A graduate degree in rehabilitation counseling, one of the 50 highest paying master’s degrees, holds its value across the United States. If you plan to move to another state, you need to be aware of what credentials transfer with you when you move and what challenges you may face getting licensed in a new state. It’s also wise to think ahead and consider what states offer the best opportunities for rehabilitation counselors.
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Relocating as a Rehabilitation Counselor
What happens if you decide to move to another state during the course of your career? Depending on whether their credentials are state-issued or awarded by a nationally-recognized professional certification organization, you may keep those credentials in good standing or have to go through a process to re-establish your professional credentials.
Rehabilitation counselors retain professional certifications like the Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) credential when they move across state lines. That’s because CRC certification isn’t awarded on a state-by-state basis. This credential is nationally recognized and awarded by the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification, which is itself accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies.
Licensing of rehabilitation counselors is a different matter. Licenses are issued by a state to grant rehabilitation counselors the authority to practice in that state. Each state can establish its own requirements for licensure. Most often, these requirements include a master’s degree, a passing score on a professional exam and a supervised clinical experience requirement somewhere between 2,000 and 4,000 hours, according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). About one-third of states nationwide recognize the CRC Exam as part of their state licensing process. Other states may administer their own professional licensing exam.
Historically, license portability or reciprocity – in other words, the ability to transfer your license so that you can work in another state – has been a big problem in the counseling occupations, according to the American Counseling Association. In fact, the American Counseling Association developed its own licensure portability model, which the professional organization is using its influence to attempt to promote, that would help streamline license transfer between states.
For now, pursuing certification as a CRC and making sure your rehabilitation counseling degree program is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs are some of the best steps you could take to prepare yourself for a future move out of the state. If you’re beginning to look more seriously at relocating, it can help to reach out directly to the state licensure board in your intended new state to find out what you will need to do to get your license in that state.
Not every rehabilitation counselor role must be licensed. If you provide vocational assistance rather than counseling services, licensure might be a moot point for you, and your CRC credential may be more valuable in securing employment in a new state.
The States Where Your Rehabilitation Counseling Degree Pays Off the Most
Rehabilitation counselors provide much-needed help to disabled individuals in every state, but not all states employ an equal number of these professionals or pay them a comparable salary. The U.S. state that employs the most rehabilitation counselors is California, where 15,210 of these professionals work, according to the BLS. New York employs the next highest number of rehabilitation, 9,190, followed by Pennsylvania with 7,390 and Massachusetts with 6,280. Ohio rounds out the top five states with the highest levels of employment for rehabilitation counselors, with 5,410 jobs.
None of the states that employ the most rehabilitation counselors offer the highest rates of pay. For rehabilitation counselors, New Jersey is the most lucrative state in the nation, paying its 940 workers in the profession an average annual wage of $65,540. In Rhode Island, the 520 working rehabilitation counselors earn an average wage of $59,710. Colorado pays an average wage of $52,390 to its 1,390 rehabilitation counselors. Although not technically a state, Washington, D.C., is the next highest-paying area, offering average annual salaries of $52,270 and employer 670 rehabilitation counselors – more than you will find in several states. Vermont, with its 520 rehabilitation counselors, pays the fifth-highest average salary for the profession, $50,530.
To put these salary figures in perspective, the national average wage for this field is $40,160, and the median wage is $35,950. Earning $48,110 puts a rehabilitation counselor in the 75th percentile of earners in the field. Making $63,790 puts you in the 90th percentile.
Additional Resources
Are There Certifications I Need in Order to Get a Job in Rehabilitation Counseling?
What Is the Difference Between a Rehabilitation Counselor and Mental Health Counselor?