Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between vocational rehabilitation specialists and vocational specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a vocational rehabilitation specialist has an average salary of $47,721, which is higher than the $37,486 average annual salary of a vocational specialist.
The top three skills for a vocational rehabilitation specialist include rehabilitation, community resources and independent living. The most important skills for a vocational specialist are rehabilitation, social work, and crisis intervention.
| Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist | Vocational Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $47,721 | $37,486 |
| Hourly rate | $22.94 | $18.02 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 4,190 | 33,643 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 45 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 12 | - |
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.
Vocational Specialists are responsible for assisting individuals in finding out their career choices. They interview clients to assess their skills, job history, and personality. Their duties include matching a client's education, training, interests, and experiences to an available job position. They organize aptitude tests to assist the client make career options. They also help with résumé preparation or modification, maintaining client records, arranging reports, and correspondence. Vocal Specialists give support for individuals in times of layoffs or job losses.
Vocational rehabilitation specialists and vocational specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist | Vocational Specialist | |
| Average salary | $47,721 | $37,486 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $64,000 | Between $30,000 And $46,000 |
| Highest paying City | Minneapolis, MN | Pittsburg, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | California |
| Best paying company | Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan | New York State Restaurant Association |
| Best paying industry | Government | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a vocational rehabilitation specialist and a vocational specialist in terms of educational background:
| Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist | Vocational Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between vocational rehabilitation specialists' and vocational specialists' demographics:
| Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist | Vocational Specialist | |
| Average age | 45 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 40.5% Female, 59.5% | Male, 31.7% Female, 68.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 13.7% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 10.8% Asian, 2.9% White, 66.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.7% | Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 3.7% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 21% | 11% |