How to hire rehabilitation counselors
A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.
$22.52U.S. median hourly pay
$38,770–$59,260Middle half, yearly
94,740People in this job in the U.S.
Job description template
Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.
[Job title] at [Company name] [City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range] About the role [Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.] What you will do • Analyze information from interviews, educational and medical records, consultation with other professionals, and diagnostic evaluations to assess clients' abilities, needs, and eligibility for services. • Confer with clients to discuss their options and goals so that rehabilitation programs and plans for accessing needed services can be developed. • Develop and maintain relationships with community referral sources, such as schools or community groups. • 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. • Maintain close contact with clients during job training and placements to resolve problems and evaluate placement adequacy. • Monitor and record clients' progress to ensure that goals and objectives are met. • 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. What you bring • [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any] • [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: Master's degree] • Strong active listening, monitoring, speaking, critical thinking, reading comprehension and writing skills • Working knowledge of therapy and counseling, psychology, customer and personal service and English Language • [Anything else you would really turn someone away for] Pay and benefits [Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $22.52 an hour ($46,850 a year). [Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.] How to apply [Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]
Interview questions for rehabilitation counselors
Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.
- Tell me about a time you had to analyze information from interviews, educational and medical records, consultation with other professionals, and diagnostic evaluations to assess clients' abilities, needs, and eligibility for services. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to confer with clients to discuss their options and goals so that rehabilitation programs and plans for accessing needed services can be developed. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to develop and maintain relationships with community referral sources, such as schools or community groups. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to develop rehabilitation plans that fit clients' aptitudes, education levels, physical abilities, and career goals. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to understand a request or problem that was explained poorly. How did you make sure you got it right?
- How do you keep track of your own work quality during a busy shift or week? Give an example of catching a problem early.
- Explain something technical from your last job as you would to a new coworker.
- Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?
Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.
What rehabilitation counselors do
- Analyze information from interviews, educational and medical records, consultation with other professionals, and diagnostic evaluations to assess clients' abilities, needs, and eligibility for services.
- Confer with clients to discuss their options and goals so that rehabilitation programs and plans for accessing needed services can be developed.
- Develop and maintain relationships with community referral sources, such as schools or community groups.
- 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.
- Maintain close contact with clients during job training and placements to resolve problems and evaluate placement adequacy.
- Monitor and record clients' progress to ensure that goals and objectives are met.
- 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.
Skills that matter most
Education, experience and outlook for rehabilitation counselors
- Typical education to start: Master's degree (BLS)
- Job outlook: +2.2% over ten years, about as fast as average · about 8,200 openings a year (BLS)
What to pay rehabilitation counselors
Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:
| State | Median yearly pay |
|---|---|
| Kentucky | $58,540 |
| Washington | $58,050 |
| Connecticut | $56,340 |
| Georgia | $55,000 |
| Oregon | $54,970 |
| Oklahoma | $38,260 |
| South Carolina | $35,990 |
| Arkansas | $35,210 |
See rehabilitation counselors pay in every state
Related hiring guides
- Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors
- Marriage and Family Therapists
- Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors
- Counselors, All Other
- Child, Family, and School Social Workers
- Healthcare Social Workers
- Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers
- Social Workers, All Other
- Health Education Specialists
- Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists
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Post a job freePay by areaJob duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.