Rehabilitation Counselors Salary
Rehabilitation Counselors in Las Cruces, NM make a median of $38,670 a year, or about $18.59 an hour. The range runs from $39K at the entry level to $77K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 90.21), which stretches that salary to about $42,867 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,042/month, about 39.5% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $39K actually covers in Las Cruces, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Las Cruces’s Regional Price Parity (90.21). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About rehabilitation counselors
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What this looks like in Las Cruces
Pay for rehabilitation counselors in Las Cruces runs about 17% below the U.S. median of $47K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,042/month, which is 38.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 90.21 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 10% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for rehabilitation counselors.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for rehabilitation counselors in metros near Las Cruces, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Albuquerque | $44K | $46K |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler | $49K | $47K |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial | $48K | , |
| Tucson | $43K | $44K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Las Cruces, NM
Entry-level rehabilitation counselors (10th percentile) start around $39K. Mid-career wages sit at $39K. Top earners bring in $77K or more, a $38K spread from bottom to top.
Rehabilitation Counselors pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Rehabilitation Counselors salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wyoming | $68K | +44% | 70 |
| North Dakota | $63K | +35% | 210 |
| Alaska | $62K | +31% | 130 |
| Kentucky | $59K | +25% | 790 |
| Washington | $58K | +24% | 5,440 |
| Connecticut | $56K | +20% | 2,410 |
| Georgia | $55K | +17% | 740 |
| Oregon | $55K | +17% | 1,630 |
| Idaho | $55K | +16% | 820 |
| Alabama | $54K | +15% | 540 |
| Maine | $51K | +9% | 330 |
| Vermont | $50K | +7% | 310 |
| Texas | $50K | +7% | 1,840 |
| New Jersey | $50K | +6% | 1,630 |
| District of Columbia | $50K | +6% | N/A |
| Illinois | $49K | +5% | 4,140 |
| South Dakota | $49K | +5% | 370 |
| Delaware | $49K | +4% | 340 |
| Hawaii | $49K | +4% | 150 |
| Pennsylvania | $49K | +4% | 4,130 |
| Arizona | $48K | +3% | 1,750 |
| New Mexico | $48K | +3% | 210 |
| West Virginia | $48K | +3% | 470 |
| Minnesota | $48K | +2% | 3,020 |
| Louisiana | $48K | +2% | 280 |
| New York | $48K | +2% | 3,810 |
| Colorado | $48K | +2% | 980 |
| Virginia | $48K | +1% | 2,890 |
| Massachusetts | $47K | +1% | 5,760 |
| Nebraska | $47K | +0% | 480 |
| Rhode Island | $47K | +0% | 420 |
| Wisconsin | $47K | -1% | 2,390 |
| Tennessee | $46K | -2% | 1,590 |
| Florida | $46K | -2% | 3,110 |
| North Carolina | $46K | -2% | 3,820 |
| Montana | $45K | -3% | 330 |
| Missouri | $45K | -4% | 2,020 |
| Michigan | $45K | -5% | 3,340 |
| California | $44K | -5% | 13,690 |
| Indiana | $44K | -5% | 2,030 |
| Utah | $44K | -6% | 650 |
| Ohio | $43K | -9% | 3,690 |
| New Hampshire | $43K | -9% | 430 |
| Kansas | $42K | -10% | 1,370 |
| Mississippi | $42K | -11% | 470 |
| Maryland | $41K | -13% | 3,300 |
| Nevada | $40K | -14% | 570 |
| Iowa | $40K | -15% | 2,170 |
| Oklahoma | $38K | -18% | 1,570 |
| South Carolina | $36K | -23% | 980 |
| Arkansas | $35K | -25% | 600 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track rehabilitation counselors salary changes
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Las Cruces numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a rehabilitation counselor afford a 2BR apartment alone in Las Cruces?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $39K, rent takes 38.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,042/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for rehabilitation counselors in Las Cruces?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new rehabilitation counselors typically earn — is $39K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,684/month. At HUD’s $1,042/month FMR, rent would take 39% 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 Las Cruces?
Local pay runs 17% below the national median — $39K here vs. $47K nationally. Cost of living is 10% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Las Cruces compare to the national average for rehabilitation counselors?
Las Cruces pays $39K median vs. the U.S. average of $47K — that’s -17%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 90.21), the purchasing-power equivalent is $43K — below the national median.
How much do rehabilitation counselors make in Las Cruces, NM?
The median is $38,670 a year, that works out to about $19 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $38,660, and experienced rehabilitation counselors can clear $76,770. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $39K enough to live in Las Cruces?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,684/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,042/month, which eats 38.8% 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 Las Cruces?
Las Cruces has a Regional Price Parity of 90.21 (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 $42,867 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.