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Rehabilitation Counselors
Counsel individuals to maximize the independence and employability of persons coping with personal, social, and vocational difficulties that result from birth defects, illness, disease, accidents, aging, or the stress of daily life. Coordinate activities for residents of care and treatment facilities. Assess client needs and design and implement rehabilitation programs that may include personal and vocational counseling, training, and job placement.
Other titles employers use
Employment Advisor · Employment Services Case Manager · Employment Specialist · Human Services Care Specialist · Job Coach · Rehabilitation Counselor · Rehabilitation Specialist · Vocational Case Manager
Inside the work
What you would actually do.
6 responsibilities that define the role, before job titles and workplaces change the details.
- Prepare and maintain records and case files, including documentation, such as clients' personal and eligibility information, services provided, narratives of client contacts, or relevant correspondence.
- Confer with clients to discuss their options and goals so that rehabilitation programs and plans for accessing needed services can be developed.
- Develop rehabilitation plans that fit clients' aptitudes, education levels, physical abilities, and career goals.
- Locate barriers to client employment, such as inaccessible work sites, inflexible schedules, or transportation problems, and work with clients to develop strategies for overcoming these barriers.
- Monitor and record clients' progress to ensure that goals and objectives are met.
- Participate in job development and placement programs, contacting prospective employers, placing clients in jobs, and evaluating the success of placements.
Who it suits
Would this work hold your attention?
This career often appeals to people drawn to helping, persuading and analytical work.
- Persuading
- Leading, selling, starting projects, or making a case
- Analytical
- Investigating questions, testing ideas, and solving problems
Skills and strengths
What you would get good at.
Compare the skills the work relies on, the subjects behind it, and the abilities that make it easier to learn.
Core skills
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Social Perceptiveness
- Service Orientation
- Monitoring
- Reading Comprehension
Subjects to know
- Customer and Personal Service
- Therapy and Counseling
- Psychology
- Education and Training
- English Language
Useful strengths
- Oral Comprehension
- Oral Expression
- Speech Clarity
- Written Comprehension
- Written Expression
Working day
Picture yourself doing it.
These measures show how much of the day involves people, movement, conversation, and hands-on work.
| Measure | Out of 5 | What that means here |
|---|---|---|
| Close to other people | 2.9 | Largely your own space |
| On your feet | 2.4 | Mostly seated |
| Talking face to face | 4.8 | Continuous — the job is conversations |
| Working with your hands | 2.2 | Little of the day |
Preparation
How people prepare for this work.
Employers usually ask for a master's degree. Other routes may also lead into the field.
- A four-year degree 56%
- A master's degree 28%
- High school or less 13%
- A doctorate or professional degree 3%
Tools of the work
Technology you may use.
- Electronic mail software
- Office suite software
- Spreadsheet software
- Presentation software
- Word processing software
- Internet browser software
- Medical software
- Data base user interface and query software
Opportunity near you
See where this work is growing.
Choose a state to compare the size of the field, annual openings, and expected hiring change.
- People doing this work
- 13,800
- Job openings each year
- 1,160
- Expected hiring change, 2022–2032
- 14.0%
Compare every available state
| State | People doing it | Job openings each year | Expected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 13,800 | 1,160 | 14.0% |
| Pennsylvania | 7,200 | 580 | 6.0% |
| New York | 6,490 | 120 | 22.5% |
| Washington | 4,780 | 400 | 4.4% |
| Oregon | 4,750 | 410 | 18.8% |
| Maryland | 4,690 | 380 | 7.3% |
| Illinois | 4,000 | 320 | 5.3% |
| Ohio | 3,650 | 300 | 7.4% |
| Connecticut | 3,360 | 270 | 5.0% |
| Florida | 3,070 | 240 | 4.1% |
| Minnesota | 2,860 | 230 | 7.1% |
| Michigan | 2,820 | 220 | 1.4% |
| North Carolina | 2,610 | 210 | 4.0% |
| Arizona | 2,330 | 200 | 17.7% |
| Virginia | 2,230 | 180 | 6.7% |
| Wisconsin | 2,170 | 170 | — |
| South Carolina | 2,150 | 180 | 10.3% |
| Iowa | 2,120 | 170 | 7.1% |
| Massachusetts | 1,960 | 160 | 3.7% |
| Texas | 1,900 | 160 | 13.1% |
| Oklahoma | 1,850 | 150 | 3.9% |
| Idaho | 1,760 | 150 | 12.1% |
| New Jersey | 1,610 | 130 | 3.2% |
| Indiana | 1,490 | 120 | 4.2% |
| Utah | 1,360 | 110 | 7.9% |
| Kentucky | 1,110 | 90 | 8.8% |
| Georgia | 1,030 | 90 | 21.2% |
| Kansas | 1,000 | 80 | 3.1% |
| Colorado | 980 | 80 | 8.9% |
| Mississippi | 830 | 70 | 6.4% |
| Alabama | 660 | 50 | 1.5% |
| Tennessee | 660 | 60 | 15.8% |
| District of Columbia | 560 | 50 | 9.8% |
| Missouri | 560 | 50 | 5.7% |
| Nebraska | 500 | 40 | 4.2% |
| Montana | 450 | 40 | 9.8% |
| Vermont | 400 | 30 | 5.3% |
| West Virginia | 370 | 30 | 8.8% |
| Rhode Island | 360 | 30 | 5.9% |
| Delaware | 330 | 30 | 10.0% |
| South Dakota | 320 | 30 | 3.2% |
| Louisiana | 310 | 20 | 3.3% |
| New Mexico | 280 | 20 | 7.7% |
| Arkansas | 270 | 20 | — |
| New Hampshire | 270 | 20 | 3.8% |
| Puerto Rico | 260 | 20 | 4.0% |
| Maine | 250 | 20 | — |
| Nevada | 200 | 20 | 11.1% |
| North Dakota | 190 | 10 | — |
| Alaska | 180 | 10 | 20.0% |
| Wyoming | 90 | 10 | — |
Career to college
Build a path toward this work.
Start with a related major, then compare colleges where students complete that field.
Where to study
Colleges with strong activity in these fields.
Start with program size, admission, and likely cost. Open a college for the full picture.
University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus
- Degrees each year
- 144
- Admit rate
- 50%
- Annual cost after aid
- $23,000
The University of Texas at El Paso
- Degrees each year
- 139
- Admit rate
- 100%
- Annual cost after aid
- $10,000
Ithaca College
- Degrees each year
- 121
- Admit rate
- 70%
- Annual cost after aid
- $29,000
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
- Degrees each year
- 83
- Admit rate
- 85%
- Annual cost after aid
- $6,000
Florida International University
- Degrees each year
- 80
- Admit rate
- 59%
- Annual cost after aid
- $11,000
University of North Texas
- Degrees each year
- 76
- Admit rate
- 72%
- Annual cost after aid
- $14,000
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania
- Degrees each year
- 73
- Admit rate
- 75%
- Annual cost after aid
- $17,000
Temple University
- Degrees each year
- 71
- Admit rate
- 83%
- Annual cost after aid
- $27,000
Compare every college offering rehabilitation and therapeutic professions