Average Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor Salary in United States for 2024

In this article, we will look at the average Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor salary for 2024 in United States and how that compares to other countries and professions. We'll also look at interesting salary data points like median salary, 25th and 75th percentile salaries, salary amounts based on experience, bonus ranges and more!

The data in this article has been compiled using official government salary data, salary surveys, and other sources such as job postings which contain salary information.

All salary information is in the local currency, which is the United States dollar. To keep things simple, we are using the USD currency code instead of the currency symbol $.

How Much Does a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor Make in United States?

A Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor working in United States will typically earn around 116,400 USD per year, and this can range from the lowest average salary of about 54,100 USD to the highest average salary of 180,500 USD.

Average Annual Salary
116,400 USD
Average Monthly Salary
9,700 USD

Lowest Annual Salary
54,100 USD
Lowest Monthly Salary
4,508 USD

Highest Annual Salary
180,500 USD
Highest Monthly Salary
15,041 USD

These are average salaries for a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor in United States and include benefits such as housing and transport. It's also possible for a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor to earn more or less than the average salaries shown above.

Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor salaries will vary a lot based on your experience, location, skills, and gender. Keep reading below to research more data on each of these areas.

Distribution of Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor Salaries in United States

So we've looked at the average salaries a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor will earn in United States. The next interesting data point is the distribution of salaries.

Salary ranges

We already know that a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor can earn between 54,100 USD and 180,500 USD on average in United States. This is known as the range in statistics.

The difference between the maximum and minimum values is a good indicator of variability in salaries, and can be used by employers to figure out how much they can expect to pay, and for employees to know how much they can earn.

Median salary

The median salary for a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor in United States is 118,900 USD. This is the middle value in the distribution of salaries.

What this means is that approximately 50% of the population earn less than 118,900 USD, and 50% of the population earn more than 118,900 USD.

If you are earning more than the median salary, that's a good indicator that you are being paid well.

If you're not earning more than the median salary, your objective should be to increase your earnings to be at least as high as the median salary (which you can do by asking for a pay rise, looking for a better paying job, etc).

Percentiles

Percentiles are similar to the median salary, but instead of looking at the middle value, they look at the values in the top and bottom half of the distribution.

For the average Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor salary in United States, 25% of the population are earning less than 79,800 USD while 75% of the population earn more than 79,800 USD.

75% of the population earn less than 157,600 USD, and 25% of the population earn more than 157,600 USD.

Like the median salary, the 25th and 75th percentile salaries can be used to determine which quartile you fall into so that you know whether you are being paid well enough compared to others in your profession and location.

The difference between a median and an average salary

The median and average salary are both indicators you can use to see if you are being paid fairly based on the overall population.

  • If your salary is higher than the average and the median salary, you are earning well compared to others.
  • If your salary is lower than the average and the median salary, it could indicate you are not being paid well enough.
  • If you are somewhere in between then it's tricky to determine if you are being paid well enough and you might need to research more closely.

Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor Salary by Experience Level in United States

The most important factor in determining your salary after the specific profession is the number of years experience you have. It stands to reason that more years of experience will result in a higher wage.

We have researched the average vocational rehabilitation counselor salary based on years of experience to give you an idea of how the average changes once you've worked for a certain amount of time.

  • 0 - 2 Years Experience. A Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor in United States that has less than two years of experience can expect to earn somewhere in the region of 63,200 USD.
  • 2 - 5 Years Experience. With two to five years of experience the average Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor salary would increase to 92,400 USD.
  • 5 - 10 Years Experience. From five to ten years of experience as a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor, the average salary would be 119,700 USD.
  • 10 - 15 Years Experience. Once you have more than ten years of experience the average salary reaches around 148,300 USD.
  • 15 - 20 Years Experience. A Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor with 15 to 20 years of experience can earn an average of 156,200 USD.
  • 20+ Years Experience. For a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor with more than 20 years, the expected average salary increases to 172,300 USD.

Average Salary by Experience Chart

0-2 Years
63,200 USD
2-5 Years +42%
92,400 USD
5-10 Years +31%
119,700 USD
10-15 Years +23%
148,300 USD
15-20 Years +6%
156,200 USD
20+ Years +10%
172,300 USD

Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor Salary by Education Level in United States

As well as experience in a job, your education plays a big role in how much you can earn. A lot of higher paying positions require a high level of education, but how much can a degree increase your salary?

