Rehabilitation Counselors Salary
Rehabilitation Counselors in Tennessee make a median of $46,060 a year, or about $22.14 an hour. The range runs from $35K at the entry level to $60K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 89.78), which stretches that salary to about $51,303 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,215/month, about 36.7% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Tennessee. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $46K get you in Tennessee?
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What this looks like in Tennessee
Rehabilitation counselors pay in Tennessee tracks closely to the national median, $46K locally vs. $47K nationwide, a 2% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,215/month, which is 37.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 89.78 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 10% 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, Tennessee
Entry-level rehabilitation counselors (10th percentile) start around $35K. Mid-career wages sit at $46K. Top earners bring in $60K or more, a $24K spread from bottom to top.
Rehabilitation Counselors salary by metro in Tennessee
9 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clarksville | $55K | +20% | 30 |
| Chattanooga | $49K | +7% | 160 |
| Kingsport-Bristol | $49K | +7% | 40 |
| Johnson City | $47K | +2% | 80 |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin | $46K | +1% | 540 |
| Knoxville | $44K | -4% | 230 |
| Memphis | $43K | -6% | 220 |
| Jackson | $40K | -13% | 70 |
| Cleveland | $40K | -14% | 40 |
Compare to other states
Track rehabilitation counselors salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Tennessee numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a rehabilitation counselor afford a 2BR apartment alone in Tennessee?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $46K, rent takes 37.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,215/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 Tennessee?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new rehabilitation counselors typically earn — is $35K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,119/month. At HUD’s $1,215/month FMR, rent would take 57% 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 Tennessee?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $46K locally vs. $47K nationally, a 2% difference.
How does Tennessee compare to the national average for rehabilitation counselors?
Tennessee pays $46K median vs. the U.S. average of $47K — that’s -2%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 89.78), the purchasing-power equivalent is $51K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do rehabilitation counselors make in Tennessee?
The median is $46,060 a year, that works out to about $22 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $35,320, and experienced rehabilitation counselors can clear $59,800. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $46K enough to live in Tennessee?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,254/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,215/month, which eats 37.3% 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 Tennessee?
Tennessee has a Regional Price Parity of 89.78 (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 $51,303 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.