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Assistive Rehabilitation Engineering

A program that prepares individuals to apply the principles of psychology, engineering, and occupational therapy to the design and implementation of technological interventions and systems to promote patient rehabilitation and function. Includes instruction in ergonomics, seating and mobility design, universal and near environment systems design, rehabilitation research, rehabilitation biomechanics, access and communications design, microprocessor-based technologies, neurological trauma, standards and testing, and service delivery management.

Types of Degrees Assistive Rehabilitation Engineering Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Assistive Rehabilitation Engineering can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Master’s Degree	108

What Assistive Rehabilitation Engineering Majors Need to Know

Programs in Assistive Rehabilitation Engineering emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Assistive Rehabilitation Engineering graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Assistive Rehabilitation Engineering emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Design — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Engineering and Technology — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Mechanical — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.

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

Skills

Skills built by a Assistive Rehabilitation Engineering program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Critical Thinking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Assistive Rehabilitation Engineering careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Assistive Rehabilitation Engineering graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.4 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.2 / 7
Getting Information	4.2 / 7
Working with Computers	4.1 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.1 / 7
Processing Information	4.0 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.0 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.0 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.0 / 7
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Assistive Rehabilitation Engineering professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Autodesk AutoCAD	Computer aided design CAD software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Vorum Research Corporation CANFIT-PLUS	Computer aided design CAD software	—
Ohio Willow Wood OMEGA Tracer System	Computer aided design CAD software	—
Seattle Systems Shapemaker	Computer aided design CAD software	—
Gait analysis software	Medical software	—
Computer aided manufacturing CAM software	Computer aided manufacturing CAM software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Assistive Rehabilitation Engineering graduates include:

• Orthotic Fitter
• Board Prosthetist
• Pedorthist
• Orthotic and Prosthetic Technician (Orthotic and Prosthetic Tech)
• Prosthetics Assistant
• Orthopedic Mechanic
• Orthopedic Assistant
• Orthotist and Prosthetist
• Prosthetic Practitioner
• LPO (Licensed Prosthetist Orthotist)
• Certified Orthotist (CO)
• Orthotist Clinician
• Certified Pedorthist
• American Board Certified Orthotist (ABC Orthotist)
• Orthotic Technician (Orthotic Tech)

What Can You Do With a Assistive Rehabilitation Engineering Degree?

Graduates with a degree in Assistive Rehabilitation Engineering commonly enter the following occupations:

Occupation	Job Growth	Median Salary	25th–75th Pctile
Nanosystems Engineers	-2.9%	$50,152	$39,203–$61,100
Wind Energy Engineers	12.7%	$98,460	$78,793–$118,128
Engineers, All Other	-4.3%	$136,628	$114,918–$158,337
Solar Energy Systems Engineers	14.5%	$116,775	$93,962–$139,588
Energy Engineers, Except Wind and Solar	6.7%	$59,756	$49,352–$70,160
Robotics Engineers	8.6%	$72,925	$58,428–$87,421
Mechatronics Engineers	3.6%	$115,569	$96,704–$134,433
Microsystems Engineers	1.2%	$104,558	$85,630–$123,486
Photonics Engineers	13.0%	$84,667	$68,843–$100,491
Rehabilitation Counselors	12.1%	$40,604	$32,299–$48,909

^{Job-growth = projected employment change for the parent occupation. Source: ONET / BLS Employment Projections.*}

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Master’s degree	59.7%
Bachelor’s degree	18.9%
Doctoral degree	5.2%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	5.1%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	3.4%
High school diploma or equivalent	2.0%
Postsecondary certificate	1.8%
Some college courses	1.8%
Post-doctoral training	0.7%
Less than a high school diploma	0.6%
First professional degree	0.6%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Assistive Rehabilitation Engineering?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 94.4% of Assistive Rehabilitation Engineering degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	102	94.4%
Men	6	5.6%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	94	87.0%
Asian	3	2.8%
Hispanic or Latino	5	4.6%
Black or African American	3	2.8%
Two or More Races	2	1.9%
Race Unknown	1	0.9%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Assistive Rehabilitation Engineering Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Assistive Rehabilitation Engineering graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$67,332
4 years	$70,102
5 years	$75,167

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $75,167 — roughly 12% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Assistive Rehabilitation Engineering Programs

Distance learning is reported by IPEDS for Assistive Rehabilitation Engineering. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Master’s	1	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Assistive Rehabilitation Engineering Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Assistive Rehabilitation Engineering graduates earn a median of $70,102 four years after completion — roughly 84% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{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
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions	29,603
Physical Therapy/Therapist	13,424
Occupational Therapy/Therapist	10,460
Rehabilitation Science	1,107
Art Therapy/Therapist	768
Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy	722
Music Therapy/Therapist	651
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions, Other	621
Orthotist/Prosthetist	408
Kinesiotherapy/Kinesiotherapist	121
Animal-Assisted Therapy	93
Play Therapy/Therapist	65

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.