In our research we have compared the salaries of employees in the same job and career level with different levels of education to see how much more you can earn at each education level.

The salary you can earn based on your education is very specific to both your location and the career path you choose.

In our research, we looked at the average salary for a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor in United States based on the education level of the employees in order to find out whether a better education level would increase your salary.

  • Bachelor's Degree. A Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor in United States with a bachelor's degree education can earn an average salary of 90,900 USD.

  • Master's Degree. A Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor in United States with a master's degree education can earn an average salary of 116,400 USD.

  • PhD. A Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor in United States with a phd education can earn an average salary of 169,700 USD.

Average Salary by Education Chart

Bachelor's Degree
90,900 USD
Master's Degree +28%
116,400 USD
PhD +48%
169,700 USD

How Much is a Master's Degree or MBA Program?

The approximate cost of a master's degree or post-graduate program like an MBA in United States is around 39,500 to 118,000 USD and takes two years to complete.

As you can see above, there are financial benefits from reaching master's degree level, but don't expect to see much of a salary increase until you have completed the degree.

It's common for people to pursue an MBA or other post-graduate program in order to switch to a a job that pays more. On average, you can expect to earn around 10% more when switching to a new company.

Whether you decide to pursue a master's degree depends on many factors. If you are able to afford it, the numbers suggest that the return on investment is worth it and you could recover the costs in a few years from the salary increase you would receive.

Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor Salary Compared by Gender

In the modern age, we know that there should never be a pay gap between men and women. Unfortunately, in many professions, there is still a significant difference between the salaries earned by men when compared to the salary of women in the same job.

In United States, a male vocational rehabilitation counselor will earn an average of 117,100 USD, while a female vocational rehabilitation counselor will earn around 112,700 USD.

This means that a male vocational rehabilitation counselor earns approximately 4% more than a female vocational rehabilitation counselor for performing the same job.

Average Salary by Gender Chart in United States

Male
117,100 USD
Female -4%
112,700 USD

Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor Average Pay Raise in United States

In many countries, an annual pay raise is often given to employees to reward their service with a salary increase.

From our research, we can see that the average pay raise for a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor in United States is around 12% every 17 months.

The national average pay raise across all professions and industries in United States is around 8% every 16 months.

In this case, we can see that the number of months between the average pay raise is higher than the typical 12 months.

To make the data more meaningful, we can calculate what the approximate annual pay raise would be using a simple formula:

Annual Increase = ( Increase Rate ÷ Months ) × 12

So for this example, it would be:

Annual Increase = ( 12 ÷ 17 ) × 12  = 8%

What this means is that a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor in United States can expect to receive an average pay raise of around 8% every 12 months.

Annual Pay Raise by Industry in United States for 2024

In the chart below, you can see the average annual pay raise percentages for each of the major industries in United States.

You will see that companies in bigger and more lucrative industries tend to have the higher annual pay raises.

Banking
4%
Energy
8%
Information Technology
3%
Healthcare
7%
Travel
2%
Construction
6%
Education
1%

Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor Bonus and Incentive Rates in United States

Another part of your overall compensation in a job is how much bonus you receive. Some job roles will be more likely to pay a bonus than others and also more likely to have higher bonus rates.

Generally speaking, jobs that are more involved with direct revenue generation will receive higher bonuses based on the performance towards revenue goals.

A Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor is a moderate bonus based job, with 59% of employees reporting at least one bonus in the last 12 months.

41% reported that they had not received any bonuses in the previous 12 months.

For the employees that did receive a bonus in the previous 12 months, the reported bonuses ranged from 3% to 6%.

Received Bonus
59%
No Bonus
41%

What are the Types of Bonus?

There are a number of difference types of bonus you can receive in a job. Including:

  • Individual performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee for general performance in the job. It's the most common type of bonus.
  • Company performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to a company employees to share profit with the staff.
  • Goal based bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee (or a team) for achieving specific goals, objectives, or milestones.
  • Holiday bonus - This type of bonus is usually paid around the holidays, often the end of the year, and is a token of appreciation for the hard work throughout the year.

Government vs Private Sector Salaries

Another commonly asked question is whether you get paid a higher salary working in the public (government) sector or the private sector.

Public sector employees in United States earn approximately 6% more than private sector employees in the same role.

Public Sector
98,800 USD
Private Sector -6%
93,100 USD

Salaries for Jobs Similar to a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor

In the table below, we have salary information for jobs that are similar to a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor in United States.

