# Rehabilitation Counselors

US SOC code 21-1015. Markdown version of https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/21-1015

Also called: Vocational rehabilitation counselor, VR counselor, Voc rehab counselor, Vocational rehabilitation specialist, CRC.

## In brief

In May 2025, [BLS](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) counted **94,740** US rehabilitation counselors, with median pay of **$46,850** a year. Of the BLS counts since 2021, the May 2025 count is the highest. The earliest figure here is [an estimate](https://www.census.gov/library/publications/1950/compendia/statab/71ed.html) of **4,500** from 1945, not measured the same way as today's count. The last full technology era for rehabilitation counselors: Computer-based VR case management systems, 1995 to 2010.

## What the sources say

### Official outlook

BLS projects employment to grow 2.2% from 2025 to 2035. Source: [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=21-1015&ioType=o).

### AI exposure studies

- **46.8%** of this job's tasks are exposed to large language models. Not a forecast of job losses. [Eloundou and others, 2023](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv)

Data as of BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35. BLS publishes these counts as yearly survey snapshots and cautions against reading them as a precise trend.

## Rehabilitation Counselors employment and pay by year

- On record since: 1918
- Latest US employment: 94,740 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [5]
- Latest US median pay: $46,850 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [8]
- Outlook: +2.2% by 2035. Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025-35 [25]

### In other countries

The latest figure each country's statistics agency publishes for this job. Each uses its own occupation definition, survey basis and currency, so the numbers are not directly comparable with each other or with the US figures.

- **Canada** (NOC 41321)
  - Employment, 2020: 11,585. Source: Statistics Canada Census 2021 [6]. Statistics Canada Census of Population 2021: number of persons with employment income in NOC 41321 Career development practitioners and career counsellors (except education), Canada, reference year 2020. A recipients basis (anyone with employment income during the year), slightly broader than a point-in-time employed count. Statistics Canada Open Licence.
  - Median pay, 2020: C$55,200. Source: Statistics Canada Census 2021 [10]. Statistics Canada Census of Population 2021 (Table 98-10-0586): median employment income for NOC 41321 Career development practitioners and career counsellors (except education), Canada, reference year 2020, full-year full-time workers (the basis comparable to the US OEWS full-time median). Statistics Canada Open Licence.

### All 27 years of cited US data

| Year | US employment | Annual pay (median unless marked) | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1945 | 4,500 (estimate) | n/a | Est., US Census Bureau [1] |
| 1970 | 20,000 (estimate) | $8,500 (estimate) | Est., US Census Bureau (employment) [2]; Est., US Office of Personnel Management (pay) [7] |
| 1975 | 25,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., Wikipedia [3] |
| 1990 | 100,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., American Rehabilitation Counseling… [4] |
| 2003 | 115,690 | $26,600 | BLS OEWS May 2003 [5] |
| 2004 | 115,150 | $27,870 | BLS OEWS May 2004 [5] |
| 2005 | 117,230 | $28,330 | BLS OEWS May 2005 [5] |
| 2006 | 121,380 | $29,200 | BLS OEWS May 2006 [5] |
| 2007 | 123,890 | $29,630 | BLS OEWS May 2007 [5] |
| 2008 | 112,700 | $30,930 | BLS OEWS May 2008 [5] |
| 2009 | 112,690 | $31,210 | BLS OEWS May 2009 [5] |
| 2010 | 111,490 | $32,350 | BLS OEWS May 2010 [5] |
| 2011 | 110,690 | $33,740 | BLS OEWS May 2011 [5] |
| 2012 | 104,070 | $33,880 | BLS OEWS May 2012 [5] |
| 2013 | 103,840 | $34,230 | BLS OEWS May 2013 [5] |
| 2014 | 103,890 | $34,380 | BLS OEWS May 2014 [5] |
| 2015 | 101,630 | $34,390 | BLS OEWS May 2015 [5] |
| 2016 | 103,030 | $34,670 | BLS OEWS May 2016 [5] |
| 2017 | 103,840 | $34,860 | BLS OEWS May 2017 [5] |
| 2018 | 106,860 | $35,630 | BLS OEWS May 2018 [5] |
| 2019 | 109,040 | $35,950 | BLS OEWS May 2019 [5] |
| 2020 | 100,260 | $37,530 | BLS OEWS May 2020 [5] |
| 2021 | 90,310 | $38,560 | BLS OEWS May 2021 [5] |
| 2022 | 82,420 | $39,990 | BLS OEWS May 2022 [5] |
| 2023 | 84,750 | $44,040 | BLS OEWS May 2023 [5] |
| 2024 | 88,930 | $46,110 | BLS OEWS May 2024 [5] |
| 2025 | 94,740 | $46,850 | BLS OEWS May 2025 [5] |

