Rehabilitation Counselors Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for rehabilitation counselorss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
National mean salary $51,820 ≈ $25/hr
National median salary $46,850
Total employment 94,740 nationwide
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Projected growth +1.4%
Slower than average
Annual openings 10,000 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 91,900 → 93,200 (+1,300)
Typical entry education Master's degree
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- Alaska$70,080
- North Dakota$65,880
- District of Columbia$63,780
- Connecticut$62,980
- Washington$62,270
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Oklahoma$40,340
- South Carolina$40,730
- Arkansas$41,230
- Kansas$43,090
- Iowa$43,400
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $70,080 | $61,590 | $34 | +35.2% | 130 |
| 2 | North Dakota | $65,880 | $63,050 | $32 | +27.1% | 210 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $63,780 | $49,680 | $31 | +23.1% | — |
| 4 | Connecticut | $62,980 | $56,340 | $30 | +21.5% | 2,410 |
| 5 | Washington | $62,270 | $58,050 | $30 | +20.2% | 5,440 |
| 6 | Louisiana | $61,950 | $47,990 | $30 | +19.5% | 280 |
| 7 | Wyoming | $60,080 | $67,640 | $29 | +15.9% | 70 |
| 8 | New Jersey | $59,410 | $49,730 | $29 | +14.6% | 1,630 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $59,310 | $47,020 | $29 | +14.5% | 420 |
| 10 | Massachusetts | $59,030 | $47,320 | $28 | +13.9% | 5,760 |
| 11 | Oregon | $58,570 | $54,970 | $28 | +13% | 1,630 |
| 12 | Alabama | $57,150 | $54,040 | $27 | +10.3% | 540 |
| 13 | Georgia | $57,030 | $55,000 | $27 | +10.1% | 740 |
| 14 | Kentucky | $56,550 | $58,540 | $27 | +9.1% | 790 |
| 15 | Colorado | $56,410 | $47,840 | $27 | +8.9% | 980 |
| 16 | Virginia | $56,260 | $47,530 | $27 | +8.6% | 2,890 |
| 17 | Vermont | $55,900 | $50,030 | $27 | +7.9% | 310 |
| 18 | New Mexico | $55,670 | $48,240 | $27 | +7.4% | 210 |
| 19 | Minnesota | $55,350 | $48,010 | $27 | +6.8% | 3,020 |
| 20 | Idaho | $55,120 | $54,550 | $27 | +6.4% | 820 |
| 21 | South Dakota | $54,400 | $49,350 | $26 | +5% | 370 |
| 22 | Illinois | $54,300 | $49,350 | $26 | +4.8% | 4,140 |
| 23 | Utah | $53,910 | $43,900 | $26 | +4% | 650 |
| 24 | Hawaii | $53,830 | $48,720 | $26 | +3.9% | 150 |
| 25 | Maine | $53,320 | $51,150 | $26 | +2.9% | 330 |
| 26 | Pennsylvania | $52,840 | $48,650 | $25 | +2% | 4,130 |
| 27 | New York | $52,370 | $47,960 | $25 | +1.1% | 3,810 |
| 28 | Texas | $51,980 | $49,990 | $25 | +0.3% | 1,840 |
| 29 | Nebraska | $51,060 | $47,050 | $25 | -1.5% | 480 |
| 30 | Delaware | $50,860 | $48,840 | $24 | -1.9% | 340 |
| 31 | Arizona | $50,180 | $48,330 | $24 | -3.2% | 1,750 |
| 32 | Florida | $49,620 | $45,990 | $24 | -4.2% | 3,110 |
| 33 | Wisconsin | $49,540 | $46,530 | $24 | -4.4% | 2,390 |
| 34 | Ohio | $49,300 | $42,620 | $24 | -4.9% | 3,690 |
| 35 | Missouri | $49,190 | $45,180 | $24 | -5.1% | 2,020 |
| 36 | Montana | $49,040 | $45,240 | $24 | -5.4% | 330 |
| 37 | California | $48,570 | $44,480 | $23 | -6.3% | 13,690 |
| 38 | Michigan | $48,060 | $44,580 | $23 | -7.3% | 3,340 |
| 39 | West Virginia | $47,640 | $48,050 | $23 | -8.1% | 470 |
| 40 | Maryland | $46,830 | $40,860 | $23 | -9.6% | 3,300 |
| 41 | Tennessee | $46,320 | $46,060 | $22 | -10.6% | 1,590 |
| 42 | Mississippi | $45,800 | $41,500 | $22 | -11.6% | 470 |
| 43 | Indiana | $45,570 | $44,390 | $22 | -12.1% | 2,030 |
| 44 | North Carolina | $45,010 | $45,890 | $22 | -13.1% | 3,820 |
| 45 | New Hampshire | $44,860 | $42,600 | $22 | -13.4% | 430 |
| 46 | Nevada | $43,980 | $40,120 | $21 | -15.1% | 570 |
| 47 | Iowa | $43,400 | $39,630 | $21 | -16.2% | 2,170 |
| 48 | Kansas | $43,090 | $41,980 | $21 | -16.8% | 1,370 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $41,230 | $35,210 | $20 | -20.4% | 600 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $40,730 | $35,990 | $20 | -21.4% | 980 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $40,340 | $38,260 | $19 | -22.2% | 1,570 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 384 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Haven, CT | $79,380 | $70,830 | — |
| 2 | Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA | $72,960 | $70,350 | 40 |
| 3 | Upper Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area | $71,260 | $64,720 | 100 |
| 4 | Johnstown, PA | $70,450 | $67,410 | 110 |
| 5 | Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $69,740 | $70,630 | 140 |
| 6 | Killeen-Temple, TX | $69,180 | $75,610 | 40 |
| 7 | Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area | $68,430 | $72,440 | 70 |
| 8 | Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ | $66,950 | $68,190 | 60 |
| 9 | Alaska nonmetropolitan area | $66,780 | $71,700 | 40 |
| 10 | Bismarck, ND | $66,700 | $69,210 | 60 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing rehabilitation counselorss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Other Insurance Related Activities | $99,000 | $98,150 | — |
| 2 | Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services | $98,840 | $114,070 | — |
| 3 | Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities | $95,980 | $94,950 | 460 |
| 4 | Insurance Carriers and Related Activities | $95,720 | $94,000 | 520 |
| 5 | Sector 52 - Finance and Insurance | $95,720 | $93,970 | 520 |
| 6 | General Medical and Surgical Hospitals, State Government Owned | $87,020 | $96,910 | 30 |
| 7 | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $86,690 | $94,520 | — |
| 8 | Sector 54 - Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $86,690 | $94,520 | — |
| 9 | Insurance Carriers | $86,630 | $86,250 | 60 |
| 10 | Insurance Agencies and Brokerages | $84,510 | $83,090 | 100 |
| 11 | General Medical and Surgical Hospitals, Local Government Owned | $76,660 | $78,280 | 110 |
| 12 | Hospitals, Local Government Owned | $73,070 | $76,110 | 120 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do rehabilitation counselors make in the U.S.?
The median rehabilitation counselors salary in the United States is $46,850 per year (mean $51,820), and about 80% earn between $35,060 and $77,170.
How much do rehabilitation counselors make per hour?
Roughly $25 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $51,820 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays rehabilitation counselors the most?
Alaska has the highest average pay for rehabilitation counselors at $70,080 per year (median $61,590).
What is the job outlook for rehabilitation counselors?
Employment is projected to change +1.4% from 2024 to 2034 (Slower than average), with about 10,000 openings per year.
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