $47,721 per year or $23 per hour. Vocational rehabilitation specialist salaries range between $35,000 and $64,000 per year.
What am I worth?
How do vocational rehabilitation specialists rate their job?
Vocational rehabilitation specialist 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.
Updated January 8, 2025