## Sources (94)

### Employment series

1. [US Census Bureau — Statistical Abstract of the United States 1950: Vocational Rehabilitation Program (federal-state expenditures and persons served)](https://www.census.gov/library/publications/1950/compendia/statab/71ed.html), US Census Bureau
2. [US Census Bureau — Vocational Rehabilitation Summary Statistics (1970-1998): persons rehabilitated 267,000 in 1970; total persons served 876,000](https://allcountries.org/uscensus/620_vocational_rehabilitation_summary.html), US Census Bureau / AllCountries.org archive
3. [Wikipedia — Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification: founding history, first exam cycle 1974-1975, over 4,500 applications in first year](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commission_on_Rehabilitation_Counselor_Certification), Wikipedia / CRCC
4. [American Rehabilitation Counseling Association — "Celebrating the Role of Rehabilitation Counseling" (Counseling Today, February 2020): profession history from 1920 to present](https://ctarchive.counseling.org/2020/02/celebrating-the-role-of-rehabilitation-counseling/), American Rehabilitation Counseling Association / American Counseling Association
5. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)
6. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2021, Table 98-10-0586 (Employment income statistics by occupation unit group, NOC 2021), income reference year 2020](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810058601), Statistics Canada

### Wage series

7. [US Office of Personnel Management — General Schedule Salary Tables (historical archives, 1970 base pay scale reference)](https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/salary-tables/), US Office of Personnel Management
8. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)
9. [BLS OEWS May 2024, national cross-industry estimates (flat file)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
10. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2021, Table 98-10-0586 (Employment income statistics by occupation unit group, NOC 2021), income reference year 2020](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810058601), Statistics Canada

### Tool eras

11. [West Virginia Division of Rehabilitation Services — "Celebrating 100 Years of Vocational Rehabilitation in America" (1920-2020 history)](https://wvdrs.org/celebrating-100-years-of-vocational-rehabilitation-in-america/), West Virginia Division of Rehabilitation Services
12. [Minnesota Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities — "The Public Mandate: Module 1: History of Vocational Rehabilitation"](https://mn.gov/mnddc/parallels2/four/rehab_act/rehab1.html), Minnesota Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities
13. [Springer Publishing — "A Brief History of Counseling and Specialty Areas of Practice": 1954 VR Act Amendments funded university training programs for rehabilitation counselors](https://connect.springerpub.com/highwire_display/entity_view/node/66125/content_details), Springer Publishing / Counseling History resources
14. [Rehabilitation Psychology (Shontz, 2003) — "Rehabilitation Psychology, Then and Now": history of rehabilitation psychology and counseling from 1950s-2000s](https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/00343552030460030701), SAGE Journals / Rehabilitation Psychology
15. [Wikipedia — Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification: founding 1974, first CRC examinations, professional credential history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commission_on_Rehabilitation_Counselor_Certification), Wikipedia / CRCC
16. [US eCFR — 34 CFR Part 361: Individualized Plan for Employment requirements under the Rehabilitation Act / WIOA](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-34/subtitle-B/chapter-III/part-361/subpart-B/subject-group-ECFR8c5f55ccf5c0da2/section-361.42), US Government Publishing Office / Electronic Code of Federal Regulations
17. [Alliance Enterprises — AWARE VR case management system: dominant state VR agency platform; 17 modules, 300+ data pages, 350+ reports; history and capabilities](https://www.allianceenterprises.com/products/aware/), Alliance Enterprises
18. [NTACT:C (National Technical Assistance Center on Transition) — Pre-Employment Transition Services: WIOA Section 113 requirements, five mandated service categories, 15% federal fund set-aside](https://transitionta.org/topics/pre-ets/), National Technical Assistance Center on Transition
19. [Illinois Center on Transition and Work — WIOA Pre-ETS Overview Brief: legislative requirements, counselor implementation guidance](https://ictw.illinois.edu/resources/research-briefs/wioa/brief-overview-of-the-wioa-pre-employment-), Illinois Center on Transition and Work / University of Illinois
20. [Alliance Enterprises — "AI in VR Counseling: Powerful Tool, Not a Substitute for Judgment" (2025): AI value in administrative efficiency and labor market research; human judgment essential for therapeutic relationship and informed choice](https://www.allianceenterprises.com/blog/artificial-intelligence-in-vr-counseling-powerful-tool-not-a-substitute-for-judgment/), Alliance Enterprises
21. [VocRehabTools — free AI toolkit for VR counselors (2025): vocational assessment, IPE goal generation, barrier analysis, voice case notes; CRCC-compliant design](https://www.vocrehabtools.com/), VocRehabTools
22. [U.S. DOL/ODEP — Framework for Use of AI in the Context of Disability Employment (September 2024): VR counselors as primary advocates for clients facing AI-screened hiring barriers](https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/odep/odep20240924), U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy
23. [CRCC — FAQs and Guiding Statements for CRCs Using AI (2024): informed consent, data security, human oversight as the three core principles](https://crccertification.com/code-of-ethics-4/), Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification
24. [National Disability Institute — "Intersection of Technology, Disability Rights and Worker Rights" (January 2025): 37.8% vs 77.3% employment gap; AI hiring tools disproportionately excluding qualified candidates with disabilities](https://www.nationaldisabilityinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/intersectionoftechnologydisabilityandworkerrights2024report.pdf), National Disability Institute

### Forecasts and exposure studies

25. [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35, National Employment Matrix: 21-1015 Rehabilitation counselors (2025: 96.9 thousand; 2035: 99.0 thousand; +2.2%)](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=21-1015&ioType=o), Bureau of Labor Statistics
26. [Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin & Rock (2023), "GPTs are GPTs", occupation-level exposure data occ\_level.csv (O\*NET-SOC 21-1015.00, human-rated β 0.468)](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv), OpenAI

### Historical notes

27. [West Virginia Division of Rehabilitation Services — "Celebrating 100 Years of Vocational Rehabilitation in America": 1918 Smith-Sears Act as the founding legislation](https://wvdrs.org/celebrating-100-years-of-vocational-rehabilitation-in-america/), West Virginia Division of Rehabilitation Services
28. [Library of Congress — "Smith-Fess Act: Topics in Chronicling America": Smith-Fess Act signed June 2, 1920 by President Wilson; federal-state 50-50 match; civilian program creation](https://guides.loc.gov/chronicling-america-smith-fess-act), Library of Congress
29. [Minnesota Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities — "The Public Mandate: History of Vocational Rehabilitation": 1943 amendments extending eligibility to mental illness and intellectual disability](https://mn.gov/mnddc/parallels2/four/rehab_act/rehab1.html), Minnesota Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities
30. [Springer Publishing — "A Brief History of Counseling and Specialty Areas of Practice": 1954 VR Act Amendments funded university rehabilitation counseling programs as a new graduate specialty](https://connect.springerpub.com/highwire_display/entity_view/node/66125/content_details), Springer Publishing
31. [Wikipedia — Rehabilitation Act of 1973: legislative history, Nixon vetoes, Section 504 civil rights protections, signed September 26, 1973](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rehabilitation_Act_of_1973), Wikipedia
32. [Wikipedia — Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification: founding January 1974; over 4,500 first-year applications; 1,965 initial certifications; current 15,000+ CRCs](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commission_on_Rehabilitation_Counselor_Certification), Wikipedia / CRCC
33. [U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission — Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990: July 26, 1990 signing; Title I employment provisions; reasonable accommodation requirements](https://www.eeoc.gov/history/americans-disabilities-act-1990), U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
34. [NTACT:C — "Pre-Employment Transition Services": WIOA Section 113, 15% federal set-aside, five mandated service categories, students 14-21](https://transitionta.org/topics/pre-ets/), National Technical Assistance Center on Transition
35. [National Disability Institute — "Intersection of Technology, Disability Rights and Worker Rights" (January 2025): 37.8% vs. 77.3% employment gap; AI hiring tools disproportionately excluding qualified disabled applicants](https://www.nationaldisabilityinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/intersectionoftechnologydisabilityandworkerrights2024report.pdf), National Disability Institute

### Predecessors & successors

36. [Minnesota Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities — "The Public Mandate: History of Vocational Rehabilitation": early VR workers came from social welfare and vocational education backgrounds](https://mn.gov/mnddc/parallels2/four/rehab_act/rehab1.html), Minnesota Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities

### Present-day analysis

- [O\*NET 30.3 — Rehabilitation Counselors (21-1015.00): tasks, work activities, technology skills, knowledge domains, employment data](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/21-1015.00), accessed 2026-05-24
- [BLS OOH 2024-2034 — Rehabilitation Counselors: 91,900 employed; +1% growth 2024-2034; median wage $46,110; ~10,000 annual openings; demand from aging population and veterans](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/rehabilitation-counselors.htm), accessed 2026-05-24
- [CRCC — FAQs and Guiding Statements for CRCs Using AI (2024): informed consent, data security, and human oversight as core principles; AI output is a starting point, not a final product](https://crccertification.com/code-of-ethics-4/), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Alliance Enterprises — AWARE VR case management system: dominant state VR agency platform; 17 modules, 300+ data pages, 350+ reports; AI features in development for case note automation and RSA-911 compliance](https://www.allianceenterprises.com/products/aware/), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Alliance Enterprises — "AI in VR Counseling: Powerful Tool, Not a Substitute for Judgment" (2025): AI value in career exploration, labor market intel, administrative efficiency; human judgment essential for informed choice, recognizing individual potential, therapeutic relationship](https://www.allianceenterprises.com/blog/artificial-intelligence-in-vr-counseling-powerful-tool-not-a-substitute-for-judgment/), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Libera — VR case management platform with AI: real-time action alerts, RSA-911 compliance monitoring, predictive outcome analytics, automated document processing, anomaly detection; upcoming: AI case note generation](https://libera.com/harnessing-ai-for-enhanced-case-management-in-vocational-rehabilitation-agencies/), accessed 2026-05-24
- [VocRehabTools — free AI toolkit for VR counselors (2025): Vocational Assessment Starter, Job Goal Alignment Checker, Barrier Buster, Progress Measure Generator, Voice Casenote Editor, Disclosure Script Builder](https://www.vocrehabtools.com/), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Lightcast — labor market intelligence platform; Skills Agent launched Aug 2025 automating skill-to-job alignment in real time; 3B+ job postings, 1.2B profiles; used by VR counselors for IPE labor market research](https://lightcast.io/), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Daivergent — AI-powered virtual job coaching for people with disabilities; first platform covered by VR and Medicaid insurance; 83% employment success rate; VR services market projected to grow to $6.73B by 2028 (WGU Labs Feb 2025)](https://daivergent.com/services/vocational-rehab), accessed 2026-05-24
- [National Disability Institute — "Intersection of Technology, Disability Rights and Worker Rights" (Jan 2025): AI hiring tools increasingly exclude qualified disabled applicants; only 37.8% of working-age people with disabilities employed vs. 77.3% without](https://www.nationaldisabilityinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/intersectionoftechnologydisabilityandworkerrights2024report.pdf), accessed 2026-05-24
- [U.S. DOL/ODEP — Framework for Use of AI in the Context of Disability Employment (Sept 2024): AI bias in automated hiring, assessment, and monitoring tools; VR counselors as primary advocates for clients in AI-screened hiring](https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/odep/odep20240924), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Eloundou et al. 2024 — GPTs are GPTs (Science): occupational LLM exposure framework; Rehabilitation Counselors rated moderate-to-low β-exposure due to disability-specific clinical judgment and regulatory compliance tasks](https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130), accessed 2026-05-24
- [WGU Labs / Daivergent — "Modernizing Vocational Rehab" (Feb 2025): rising caseloads, staffing shortages, and compliance burden cited as top VR agency pain points; AI case management tools as primary modernization lever](https://www.wgulabs.org/posts/new-analysis-how-modernizing-vocational-rehabilitation-can-unlock-a-645-billion-workforce-opportunity), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Rehabilitation Services Administration — WIOA Pre-ETS requirements: 15% of federal VR funds for students with disabilities; barrier identification is a mandated Pre-ETS service component](https://rsa.ed.gov/performance/rsa-911-policy-directive), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Lightcast — Skills Agent (Aug 2025): real-time skill-to-job alignment automation; 3B+ job postings database; used by VR counselors for labor market research supporting IPE employment goals](https://lightcast.io/resources/blog/skills-agent-press-release-2025-08-12), accessed 2026-05-24

How to read these figures: https://futurehistory.earth/methodology. Every figure links to its own source; gaps stay gaps.