Job Title Category Salary
Adoption Services Director Counseling 128,400 USD
Alcohol and Drug Counselor Counseling 102,700 USD
Assistant Instructor Counseling 45,300 USD
Career Counselor Counseling 118,900 USD
Consultant Counseling 114,300 USD
Director of Rehabilitation Services Counseling 147,900 USD
Disability Consultant Counseling 95,000 USD
Employment Counselor Counseling 116,400 USD
Family Advocate Counseling 79,600 USD
Family Services Specialist Counseling 89,200 USD
Family Support Specialist Counseling 117,100 USD
Family Youth Worker Counseling 36,800 USD
Guidance Counselor Counseling 115,600 USD
Guidance Director Counseling 141,000 USD
Mental Health Counselor Counseling 125,400 USD
Mental Health Therapist Counseling 115,600 USD
Programs Coordinator Counseling 65,700 USD
Psychologist Counseling 163,800 USD
Supervising Counselor Counseling 123,800 USD
Youth Advocate Counseling 63,200 USD
Youth Care Counselor Counseling 118,900 USD
Youth Care Specialist Counseling 71,900 USD
Youth Development Manager Counseling 138,700 USD

Salary Comparison by City

If you want to compare salaries with different cities in United States, you can use the links below to explore the data for each specific city we have researched.

City Average Salary
Atlanta 117,100 USD
Austin 130,400 USD
Baltimore 117,100 USD
Boston 119,700 USD
Bristol 95,600 USD
Chicago 134,700 USD
Cincinnati 99,600 USD
Cleveland 108,200 USD
Dallas 130,500 USD
Denver 130,500 USD
Detroit 119,700 USD
Honolulu 100,400 USD
Houston 146,700 USD
Indianapolis 125,400 USD
Iowa City 100,200 USD
Jacksonville 134,100 USD
Kansas City 112,700 USD
Kent 99,100 USD
Las Vegas 116,400 USD
Long Beach 115,600 USD
Los Angeles 146,700 USD
Memphis 116,400 USD
Miami 107,300 USD
Minneapolis 109,000 USD
New Orleans 103,600 USD
New York 151,800 USD
Oakland 107,300 USD
Oklahoma City 123,000 USD
Orlando 102,700 USD
Philadelphia 142,300 USD
Phoenix 142,300 USD
Sacramento 117,100 USD
San Antonio 130,500 USD
San Diego 141,000 USD
San Francisco 127,700 USD
San Jose 128,200 USD
Seattle 127,700 USD
Tampa 103,600 USD
Vancouver 94,800 USD
Washington D.C. 123,800 USD

Salary Comparison by State

The table below includes links to the average salary for each state in United States.

City Average Salary
Alabama 117,100 USD
Alaska 105,800 USD
Arizona 127,600 USD
Arkansas 121,800 USD
California 142,100 USD
Colorado 115,600 USD
Connecticut 114,300 USD
Delaware 108,200 USD
District of Columbia 108,200 USD
Florida 141,000 USD
Georgia 128,200 USD
Hawaii 111,700 USD
Idaho 114,600 USD
Illinois 138,700 USD
Indiana 119,700 USD
Iowa 114,900 USD
Kansas 114,300 USD
Kentucky 123,000 USD
Louisiana 123,800 USD
Maine 107,300 USD
Maryland 124,500 USD
Massachusetts 123,800 USD
Michigan 132,000 USD
Minnesota 127,600 USD
Mississippi 111,700 USD
Missouri 123,000 USD
Montana 108,200 USD
Nebraska 114,300 USD
Nevada 121,800 USD
New Hampshire 107,700 USD
New Jersey 128,200 USD
New Mexico 114,300 USD
New York 139,100 USD
North Carolina 125,400 USD
North Dakota 102,700 USD
Ohio 128,400 USD
Oklahoma 121,800 USD
Oregon 125,400 USD
Pennsylvania 128,200 USD
Rhode Island 107,300 USD
South Carolina 123,000 USD
South Dakota 111,700 USD
Tennessee 130,400 USD
Texas 128,400 USD
Utah 114,600 USD
Vermont 107,700 USD
Virginia 130,400 USD
Washington 134,100 USD
West Virginia 108,200 USD
Wisconsin 124,500 USD
Wyoming 107,300 USD

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