Work Environment

Rehabilitation counselors held about 104,500 jobs in 2020. The largest employers of rehabilitation counselors were as follows:

Community and vocational rehabilitation services - 31%
Individual and family services - 17%
State government, excluding education and hospitals - 15%
Nursing and residential care facilities - 14%
Self-employed workers - 3%

Rehabilitation counselors work in a variety of settings, such as community rehabilitation centers, senior citizen centers, and youth guidance organizations.

Work Schedules

Depending on where they work, some rehabilitation counselors may work evenings or weekends.

Job Outlook

Employment of rehabilitation counselors is projected to grow 10 percent from 2020 to 2030, about as fast as the average for all occupations.

About 11,200 openings for rehabilitation counselors are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.

Employment

Demand for rehabilitation counselors is expected to grow with the increase in the elderly population and with the continued rehabilitation needs of other groups, such as veterans and people with disabilities.

Older adults are more likely than other age groups to become disabled or injured. Rehabilitation counselors will be needed to help the elderly learn to adapt to any new limitations and learn strategies to live independently.

In addition, there will be a continued need for rehabilitation counselors to work with veterans who were disabled during their military service. They will also be needed to work with other groups, such as people who have learning disabilities, autism spectrum disorders, or substance abuse problems.

Earnings

The median annual wage for rehabilitation counselors was $38,560 in May 2021. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $28,890, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $65,880.

In May 2021, the median annual wages for rehabilitation counselors in the top industries in which they worked were as follows: