Rehabilitation Counselors Salary
Rehabilitation Counselors in Florida make a median of $45,990 a year, or about $22.11 an hour. The range runs from $34K at the entry level to $68K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.58), that's roughly $46,652 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,658/month, about 50.1% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Florida. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $46K get you in Florida?
About rehabilitation counselors
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What this looks like in Florida
Rehabilitation counselors pay in Florida tracks closely to the national median, $46K locally vs. $47K nationwide, a 2% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,658/month, which is 51% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 98.58) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Florida
Entry-level rehabilitation counselors (10th percentile) start around $34K. Mid-career wages sit at $46K. Top earners bring in $68K or more, a $34K spread from bottom to top.
Rehabilitation Counselors salary by metro in Florida
14 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Coral-Fort Myers | $51K | +12% | 50 |
| Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent | $49K | +7% | 80 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach | $48K | +5% | 700 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford | $48K | +4% | 340 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater | $47K | +2% | 370 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | $46K | +1% | 70 |
| Ocala | $46K | +0% | 50 |
| North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota | $46K | -1% | 80 |
| Port St. Lucie | $46K | -1% | 120 |
| Tallahassee | $43K | -6% | 160 |
| Jacksonville | $39K | -15% | 310 |
| Lakeland-Winter Haven | $39K | -15% | 80 |
| Panama City-Panama City Beach | $38K | -17% | 40 |
| Gainesville | $38K | -18% | 130 |
Showing 1–10 of 14 metros
Compare to other states
Track rehabilitation counselors salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Florida numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a rehabilitation counselor afford a 2BR apartment alone in Florida?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $46K, rent takes 51% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,658/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for rehabilitation counselors in Florida?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new rehabilitation counselors typically earn — is $34K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,065/month. At HUD’s $1,658/month FMR, rent would take 80% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is rehabilitation counselor a high-paying job in Florida?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $46K locally vs. $47K nationally, a 2% difference.
How does Florida compare to the national average for rehabilitation counselors?
Florida pays $46K median vs. the U.S. average of $47K — that’s -2%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.58), the purchasing-power equivalent is $47K — below the national median.
How much do rehabilitation counselors make in Florida?
The median is $45,990 a year, that works out to about $22 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $34,410, and experienced rehabilitation counselors can clear $67,980. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $46K enough to live in Florida?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,249/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,658/month, which eats 51% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a rehabilitation counselors salary go in Florida?
Florida has a Regional Price Parity of 98.58 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median rehabilitation counselors salary is worth about $46,652 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do rehabilitation counselors get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.