Rehabilitation Counselors Salary
Rehabilitation Counselors in Portland-South Portland, ME make a median of $66,480 a year, or about $31.96 an hour. The range runs from $52K at the entry level to $100K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 101.86), that's roughly $65,266 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,130/month, about 49.1% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $66K get you in Portland-South Portland?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Portland-South Portland’s Regional Price Parity (101.86). 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 Portland-South Portland
Portland-South Portland sits well above the national pay line for rehabilitation counselors, local pay runs about 42% 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 $2,130/month, which is 49.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 101.86) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for rehabilitation counselors in metros near Portland-South Portland, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Bangor | $39K | $40K |
| Manchester-Nashua | $39K | $37K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Portland-South Portland, ME
Entry-level rehabilitation counselors (10th percentile) start around $52K. Mid-career wages sit at $66K. Top earners bring in $100K or more, a $48K 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 quarterly. We'll email you when Portland-South Portland numbers change.
Related careers in Community & Social
Frequently asked questions
Can a rehabilitation counselor afford a 2BR apartment alone in Portland-South Portland?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $66K, rent takes 49.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,130/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,300/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for rehabilitation counselors in Portland-South Portland?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new rehabilitation counselors typically earn — is $52K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,093/month. At HUD’s $2,130/month FMR, rent would take 69% 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 Portland-South Portland?
Local pay is 42% above the national median — $66K here vs. $47K nationally.
How does Portland-South Portland compare to the national average for rehabilitation counselors?
Portland-South Portland pays $66K median vs. the U.S. average of $47K — that’s +42%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 101.86), the purchasing-power equivalent is $65K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do rehabilitation counselors make in Portland-South Portland, ME?
The median is $66,480 a year, that works out to about $32 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $51,550, and experienced rehabilitation counselors can clear $99,750. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $66K enough to live in Portland-South Portland?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,324/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,130/month, which eats 49.3% 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 Portland-South Portland?
Portland-South Portland has a Regional Price Parity of 101.86 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median rehabilitation counselors salary is worth about $65,266 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.