Rehabilitation Counselors Salary
Rehabilitation Counselors in Pennsylvania make a median of $48,650 a year, or about $23.39 an hour. The range runs from $36K at the entry level to $77K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.97), which stretches that salary to about $51,227 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,351/month, about 40% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Pennsylvania. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $49K get you in Pennsylvania?
About rehabilitation counselors
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What this looks like in Pennsylvania
Rehabilitation counselors pay in Pennsylvania tracks closely to the national median, $49K locally vs. $47K nationwide, a 4% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,351/month, which is 40.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 94.97 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 5% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Pennsylvania
Entry-level rehabilitation counselors (10th percentile) start around $36K. Mid-career wages sit at $49K. Top earners bring in $77K or more, a $41K spread from bottom to top.
Rehabilitation Counselors salary by metro in Pennsylvania
12 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Johnstown | $70K | +45% | 110 |
| Erie | $62K | +27% | 70 |
| Williamsport | $56K | +16% | 50 |
| Scranton--Wilkes-Barre | $54K | +11% | 250 |
| Lancaster | $50K | +3% | 140 |
| Harrisburg-Carlisle | $50K | +2% | 210 |
| Pittsburgh | $49K | +2% | 1,000 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $49K | +0% | 1,620 |
| Altoona | $47K | -4% | 80 |
| Reading | $44K | -9% | 100 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton | $44K | -10% | 230 |
| Chambersburg | $36K | -25% | 40 |
Showing 1–10 of 12 metros
Compare to other states
Track rehabilitation counselors salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Pennsylvania numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a rehabilitation counselor afford a 2BR apartment alone in Pennsylvania?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $49K, rent takes 40.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,351/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 Pennsylvania?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new rehabilitation counselors typically earn — is $36K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,174/month. At HUD’s $1,351/month FMR, rent would take 62% 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 Pennsylvania?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $49K locally vs. $47K nationally, a 4% difference.
How does Pennsylvania compare to the national average for rehabilitation counselors?
Pennsylvania pays $49K median vs. the U.S. average of $47K — that’s +4%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.97), the purchasing-power equivalent is $51K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do rehabilitation counselors make in Pennsylvania?
The median is $48,650 a year, that works out to about $23 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $36,230, and experienced rehabilitation counselors can clear $77,220. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $49K enough to live in Pennsylvania?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,303/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,351/month, which eats 40.9% 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 Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania has a Regional Price Parity of 94.97 (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 $51,227 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.