Rehabilitation counselors
SOC Code: 21-1015
Rehabilitation counselors carries a 41% AI exposure score (High automation risk), with a median annual wage of $46,110 and +1.4% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 91,900 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 41% AI exposure, Rehabilitation counselors sits 4 points above the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 71% of them. Most of its core tasks still require human judgment.
Career outlook score
31/100
Rehabilitation counselors, weighted across 3 of 3 tracked dimensions
A weighted composite of median wage, projected growth, and AI-automation security (inverted exposure), each benchmarked against every other tracked occupation. It describes this occupation's standing across those three dimensions, not a guarantee of future outcomes.
- Median wage F $46,110
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth F +1.4%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) F 41% exposure
Lower O*NET task-automability scores lower risk; this dimension scores security, not exposure
Home health and personal care aides is #1 of 832 occupations by employment (4.3M, AI exposure rank #392 at 35%) vs. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks #1 by AI task exposure (95%, employment rank #17 at 1.6M).
Automation-risk inventory
Exclusive cut of 832 occupations by PlainWorkforce automation-risk band. Orthogonal to the continuous AI-exposure distribution chart below and to this occupation's single risk badge, this is the corpus band mix, with Rehabilitation counselors in the High band.
Credential × growth standing
Graduate credential among the thinner entry shelves
Rehabilitation counselors is in the Graduate band (113 of 832) with BLS pace Slow growth (245/832). Graduate entry is a minority shelf - pairing it with slow growth growth is the standing that separates this SOC from bachelor-dominated neighbors.
Where Rehabilitation counselors sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Rehabilitation counselors sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
41% Around the middle lower than 29% of 832 occupations
Occupations, banded by AI-exposure score
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor) · BLS 2024–2034
Source: O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor); AI-exposure scores are PlainWorkforce's analysis. As of BLS 2024–2034.
Rehabilitation counselors vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Rehabilitation counselors is marked in rose; the top-left corner is the most future-proof.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 (growth) and O*NET (AI-exposure analysis by PlainWorkforce).
Employment Projections
Where This Score Comes From
Rehabilitation counselors's High automation-risk tier is computed from O*NET Database 30.0 task-level analysis, where each documented task the occupation performs is evaluated against current generative AI, robotic process automation, and machine-learning capabilities. A score in the 40–70% range indicates meaningful automation pressure on specific task categories, but the role as a whole still requires human judgment for coordination, exception handling, or client interaction.
The employment, wage, and education figures above come from a second, separate federal source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034, matched to the O*NET task data by Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 21-1015) code, with the wage figure cross-validated against the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 survey. BLS figures are presented exactly as published, with no adjustment on our part; the SOC-code match is what lets Rehabilitation counselors be compared directly against every other tracked occupation on the same basis, not just roles that happen to share a job title.
For career planners, this profile should be read alongside the task, skill, and knowledge breakdowns below and the list of employers whose workforce composition includes Rehabilitation counselors. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. 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.
- 2. Confer with clients to discuss their options and goals so that rehabilitation programs and plans for accessing needed services can be developed.
- 3. Develop rehabilitation plans that fit clients' aptitudes, education levels, physical abilities, and career goals.
- 4. 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.
- 5. Monitor and record clients' progress to ensure that goals and objectives are met.
- 6. Participate in job development and placement programs, contacting prospective employers, placing clients in jobs, and evaluating the success of placements.
- 7. Analyze information from interviews, educational and medical records, consultation with other professionals, and diagnostic evaluations to assess clients' abilities, needs, and eligibility for services.
- 8. Collaborate with clients' families to implement rehabilitation plans, such as behavioral, residential, social, or employment goals.
- 9. Develop and maintain relationships with community referral sources, such as schools or community groups.
- 10. Maintain close contact with clients during job training and placements to resolve problems and evaluate placement adequacy.
Key Skills Required
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Social Perceptiveness
- Service Orientation
- Monitoring
- Reading Comprehension
- Writing
- Critical Thinking
- Coordination
- Judgment and Decision Making
Knowledge Areas
- Customer and Personal Service
- Therapy and Counseling
- Psychology
- Education and Training
- English Language
- Administrative
- Computers and Electronics
- Sociology and Anthropology
- Personnel and Human Resources
- Administration and Management
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Rehabilitation counselors?
Rehabilitation counselors has an AI exposure score of 41%, indicating a high level of automation risk. Some tasks in this role can be augmented or partially automated by AI, but core responsibilities require human judgment.
What is the job outlook for Rehabilitation counselors?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Rehabilitation counselors is projected to grow by 1.4% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 91,900 workers.
What skills are needed for Rehabilitation counselors?
Key skills for Rehabilitation counselors include Active Listening, Speaking, Social Perceptiveness, and others. Typical entry-level education is Master's degree.
How much do Rehabilitation counselors earn?
The median annual wage for Rehabilitation counselors is $46,110, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024). Actual earnings vary by location, experience, industry, and employer. The BLS publishes detailed wage percentiles by region in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
What education is required for Rehabilitation counselors?
The typical entry-level education for Rehabilitation counselors is Master's degree. Employers generally expect None of related work experience. On-the-job training typically involves None. Requirements can vary by employer and specialization.
Which companies employ Rehabilitation counselors?
Rehabilitation counselors roles exist across many industries and employers. Workforce composition is estimated from BLS industry-occupation employment distributions matched to SEC-registered public companies.
AI Exposure Rating
High automation risk based on 10 analyzed tasks. A moderate share of tasks may be augmented by AI tools.
Nationwide occupations with similar workforce profiles
Two data-derived peer sets for Rehabilitation counselors: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (41% here).
- Computer and information research scientists · AI exposure 41%
- Cooks, fast food · AI exposure 41%
- Cooks, institution and cafeteria · AI exposure 41%
- Cooks, restaurant · AI exposure 41%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (+1.4% here).
- Financial clerks, all other · growth +1.4%
- Special education teachers, preschool · growth +1.4%
- Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door · growth +1.3%
- Instructional coordinators · growth +1.3%
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published BLS + O*NET metrics among occupations with ≥10,000 workers in 2024; corpus ranks above sort the full tracked set.
Related Occupations
Showing 6 of 221 occupations with a comparable automation-risk profile.
What to do with this
Use Rehabilitation counselors' numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Rehabilitation counselors side by side against another occupation on wage, growth, and AI exposure. Workforce comparison tool
- Understand how the AI exposure score above is actually calculated before treating it as a verdict. Reading AI exposure scores
- See the full ranked list of occupations with the lowest automation exposure nationwide. Safest occupations from AI
AI exposure scores estimate task automatability from O*NET data; they are not a certainty of job loss, and BLS growth projections are estimates, not guarantees.
Data sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET Database 30.0. Employment figures are rounded. Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (OES).