Your work. Your records.
Rehabilitation Counselor Workplace Records Guide
Rehabilitation counselors coordinate plans and services whose progress may depend on outside providers and client choices. For an employment concern, distinguish your assigned actions from those dependencies without exposing the personal information in a client case file.
Call now(800) 800-5555Free initial case evaluation. Representation depends on work state and case eligibility. This guide explains record preparation; it does not determine whether a legal claim exists.
A record map for your role
What to organize first
Caseload transfer
Note when work was assigned to you and what unfinished steps were disclosed at transfer.
Referral dependency
Separate your completed referral step from responses expected from another provider or office.
Documentation time
Record how report writing and coordination duties were accommodated within your assigned schedule.
Start with the work you actually do
Counsel individuals to maximize the independence and employability of persons coping with personal, social, and vocational difficulties that result from birth defects, illness, disease, accidents, aging, or the stress of daily life. Coordinate activities for residents of care and treatment facilities. Assess client needs and design and implement rehabilitation programs that may include personal and vocational counseling, training, and job placement.
O*NET classifies this occupation as Rehabilitation Counselors (21-1015.00). Its description covers a typical occupation, not every workplace or individual job. It does not establish employee status, overtime eligibility or employer misconduct.
- Develop rehabilitation plans that fit clients' aptitudes, education levels, physical abilities, and career goals.Source task 9205 · updated 08/2026
- Confer with clients to discuss their options and goals so that rehabilitation programs and plans for accessing needed services can be developed.Source task 9201 · updated 08/2026
- Prepare and maintain records and case files, including documentation, such as clients' personal and eligibility information, services provided, narratives of client contacts, or relevant correspondence.Source task 9202 · updated 08/2026
- Locate barriers to client employment, such as inaccessible work sites, inflexible schedules, or transportation problems, and work with clients to develop strategies for overcoming these barriers.Source task 9208 · updated 08/2026
A reference point for your pay records
May 2025 wage estimates by state
Compare your pay records with published BLS estimates for Rehabilitation Counselors (SOC 21-1015). These describe an occupation across employers. They are not a required pay rate, an overtime calculation, or evidence of discrimination or unpaid wages.
Select your work state to see its published pay range. No personal pay information is requested or sent.
The 25th and 75th percentiles mark the middle half of the estimated wage distribution; the median is its midpoint. Actual pay can differ with experience, employer, location and duties. Hourly and annual figures are shown as published, without converting one into the other.
All published state estimates for this occupation
| State | Hourly 25th | Hourly median | Hourly 75th | Annual median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $19.84 | $25.98 | $34.85 | $54,040 |
| Alaska | $22.99 | $29.61 | $43.39 | $61,590 |
| Arizona | $20.18 | $23.23 | $26.07 | $48,330 |
| Arkansas | $13.29 | $16.93 | $22.80 | $35,210 |
| Connecticut | $21.30 | $27.09 | $38.16 | $56,340 |
| Delaware | $19.74 | $23.48 | $27.14 | $48,840 |
| Florida | $17.75 | $22.11 | $26.04 | $45,990 |
| Georgia | $21.64 | $26.44 | $30.28 | $55,000 |
| Hawaii | $21.53 | $23.42 | $29.05 | $48,720 |
| Idaho | $21.28 | $26.23 | $33.23 | $54,550 |
| Indiana | $16.98 | $21.34 | $25.30 | $44,390 |
| Iowa | $17.14 | $19.05 | $22.86 | $39,630 |
| Kansas | $17.33 | $20.18 | $22.99 | $41,980 |
| Kentucky | $19.26 | $28.15 | $33.84 | $58,540 |
| Louisiana | $19.67 | $23.07 | $34.59 | $47,990 |
| Maine | $18.54 | $24.59 | $30.09 | $51,150 |
| Michigan | $17.39 | $21.43 | $26.80 | $44,580 |
| Minnesota | $21.00 | $23.08 | $29.96 | $48,010 |
| Mississippi | $15.86 | $19.95 | $24.09 | $41,500 |
| Missouri | $19.34 | $21.72 | $27.08 | $45,180 |
| Montana | $18.79 | $21.75 | $27.88 | $45,240 |
| Nebraska | $18.87 | $22.62 | $28.76 | $47,050 |
| New Hampshire | $18.63 | $20.48 | $23.22 | $42,600 |
| New Mexico | $18.59 | $23.19 | $32.42 | $48,240 |
| New York | $20.21 | $23.06 | $28.47 | $47,960 |
| North Carolina | $17.30 | $22.06 | $24.26 | $45,890 |
| North Dakota | $29.15 | $30.31 | $33.99 | $63,050 |
| Ohio | $17.87 | $20.49 | $28.03 | $42,620 |
| Oklahoma | $14.10 | $18.40 | $23.27 | $38,260 |
| Pennsylvania | $19.02 | $23.39 | $28.87 | $48,650 |
| Rhode Island | $22.60 | $22.61 | $36.90 | $47,020 |
| South Dakota | $22.12 | $23.73 | $29.13 | $49,350 |
| Tennessee | $18.03 | $22.14 | $25.63 | $46,060 |
| Texas | $17.73 | $24.04 | $29.40 | $49,990 |
| Utah | $17.79 | $21.11 | $30.52 | $43,900 |
| Vermont | $20.66 | $24.06 | $30.56 | $50,030 |
| Virginia | $16.93 | $22.85 | $35.14 | $47,530 |
| West Virginia | $16.70 | $23.10 | $27.70 | $48,050 |
| Wisconsin | $17.81 | $22.37 | $27.75 | $46,530 |
| Wyoming | $21.67 | $32.52 | $32.52 | $67,640 |
“Not published” preserves unavailable or suppressed source cells. “Above reporting limit” preserves a top-coded source value without inventing a number. A missing state estimate does not establish service eligibility. The data describe wage and salary employment; they do not measure self-employment income.
Source: BLS May 2025 state workbook · OEWS tables · BLS technical notes. Use your own schedule, pay statement and compensation terms to identify the question you want reviewed.
Describe the assigned caseload
Record the nonidentifying workload and expected service or documentation duties. Note additions, transfers and coverage changes as they occur. Keep an inherited backlog separate from work assigned after you took responsibility.
Trace service dependencies
If performance feedback concerns a delayed plan or referral, describe the step you completed and the next action owned by someone else. Record when you requested resources or clarification. Avoid including a client's diagnosis, eligibility details or private goals in the timeline.
Keep case files protected
Do not export service narratives, assessments, correspondence or client contact lists. Use your own schedule and permitted employment messages. Identify the system and date range holding relevant workflow records for an authorized review.
Choose your next step
Review the workplace retaliation guide, unpaid wages guide, or discrimination guide if those concerns fit your experience. A job title alone does not establish a claim.
Call now(800) 800-5555Current service-state coverage
AK, AL, AR, AZ, CT, DE, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, IN, KS, KY, LA, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NM, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WI, WV, WY. Eligibility is evaluated individually; this list does not promise representation.
Explore state resources