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How to hire a vocational rehabilitation specialist

Vocational rehabilitation specialist hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring vocational rehabilitation specialists in the United States:

  • HR departments typically spend 15% of their expenses on recruitment.
  • It usually takes about 12 weeks for a new employee to reach full productivity levels.
  • It typically takes 36-42 days to fill a job opening.
  • The median cost to hire a vocational rehabilitation specialist is $1,633.
  • Small businesses spend an average of $1,105 per vocational rehabilitation specialist on training each year, while large companies spend $658.
  • There are currently 23,053 vocational rehabilitation specialists in the US and 4,190 job openings.
  • Urban Honolulu, HI, has the highest demand for vocational rehabilitation specialists, with 5 job openings.
  • Washington, DC has the highest concentration of vocational rehabilitation specialists.

How to hire a vocational rehabilitation specialist, step by step

To hire a vocational rehabilitation specialist, you should clearly understand the skills and experience you are looking for in a candidate, and allocate a budget for the position. You will also need to post and promote the job opening to reach potential candidates. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to hire a vocational rehabilitation specialist:

Here's a step-by-step vocational rehabilitation specialist hiring guide:

  • Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
  • Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
  • Step 3: Make a budget
  • Step 4: Write a vocational rehabilitation specialist job description
  • Step 5: Post your job
  • Step 6: Interview candidates
  • Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new vocational rehabilitation specialist
  • Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a vocational rehabilitation specialist do?

A vocational rehabilitation specialist helps clients suffering from disabilities, impairments, or injuries with employment opportunities. Their job is to critically assess their clients' interests and problems and to use that to figure out the perfect position that would be a great fit for their capabilities. Their job may also involve the evaluation of employees who wish to return to work to determine if they can do so and how best to go about it.

Learn more about the specifics of what a vocational rehabilitation specialist does
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  1. Identify your hiring needs

    Before you start hiring a vocational rehabilitation specialist, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

    Determine employee vs contractor status
    Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

    Hiring the perfect vocational rehabilitation specialist also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

    This list presents vocational rehabilitation specialist salaries for various positions.

    Type of Vocational Rehabilitation SpecialistDescriptionHourly rate
    Vocational Rehabilitation SpecialistRehabilitation counselors help people with physical, mental, developmental, and emotional disabilities live independently. They work with clients to overcome or manage the personal, social, or psychological effects of disabilities on employment or independent living.$16-30
    Work CounselorA work counselor's responsibility is to know the employee's problems including stress, workplace depression, declining productivity, and anxiety, and help solve them by resolving negative patterns, rehabilitation, and prevention to improve quality of life. Such purpose is to reduce sickness absence and pressure... Show more$22-31
    Rehabilitation CounselorRehabilitation counselors are professional counselors who are responsible for helping individuals cope with their disabilities to live independently. These counselors are required to consult other professionals, family members, and individuals when developing a treatment plan based on the goals, strengths, limitations, and personal values of their clients... Show more$14-27
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Rehabilitation
    • Community Resources
    • Independent Living
    • Vocational Rehabilitation
    • IPE
    • Vocational Evaluations
    • Physical Disabilities
    • Functional Limitations
    • Competitive Employment
    • Mental Disabilities
    • Substance Abuse
    • Social Work
    • Mental Illness
    • Community Agencies
    Check all skills
    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.
    More vocational rehabilitation specialist duties
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in the vocational rehabilitation specialist job description is a good way to get more applicants. A vocational rehabilitation specialist salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

    For example, the average salary for a vocational rehabilitation specialist in Maryland may be lower than in New Jersey, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level vocational rehabilitation specialist. Additionally, a vocational rehabilitation specialist with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

    Average vocational rehabilitation specialist salary

    $47,721yearly

    $22.94 hourly rate

    Entry-level vocational rehabilitation specialist salary
    $35,000 yearly salary
    Updated January 27, 2026

    Average vocational rehabilitation specialist salary by state

    RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
    1Minnesota$58,698$28
    2Illinois$55,494$27
    3Oregon$52,948$25
    4Hawaii$52,429$25
    5Pennsylvania$51,382$25
    6Texas$51,112$25
    7Idaho$49,854$24
    8Ohio$48,770$23
    9Tennessee$47,106$23
    10Georgia$46,913$23
    11California$45,991$22
    12Arizona$45,804$22
    13Iowa$45,318$22
    14Virginia$44,090$21
    15Maryland$43,114$21
    16Oklahoma$35,341$17
    17Florida$35,197$17

    Average vocational rehabilitation specialist salary by company

    RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rateJob openings
    1Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan$57,104$27.45
    2Peoria Unified School District$51,936$24.971
    3Accord Healthcare$51,859$24.93
    4Project Transition$51,705$24.86
    5My Florida Regional Mls$50,680$24.37
    6Highland Rivers Health$50,208$24.14
    7Mt. Hood Community College$44,798$21.54
    8Community Involvement Programs$43,159$20.75
    9Florida Department of Transportation$41,608$20.00
    10Community Counseling Center of Mercer County$40,428$19.44
    11Functional Ind$35,904$17.26
  4. Writing a vocational rehabilitation specialist job description

    A good vocational rehabilitation specialist job description should include a few things:

    • Summary of the role
    • List of responsibilities
    • Required skills and experience

    Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a vocational rehabilitation specialist job description:

    Vocational rehabilitation specialist job description example

    Eligible for bonus up to $3,000!

    ****$2,000 paid in quarterly installments at 3,6,9, 12 months and $1,000 after ACRE certification **

    Competitive wage and benefit package with PTO, 8 paid holidays, health, dental, vision, and life insurance, NO COST short & long-term disability insurance, retirement savings plan options, employee wellness program, tuition assistance program, career advancement, mileage reimbursement for providing direct services, a positive, friendly work environment and much more.

    Working as a Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist:

    • You remove barriers, you create relationships, and you are the key to helping others find success in their lives
    • You want to work in an ever-changing environment where each day is different!
    • You are organized and passionate about helping people.
    • You like problem solving and enjoy a good challenge

    Essential Responsibilities:

    • Hold a caseload of up to 25 people whom you get to know, support, and champion.
    • Engage in communication with support teams, planning.
    • Attend meetings, advocate for the person you serve, and provide them with training.
    • You will become credentialed in the MN Employment Services field.
    • Go to the job sites and support the person when needed.
    • Organize the details- help schedule, set up transportation, talk with employers, etc.
    • Write reports, and maintain licensing requirements.
    • You will explore, develop, and use your creative talents to help people find work.

    Requirements

    You need passion to make a difference, and the desire to learn.

    • All new hires will be required to provide proof of Covid 19 full vaccination or have an approved request for exemption before their start date.
    • Bachelors degree in Vocational Rehabilitation or related human services field preferred. Experience in lieu of a degree will be considered. If you hold a Social Work degree, we expect you to be licensed by the Minnesota Board of Social Work, as required.
    • Knowledge of Vocational Rehabilitation Services system, documentation requirements, and funding requirements.
    • Ability to complete Discovering Personal Genius training and demonstrate competence in training principles.
    • Demonstrate good written and oral communication skills as well as time management skills.
    • Must have a valid drivers license, clean driving record, and a vehicle.
    • Must pass a Department of Human Services background study.

    Work Environment

    Typical work days are Monday-Friday 8am-4:30pm, some evenings or weekends for support as needed. 40 hour work week- mostly in the community with people, but also working remotely at times. A supportive and interactive work team.

    Benefits

    Starting wage $21/hour + bonuses and excellent benefits!

  5. Post your job

    There are a few common ways to find vocational rehabilitation specialists for your business:

    • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
    • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
    • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
    • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.
    Post your job online:
    • Post your vocational rehabilitation specialist job on Zippia to find and recruit vocational rehabilitation specialist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
    • Use field-specific websites.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    Recruiting vocational rehabilitation specialists requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

    It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

    The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

  7. Send a job offer and onboard your new vocational rehabilitation specialist

    Once you have selected a candidate for the vocational rehabilitation specialist position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

    It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

    After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new vocational rehabilitation specialist. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

  8. Go through the hiring process checklist

    • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
    • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
    • Define job responsibilities and requirements
    • Establish budget and timeline
    • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
    • Write job description
    • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
    • Promote the job internally
    • Process applications through applicant tracking system
    • Review resumes and cover letters
    • Shortlist candidates for screening
    • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
    • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
    • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
    • Conduct background checks on top candidates
    • Check references of top candidates
    • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
    • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
    • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
    • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
    • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
    • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)
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How much does it cost to hire a vocational rehabilitation specialist?

Before you start to hire vocational rehabilitation specialists, it pays to consider both the one-off costs like recruitment, job promotion, and onboarding, as well as the ongoing costs of an employee's salary and benefits. While most companies that hire vocational rehabilitation specialists pay close attention to the initial cost of hiring, ongoing costs are much more significant in the long run.

The median annual salary for vocational rehabilitation specialists is $47,721 in the US. However, the cost of vocational rehabilitation specialist hiring can vary a lot depending on location. Additionally, hiring a vocational rehabilitation specialist for contract work or on a per-project basis typically costs between $16 and $30 an hour.

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