Minimum requirements vary by title and grade. VRCs (Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors, GS‑0101 series) require a master’s degree (or higher) in rehabilitation counseling, rehabilitation services, counseling psychology, social work or a closely related field plus a supervised internship or one year post‑master’s professional VR experience; higher GS levels require progressively greater specialized experience (see VA Handbook 5005 / VRC qualification standard). VRS positions follow OPM GS‑1715 standards (Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist) and require creditable vocational rehab experience per the GS‑1715 standard and grade‑level criteria (GS‑5 through GS‑11). Some positions may also require professional licensure/certification where noted in specific job announcements.
Most VR&E VRC/VRS vacancies listed by VA are open to the public (U.S. citizens) — not limited to current federal employees — though some postings may be targeted (e.g., internal recruitment). USAJOBS/VBA announcements state the job is open to ‘‘the public’’ (U.S. citizens) and list required documentation. Veterans are eligible and receive veterans’ hiring preference where applicable.
Typical pay is on the General Schedule. VA job announcements for VRC roles show GS‑9 through GS‑12 with advertised salary ranges roughly $61,722 to about $123,052 per year (depending on GS level and locality pay); specific grade and pay depend on vacancy and location.
Yes. VA applies Veterans’ preference in competitive hiring. Veterans’ preference moves eligible veterans ahead within the appropriate quality category during referral and can place certain disabled veterans into the Best‑Qualified category; details and documentation requirements are in USAJOBS announcements.
Most announced VRC/VRS vacancies are full‑time. Many VA VR&E positions are telework‑eligible (agency‑approved telework) where allowed, but they are not fully remote—telework is subject to agency approval and position requirements. USAJOBS posting lists Work Schedule: Full‑time and Telework eligible (as determined by agency policy).
Day‑to‑day duties include individualized vocational assessment and counseling, entitlement evaluations, rehabilitation planning, case management, coordinating training/education/employment services, employer outreach/placement, and collaboration with VA and community partners. The press release and VRC qualification standard note counselors “manage complex caseloads,” but VA job materials don’t specify a single ‘typical’ caseload number (it varies by office and case complexity).
VA announcements use staged referral/selection processes. For the USAJOBS announcement tied to this hiring, first certificate cuts occur biweekly (first cut Jan 30; subsequent cuts Feb 13, Feb 27) and the overall closing date is March 17; after the closing date, referred applicants may be contacted for interviews and selections will follow agency review — start dates depend on selection, security/suitability checks, and onboarding. Exact interview/start dates aren’t published and vary by hiring office.