Rehabilitation Counselors Salary
Rehabilitation Counselors in St. Joseph, MO-KS make a median of $49,420 a year, or about $23.76 an hour. The range runs from $37K at the entry level to $64K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 86.38), which stretches that salary to about $57,212 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,077/month, about 32% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $49K get you in St. Joseph?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by St. Joseph’s Regional Price Parity (86.38). 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 St. Joseph
Rehabilitation counselors pay in St. Joseph tracks closely to the national median, $49K locally vs. $47K nationwide, a 5% difference. Rent runs $1,077/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 32.2% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 86.38 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 14% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for rehabilitation counselors in metros near St. Joseph, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| St. Louis | $45K | $47K |
| Kansas City | $47K | $51K |
| Springfield | $49K | $56K |
| Columbia | $50K | $56K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, St. Joseph, MO-KS
Entry-level rehabilitation counselors (10th percentile) start around $37K. Mid-career wages sit at $49K. Top earners bring in $64K or more, a $27K 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 |
| South Dakota | $49K | +5% | 370 |
| Illinois | $49K | +5% | 4,140 |
| 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 states
Track rehabilitation counselors salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when St. Joseph numbers change.
Related careers in Community & Social
Frequently asked questions
Can a rehabilitation counselor afford a 2BR apartment alone in St. Joseph?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $49K, rent takes 32.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,077/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 St. Joseph?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new rehabilitation counselors typically earn — is $37K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,197/month. At HUD’s $1,077/month FMR, rent would take 49% 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 St. Joseph?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $49K locally vs. $47K nationally, a 5% difference.
How does St. Joseph compare to the national average for rehabilitation counselors?
St. Joseph pays $49K median vs. the U.S. average of $47K — that’s +5%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 86.38), the purchasing-power equivalent is $57K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do rehabilitation counselors make in St. Joseph, MO-KS?
The median is $49,420 a year, that works out to about $24 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $36,620, and experienced rehabilitation counselors can clear $63,670. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $49K enough to live in St. Joseph?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,349/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,077/month, which eats 32.2% 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 St. Joseph?
St. Joseph has a Regional Price Parity of 86.38 (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 $57,212 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.