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Rehabilitation Aide

A program that prepares individuals to assist in rehabilitation services under the supervision of occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, and other therapeutic professionals, and to perform routine functions in support of rehabilitation. Includes instruction in roles and responsibilities of rehabilitation providers, basic function of the human body, disabling conditions, therapeutic skills, client management, and communication skills.

Types of Degrees Rehabilitation Aide Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Rehabilitation Aide may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	32
Master’s Degree	114

What Rehabilitation Aide Majors Need to Know

Studies in Rehabilitation Aide build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Rehabilitation Aide graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Rehabilitation Aide emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Therapy and Counseling — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Psychology — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills developed in a Rehabilitation Aide program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Active Listening — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Social Perceptiveness — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Service Orientation — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Rehabilitation Aide careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Speech Recognition — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Rehabilitation Aide graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Assisting and Caring for Others	4.5 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.5 / 7
Getting Information	4.2 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.1 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.0 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.0 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	4.0 / 7
Performing for or Working Directly with the Public	3.9 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	3.9 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	3.8 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Rehabilitation Aide professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
MEDITECH software	Medical software	—
Scheduling software	Calendar and scheduling software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Electronic medical record EMR software	Medical software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Billing software	Billing and invoicing software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Rehabilitation Aide graduates include:

• Therapy Aide
• Restorative Aide
• Rehabilitation Aide (Rehab Aide)
• Rehabilitation Nursing Technician (Rehab Nursing Tech)
• Rehabilitation Services Aide
• Occupational Rehabilitation Aide
• Occupational Therapy Aide (OT Aide)
• Occupational Therapist Aide (OT Aide)
• Direct Service Professional (DSP)
• Rehabilitation Therapy Technician (Rehab Therapy Tech)
• Rehabilitation Services Technician (Rehab Services Tech)
• Certified Occupational Rehabilitation Aide (CORA)
• Rehabilitation Therapy Aide (Rehab Therapy Aide)
• Direct Support Professional (DSP)
• SNF COTA (Skilled Nursing Facility Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant)

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Rehabilitation Aide graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	32.1%
High school diploma or equivalent	30.8%
Some college courses	12.0%
Postsecondary certificate	11.1%
Bachelor’s degree	6.8%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	3.8%
Master’s degree	1.3%
First professional degree	0.8%
Doctoral degree	0.7%
Less than a high school diploma	0.7%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Rehabilitation Aide?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 68.4% of Rehabilitation Aide degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	108	68.4%
Men	50	31.6%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Rehabilitation Aide graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	66	41.8%
Asian	4	2.5%
Hispanic or Latino	43	27.2%
Black or African American	25	15.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native	7	4.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	1	0.6%
Two or More Races	9	5.7%
Race Unknown	3	1.9%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Rehabilitation Aide Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Rehabilitation Aide graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$21,334
4 years	$27,226
5 years	$29,985

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $29,985 — roughly 41% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Is a Degree in Rehabilitation Aide Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Rehabilitation Aide graduates earn a median of $27,226 four years after completion — about 28% below the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000). On earnings alone, this program does not show an income premium over the baseline; non-financial outcomes (career interests, certification requirements, advancement potential) are typically the stronger argument for fields in this range.

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Medical Insurance Specialist/Medical Biller	11,963
Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services, Other	4,065
Health and Medical Administrative Services, Other	3,168
Health Aides/Attendants/Orderlies	3,143
Home Health Aide/Home Attendant	1,704
Radiologist Assistant	1,513
Medical/Health Management and Clinical Assistant/Specialist	1,195
Medication Aide	724
Health Aide	488
Speech-Language Pathology Assistant	363
Health Unit Coordinator/Ward Clerk	166
Health Aides/Attendants/Orderlies, Other	49

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.