Rehabilitation Counselors Salary
Rehabilitation Counselors in Georgia make a median of $55,000 a year, or about $26.44 an hour. The range runs from $35K at the entry level to $86K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.89), which stretches that salary to about $59,854 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,434/month, about 39.7% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Georgia. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $55K get you in Georgia?
About rehabilitation counselors
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What this looks like in Georgia
Georgia sits well above the national pay line for rehabilitation counselors, local pay runs about 17% higher than the U.S. median of $47K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,434/month, which is 39.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.89 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 8% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Georgia
Entry-level rehabilitation counselors (10th percentile) start around $35K. Mid-career wages sit at $55K. Top earners bring in $86K or more, a $51K spread from bottom to top.
Rehabilitation Counselors salary by metro in Georgia
3 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell | $55K | +0% | N/A |
| Savannah | $55K | +0% | 30 |
| Augusta-Richmond County | $36K | -35% | 80 |
Compare to other states
Track rehabilitation counselors salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Georgia numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a rehabilitation counselor afford a 2BR apartment alone in Georgia?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $55K, rent takes 39.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,434/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for rehabilitation counselors in Georgia?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new rehabilitation counselors typically earn — is $35K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,094/month. At HUD’s $1,434/month FMR, rent would take 68% 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 Georgia?
Local pay is 17% above the national median — $55K here vs. $47K nationally.
How does Georgia compare to the national average for rehabilitation counselors?
Georgia pays $55K median vs. the U.S. average of $47K — that’s +17%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.89), the purchasing-power equivalent is $60K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do rehabilitation counselors make in Georgia?
The median is $55,000 a year, that works out to about $26 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $34,900, and experienced rehabilitation counselors can clear $85,510. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $55K enough to live in Georgia?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,638/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,434/month, which eats 39.4% 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 Georgia?
Georgia has a Regional Price Parity of 91.89 (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 $59,854 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.