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Rehabilitation Professions Major

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Rehabilitation Professions

4,402 Bachelor's Degrees Annually
9,152 Master's Degrees Annually
#87 in Popularity
$73,860 Median Salary

Types of Degrees Rehabilitation Professions Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many rehabilitation and therapeutic professions graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level Number of Grads
Doctor’s Degree 15,249
Master’s Degree 9,152
Bachelor’s Degree 4,402
Associate Degree 420
Graduate Certificate 373
Basic Certificate 170
Undergraduate Certificate 67

What Rehabilitation Professions Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to rehabilitation were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.

Knowledge Areas for Rehabilitation Majors

According to O*NET survey takers, a major in rehabilitation should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:

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  • Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
  • English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
  • Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
  • Therapy and Counseling - Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.

Skills for Rehabilitation Majors

rehabilitation majors are found most commonly in careers in which the following skills are important:

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  • Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
  • Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
  • Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Abilities for Rehabilitation Majors

Some of the most crucial abilities to master while a rehabilitation student include the following:

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  • Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
  • Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

What Can You Do With a Rehabilitation Professions Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with rehabilitation:

Job Title Job Growth Rate Median Salary
Art Therapists 6.8% $47,860
Biochemical Engineers 6.4% $96,980
Exercise Physiologists 13.2% $49,270
Health Specialties Professors 25.9% $97,370
Life Scientists 9.0% $78,190
Low Vision Therapists, Orientation and Mobility Specialists, and Vision Rehabilitation Therapists 23.8% $84,270
Medical Appliance Technicians 13.3% $39,190
Music Therapists 6.8% $47,860
Occupational Therapists 23.8% $84,270
Orthotists and Prosthetists 21.8% $69,120
Physical Therapists 28.0% $87,930
Recreational Therapists 6.8% $47,860
Rehabilitation Counselors 12.7% $35,630
Therapists 19.9% $50,980

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Rehabilitation Professions?

4,402 Bachelor's Degrees Annually
85% Percent Women
31% Percent Racial-Ethnic Minorities*
This is a less frequently chosen undergraduate major. Only 4,402 students graduated with a bachelor’s degree in rehabilitation and therapeutic professions in 2021, making it rank #87 in popularity. The major attracts more women than men. About 85% of the recent graduates in this field are female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of rehabilitation majors is as follows:

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Race/Ethnicity Number of Grads
Asian 176
Black or African American 398
Hispanic or Latino 631
White 2,897
International Students 49
Other Races/Ethnicities 251

Geographic Diversity

Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in Rehabilitation. About 1.1% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

  • India
  • Canada
  • Saudi Arabia
  • China
  • South Korea

How Much Do Rehabilitation Professions Majors Make?

Bachelor’s Degree Starting Salary

The median early-career salary of rehabilitation and therapeutic professions students with a bachelor’s degree is $30,749 a year according to 2019-2020 data from the U.S. Department of Education. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $27,857 (25th percentile) and $32,932 (75th percentile).

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Note that some of these people may have jobs that are not directly related to a rehabilitation degree.

Salaries According to BLS

Rehabilitation majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $50,640 to $89,150 (25th to 75th percentile). This range includes all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Median Salary for a Rehabilitation Professions Major  ( 50640 to 89150 )
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250K
Median Salary for a High School Graduate  ( 30000 to 57900 )
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250K
Median Salary for a Bachelor's Degree Holder  ( 45600 to 99000 )
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250K
Median Salary for an Advanced Degree Holder  ( 55600 to 125400 )
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250K

Some careers associated with rehabilitation require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

Find out what the typical degree level is for rehabilitation careers below.

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Education Level Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma 1.1%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED) 3.5%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production) 1.3%
Some College Courses 1.0%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) 2.9%
Bachelor’s Degree 36.4%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master. 7.7%
Master’s Degree 34.0%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level. 2.9%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession. 1.4%
Doctoral Degree 7.0%
Post-Doctoral Training 1.2%

Online Rehabilitation Professions Programs

In 2020-2021, 596 schools offered a rehabilitation program of some type. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level Colleges Offering Programs Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year) 0 0
Certificate (1-2 years) 16 0
Certificate (2-4 Years) 3 0
Associate’s Degree 58 3
Bachelor’s Degree 78 13
Post-Baccalaureate 0 0
Master’s Degree 384 23
Post-Master’s 46 0
Doctor’s Degree (Research) 109 5
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) 326 16
Doctor’s Degree (Other) 16 3

Is a Degree in Rehabilitation Professions Worth It?

The median salary for a rehabilitation grad is $73,860 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 85% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $679,200 after 20 years!

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You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to rehabilitation.

Major Number of Grads
Nursing 322,592
Health & Medical Administrative Services 89,359
Allied Health & Medical Assisting Services 84,492
Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants 84,274
Allied Health Professions 82,308
Public Health 40,596
Health Sciences & Services 35,945
Mental & Social Health Services 29,053
Medicine 28,629
Dental Support Services 26,399
Communication Sciences 22,298
Pharmacy/Pharmaceutical Sciences 20,393
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science 18,901
Somatic Bodywork & Therapeutic Services 10,751
Health/Medical Prep Programs 9,210
Other Health Professions 7,984
Dentistry 6,770
Dietetics & Clinical Nutrition Services 6,158
Bioethics/Medical Ethics 5,115
Alternative Medicine & Systems 3,564
Chiropractic 2,658
Health Aids/Attendants/Orderlies 2,374
Medical Illustration & Informatics 2,089
Optometry 1,822
Advanced Dentistry & Oral Sciences 1,775
Ophthalmic & Optometric Support Services 960
Medical Science 909
Movement & Mind-Body Therapies 294
Alternative Medical Support Services 227
Energy & Biologically Based Therapies 68

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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