How Much Do Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors Make?

Having a clear understanding of earnings potential is important, especially if you are researching career paths or considering changing jobs. If you're one of those people, and you're curious what kind of salary vocational rehabilitation counselors make, you've come to the right place.

Using data from Lightcast,™ the Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has compiled rich information about salary for vocational rehabilitation counselors and related jobs, including details about average compensation, salary trends and job growth. We've also gathered advertised salaries from actual job postings to provide insight into what employers of vocational rehabilitation counselors are offering as compensation.

Keep reading to learn more about how much vocational rehabilitation counselors can expect to make in the United States.

At a Glance: Salary & Jobs for Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors

According to data from 2023, there were about 363,868 positions for vocational rehabilitation counselors in the United States. In terms of salary, the national median salary for vocational rehabilitation counselors was reported to be $61,714. Additionally, when examining job demand, employers across the country posted 125,318 job postings related to positions for vocational rehabilitation counselors.

How Much Money Do Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors Make?

Median salary is just one data point. To build a better understanding of how much money vocational rehabilitation counselors and related positions can expect to make in the United States, it can be helpful to look at the full range of compensation for those jobs.

Let's look more deeply at data that was reported to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) for detail into the lowest and highest salary earnings for vocational rehabilitation counselors.

Annual Salary for Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors

According to the BLS, the lowest earners for vocational rehabilitation counselors and related professions earned about $40,144 per year in 2023. Meanwhile, at the other end of the spectrum, the highest earners made about $100,048 annually.

As mentioned previously, the median salary for vocational rehabilitation counselors in the United States in 2023 was $61,714.

Hourly Salary for Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors

The BLS also breaks down compensation for vocational rehabilitation counselors by hourly salary, and the median average hourly pay for vocational rehabilitation counselors in 2023 was $30. Lowest hourly earners took home $19 while the highest reported hourly salaries for vocational rehabilitation counselors was $48.

Top Online College For Working Adults

Franklin University is a top choice for adults who need to balance school with busy lives. Founded in 1902 in Columbus, Ohio, Franklin's main focus has been serving adult students and tailoring education to fit their needs. Nonprofit and accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org/800.621.7440), Franklin offers more than 50 affordable bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs — all available 100% online.

Degree Options for Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors

Advertised Compensation for Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors

Data from the BLS is one way to dig into compensation for vocational rehabilitation counselors, but another way to build a more real-time understanding of salary is to look at actual job postings and see what compensation organizations are currently providing to fill open positions for vocational rehabilitation counselors.

Keep in mind that salary data is not included in every job posting, so the information compiled here is reflective of the data available through Lightcast.™

Annual Salary from Job Postings for Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors

During a review of 121,633 job postings related to vocational rehabilitation counselors, advertised salary was included in 46,876 of them, which was 39%. Based on those postings, the median advertised salary for vocational rehabilitation counselors was $51,072 per year.

Hourly Salary from Job Postings for Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors

A similar analysis of job postings provides insight into advertised hourly salary for vocational rehabilitation counselors. Based on 37% of postings with advertised compensation, the median hourly salary for open positions for vocational rehabilitation counselors in the United States is about $25.

Salary Trend for Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors

If you're thinking about pursuing a career in the field, you may want to understand how compensation has changed over time for vocational rehabilitation counselors. The chart below provides a snapshot of advertised salaries over the past three years.

Based on compensation data that was included in job postings for vocational rehabilitation counselors dating back to September 2020, advertised salaries for vocational rehabilitation counselors have increased 16%.

What's the Job Growth for Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors?

Another data point that someone thinking about a career path should consider is whether or not jobs are expected to see growth in the future. The chart below looks at projected employment for vocational rehabilitation counselors over the next 10 years.

According to the data obtained through Lightcast,™ there were 364,118 jobs for vocational rehabilitation counselors in the United States in 2023. By 2033, it is expected that about 34,018 jobs will be added. That's a 9.3% increase over the next 10-year period.

Additional Links

Ready to dig deeper into career information about vocational rehabilitation counselors? Visit our other pages focused on salary and education for vocational rehabilitation counselors.

What do vocational rehabilitation counselors do?
Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors: How do you become one?

All Occupations

The Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has compiled data for dozens of in-demand jobs. Explore our full catalog of occupation data by visiting the link below.

View Other Occupations