What Does a Disability Services Specialist Do?
If a student's disability affects classes or exams, disability services specialists are involved too. Whether working with a deaf student, a veteran with a head injury, or a student with ADHD, they need to be able to turn medical paperwork into accommodations, such as extra exam time or a sign language interpreter. In the case of a broken wrist, it might be something as simple as a note-taker for a few weeks.
Also known as: Disability Specialist
Other Job Titles for This Work
Workers in this occupation report titles such as Academic Advisor, Academic Counselor, Admissions Counselor, Career Counselor, College Counselor, Elementary School Counselor, Guidance Counselor, School Counselor.
Disability Services Specialist Duties and Responsibilities
The primary responsibilities of a disability services specialist include:
- Meet with students to discuss how their disability affects classes, exams, housing or campus jobs.
- Review medical and psychological documentation to decide which accommodations are reasonable.
- Send accommodation letters to faculty each term and explain what each approved arrangement requires.
- Arrange sign language interpreters, real-time captioners and note-takers for classes and events.
- Schedule accommodated exams with extra time, reduced-distraction rooms or assistive technology.
- Mediate disagreements when an instructor believes an accommodation would change a course's essential requirements.
- Refer students for accessible textbooks, housing adjustments and counseling when needs go beyond the classroom.
- Keep confidential case notes and disability records separate from academic files.
- Train faculty and staff on disability law and on designing accessible course materials.
- Walk new buildings and event sites to spot access barriers and report them to facilities staff.
Required Skills and Qualifications
To succeed as a disability services specialist, you will need the following skills and qualifications:
- Working knowledge of the ADA and Section 504
- Case management software such as AIM or Symplicity Accommodate
- Reading medical and psychological reports
- Calm, private conversations about sensitive health topics
- Firmness with faculty when an accommodation is required
- Familiarity with assistive technology, such as screen readers and dictation software
- Accurate, confidential record keeping
- Knowledge of Deaf culture and interpreter services
Education and Training
Certified rehabilitation counselors are the preferred hire at some colleges. Most specialists hold a master's degree in counseling or rehabilitation counseling, the level BLS lists as typical for this group of counselors and advisors. Colleges also hire from social work, special education and sign language interpreting, and smaller offices sometimes take candidates without a graduate degree.
Salary and Job Outlook
Typical pay: $51,270 - $82,870 per year, with a median of $64,330.
The range covers the middle half of earners nationwide. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors.
BLS projects employment of educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors, the group that includes disability services specialists, to grow about 3 percent from 2025 to 2035. The group should see roughly 27,800 openings a year. And, as long as federal law requires colleges to accommodate students with disabilities, specialists will be needed to make sure those arrangements work in practice.
Outlook source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, Educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors.
Disability Services Specialist Pay Range
| Earners | Annual pay |
|---|---|
| Bottom 10% earn less than | $45,020 |
| Bottom 25% earn less than | $51,270 |
| Median (half earn more, half less) | $64,330 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $82,870 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $104,770 |
Highest-Paying States for Disability Services Specialists
The states with the highest median pay for this occupation are California ($86,500), Alaska ($82,900), Washington ($82,670), District of Columbia ($80,470), Massachusetts ($79,930). Pay is lowest in Florida ($53,140), Oklahoma ($52,040), South Dakota ($51,830).
Median pay in all 51 states with BLS data
| State | Median annual pay |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $59,570 |
| Alaska | $82,900 |
| Arizona | $58,250 |
| Arkansas | $59,770 |
| California | $86,500 |
| Colorado | $64,780 |
| Connecticut | $73,910 |
| Delaware | $74,070 |
| District of Columbia | $80,470 |
| Florida | $53,140 |
| Georgia | $63,720 |
| Hawaii | $61,730 |
| Idaho | $60,320 |
| Illinois | $62,420 |
| Indiana | $59,260 |
| Iowa | $56,540 |
| Kansas | $56,590 |
| Kentucky | $64,350 |
| Louisiana | $61,870 |
| Maine | $58,630 |
| Maryland | $75,820 |
| Massachusetts | $79,930 |
| Michigan | $59,440 |
| Minnesota | $64,600 |
| Mississippi | $58,710 |
| Missouri | $58,040 |
| Montana | $57,900 |
| Nebraska | $62,500 |
| Nevada | $66,710 |
| New Hampshire | $71,080 |
| New Jersey | $77,910 |
| New Mexico | $77,880 |
| New York | $71,610 |
| North Carolina | $57,630 |
| North Dakota | $58,960 |
| Ohio | $61,760 |
| Oklahoma | $52,040 |
| Oregon | $66,690 |
| Pennsylvania | $60,880 |
| Rhode Island | $75,000 |
| South Carolina | $60,340 |
| South Dakota | $51,830 |
| Tennessee | $59,960 |
| Texas | $67,900 |
| Utah | $61,320 |
| Vermont | $64,570 |
| Virginia | $67,660 |
| Washington | $82,670 |
| West Virginia | $55,520 |
| Wisconsin | $62,690 |
| Wyoming | $63,430 |
What the Work Is Like
O*NET surveys people who work as educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors about their daily conditions. Of those surveyed:
- 98% say teamwork is very or extremely important in their job
- 96% are on the phone every day
- 96% use email every day
- 85% work indoors in a climate-controlled space every day
- 82% spend more than half the workday sitting
- 76% say being exact and accurate is very or extremely important
- 54% deal with rude or angry people at least once a week
Tools and Software Disability Services Specialists Use
Tools and equipment
Software
Is This Job a Good Fit for You?
People who do well in this job tend to enjoy helping, teaching or caring for people as well as leading, persuading and making business decisions.
Skills O*NET rates most important: Active Listening, Speaking, Social Perceptiveness, Service Orientation, Reading Comprehension, Writing.
Knowledge areas used most: Customer and Personal Service, English Language, Therapy and Counseling, Education and Training, Psychology.
Preparation: O*NET places this occupation in Job Zone 5 of 5, which means extensive preparation.
Related Careers
These jobs use similar skills, according to O*NET's related-occupation data:
Applying for a Disability Services Specialist Job
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Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
- O*NET 30.1 Database, occupation 21-1012.00 (Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors). View on O*NET OnLine.
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. The Job Explorer has modified some of the information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these changes.