Reverse link data rate indications in wireless communication systems are defined with low identification overhead. Existence of a pilot signal is leveraged in order to reduce the overhead for identifying and selecting the reverse link data rate. At least two distinguishable pilot signals are defined, in which, based on the particular pilot signal present in the transmitted frame, at least one rate set from the multiple available rate sets can be determined. Reverse rate information in the transmitted frame is then used to identify which specific data rate within the determined rate set is used. Based on the identified data rate, the receiver may then decode the payload data in the transmitted frame.