SalaryExplorer

SOC 21-1015 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS

Rehabilitation Counselors — North Dakota

North Dakota · 3 metro areas compared

$63,050 /year
$30.31per hour
210jobs in area
+34.6%vs US median

In North Dakota the median wage for Rehabilitation Counselors reaches $63,050 a year.

Wage distribution · annual

Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners

US MEDIAN $46,85010TH$58,190MEDIAN$63,05075TH$70,69090TH$76,120

How pay has moved

$66,455$46,0252019202020212022202320242025$63,050
$49,430 in 2019 to $63,050 in 2025, +27.6% before inflation. BLS states that OEWS estimates are not designed for comparison across years: the occupational classification, the sampling frame and the survey method have all changed inside this window. Read the direction, not the exact difference.

The next ten years

Projected to grow more slowly than average

Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
+1.4%
Openings per year
10,000
Typical entry-level education
Master's degree

Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.

Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for North Dakota.

Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.

Salary overview

In North Dakota the median wage for Rehabilitation Counselors reaches $63,050 a year. That is 34.6% more than the national median of $46,850. The middle half of workers in this occupation earn between $60,640 and $70,690. The lowest tenth earn under $58,190, while the highest tenth earn more than $76,120.

Employment stands at 210, or 0.5 jobs per thousand held locally. Among the 51 states with published data for this occupation, North Dakota ranks 2nd by median wage. Bismarck leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $66,700. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 248th of 556 by median pay.

Percentile breakdown

Annual wages by percentile · North Dakota · May 2025
PercentileAnnualvs US median
10th$58,190+24.2%
25th$60,640+29.4%
Median (50th)$63,050+34.6%
75th$70,690+50.9%
90th$76,120+62.5%
Mean$65,880+40.6%

Why the average earner is usually not a typical earner

Highest-paying metro areas in North Dakota

Median annual wage for Rehabilitation Counselors, by metro area
#Metro areaMedianJobsRelative
1Bismarck$66,70060
2Fargo$61,42080
3Grand Forks$61,42040

What the pay is worth locally

Prices in North Dakota run 11.0% below the national average, so the median of $63,050 goes as far as $70,843 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 51.2% above the national median in real terms.

Published median

$63,050as reported by BLS

Local price level

89.0US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Adjusted for local prices

$70,843US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest

Key takeaways

  • Median pay is $63,050 a year, 34.6% above the national median.
  • Published pay spans $58,190 to $76,120 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
  • The area has 210 jobs in this occupation.
  • It ranks 2nd of 51 states for this occupation.
  • The highest-paying metro area covered is Bismarck, at $66,700.

Frequently asked questions

What is the median wage for Rehabilitation Counselors in North Dakota?

The median annual wage is $63,050, or $30.31 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.

Is that higher than the national average?

The national median for this occupation is $46,850, so pay in North Dakota is 34.6% higher. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.

What do the top earners make?

The top tenth of this occupation in North Dakota earns more than $76,120 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.

What is the starting range?

The tenth percentile wage is $58,190 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.

Which area nearby pays the most?

The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Bismarck, at $66,700 per year.

How many jobs are there in this occupation here?

The survey estimates 210 jobs in this occupation in North Dakota. Self-employed workers are not included.

Source and methodology

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.