Rehabilitation Counselors is a dynamic career path with diverse opportunities. The field has seen strong growth, with employment increasing by 9.5% over recent years. Professionals in this field are primarily employed in industries such as Cross-industry and Cross-industry, Private Ownership only.

Key Statistics

13,450
2023 Workforce
None
Average Age
$50,866
Average Salary

Employment

Employment and salary information for the Rehabilitation Counselors workforce.

Employment Over Time

13,450 Workforce in 2023

The Rehabilitation Counselors workforce has been growing over time.

Historical employment trends for Rehabilitation Counselors.

Yearly Wage Ranking

$50,866 Average Wage

In 2023, Rehabilitation Counselors earned an average of $50,866.

Wage ranking compared to other occupations.

Wage Distribution

This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Rehabilitation Counselors.

Salary distribution for Rehabilitation Counselors.

Employment Growth Projections

3.6% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)

63,586 Projected Employment (5 years)

Projected growth: 19.4%

75,943 Projected Employment (10 years)

Projected growth: 42.6%

This occupation is projected to grow at 3.6% annually, indicating strong future demand.

Historical employment trends and future projections for Rehabilitation Counselors.

Industry

Information on the industries that employ Rehabilitation Counselors and on wages for those in the field.

Occupations by Industries

This graphic shows the share of Rehabilitation Counselors employed by various industries.

Industry distribution for Rehabilitation Counselors.

Wage Trends by Industry

8.4% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate

Historical wage growth trends by industry for Rehabilitation Counselors.

Geographic Distribution

Employment and wage information by geographic location for Rehabilitation Counselors.

Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).

Top States by Employment

Top States by Employment:

  • CA: 12,420 employees, $50,955 avg wage

Top 10 states by employment for Rehabilitation Counselors.

Top Metropolitan Areas

Top Metropolitan Areas:

  • Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 3,550 employees, $48,809 avg wage
  • Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 1,200 employees, $49,070 avg wage
  • San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 1,050 employees, $49,592 avg wage
  • Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 930 employees, $58,912 avg wage
  • Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 920 employees, $51,626 avg wage
  • Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 850 employees, $48,904 avg wage
  • San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD: 650 employees, $59,548 avg wage
  • Fresno MSA: 590 employees, $44,487 avg wage
  • San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 500 employees, $65,370 avg wage
  • Bakersfield-Delano MSA: 280 employees, $49,325 avg wage

Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Rehabilitation Counselors.

Diversity

Demographic information on Rehabilitation Counselors in the US.

Gender and Age

The workforce of Rehabilitation Counselors in 2023 was 13,450 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.

Gender and age distribution for Rehabilitation Counselors.

Races

Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.

Race and ethnicity distribution for Rehabilitation Counselors.

Education & Skills

Data on higher education choices and required skills for Rehabilitation Counselors.

Majors

The most common majors achieved by Rehabilitation Counselors in 2023 were Business Administration, Social Work, Psychology.

Common majors for Rehabilitation Counselors.

Education Levels

The main educational levels achieved by Rehabilitation Counselors workers.

Education level distribution for Rehabilitation Counselors.

Skills

Rehabilitation Counselors need many skills, but most especially Speaking, Social Perceptiveness, Service Orientation, Active Listening, Monitoring.

Required skills for Rehabilitation Counselors.

Knowledge & Abilities

Knowledge areas and abilities required for Rehabilitation Counselors.

Knowledge Areas

The most important knowledge areas for Rehabilitation Counselors include Customer and Personal Service, Therapy and Counseling, Psychology, Education and Training, English Language.

Knowledge areas required for Rehabilitation Counselors.

Abilities

Key abilities needed for Rehabilitation Counselors include Oral Comprehension, Oral Expression, Speech Clarity, Written Expression, Problem Sensitivity.

Required abilities for Rehabilitation Counselors.

Work Activities

Common work activities performed by Rehabilitation Counselors.

Daily Activities

Rehabilitation Counselors spend their time on activities such as Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships, Documenting/Recording Information, Communicating with People Outside the Organization.

Most important work activities for Rehabilitation Counselors.

About

Rehabilitation Counselors

The average yearly wage for Rehabilitation Counselors was $50,866 in 2023.

SOC Code

21-1015 - Rehabilitation Counselors

Insights and Analysis

Compensation snapshot: Rehabilitation Counselors reports an average salary of $50,866.

Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 13,450 workers, indicating sustained demand.

Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 3.6%, which should inform long-term career planning.

Data Sources

This page uses data from the following sources:

  • College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
    • Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
    • Data years: 2015-2024
    • Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
  • Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
    • Employment and wage data by occupation
    • Latest data: May 2024
    • Source: bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
    • Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
    • Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
    • Source: onetcenter.org
  • IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
    • Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
    • Data years: 2015-2024
    • Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
  • Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
    • Demographic and workforce data
    • Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
    • Source: census.gov/acs

Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.

Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.

Methodology

Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.

All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.