Rehabilitation Counselors Salary
Rehabilitation Counselors in Worcester, MA make a median of $54,270 a year, or about $26.09 an hour. The range runs from $39K at the entry level to $102K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 102.52), that's roughly $52,936 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,056/month, about 57.7% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $54K get you in Worcester?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Worcester’s Regional Price Parity (102.52). 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 Worcester
Worcester sits well above the national pay line for rehabilitation counselors, local pay runs about 16% 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 $2,056/month, which is 57.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 102.52) 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 Worcester, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton | $47K | $44K |
| Springfield | $46K | $47K |
| Barnstable Town | $48K | $49K |
| Pittsfield | $42K | $45K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Worcester, MA
Entry-level rehabilitation counselors (10th percentile) start around $39K. Mid-career wages sit at $54K. Top earners bring in $102K or more, a $63K 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 Worcester numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a rehabilitation counselor afford a 2BR apartment alone in Worcester?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $54K, rent takes 57.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,056/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for rehabilitation counselors in Worcester?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new rehabilitation counselors typically earn — is $39K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,339/month. At HUD’s $2,056/month FMR, rent would take 88% 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 Worcester?
Local pay is 16% above the national median — $54K here vs. $47K nationally.
How does Worcester compare to the national average for rehabilitation counselors?
Worcester pays $54K median vs. the U.S. average of $47K — that’s +16%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 102.52), the purchasing-power equivalent is $53K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do rehabilitation counselors make in Worcester, MA?
The median is $54,270 a year, that works out to about $26 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $38,990, and experienced rehabilitation counselors can clear $101,770. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $54K enough to live in Worcester?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,578/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,056/month, which eats 57.5% 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 Worcester?
Worcester has a Regional Price Parity of 102.52 (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 $52,936 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.