Speech-Language Pathologist Salary: Maximizing Your Career with an SLP Degree

What can you earn as an SLP?

How much do SLPs make? This depends on many factors, including experience, location, education level and work settings. For instance, an SLP average salary can vary based on the average SLP salary by state. Here’s a look at how these four factors can affect earning potential.

Experience: How it affects earnings

As SLPs gain more experience and take on more administrative and supervisory roles, their incomes can increase. For instance, SLPs with one to 10 years of experience can expect to earn a median annual salary of $74,000 to $89,000, while those with 10 to 20 years of experience can earn upward of $98,000, according to the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA).

Some SLPs with several decades of experience can reach six-figure salaries. While the national median salary for an SLP is $89,290, SLPs in the top 10% of earners can make an annual wage of $129,930, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Location: Geographic influence on earnings

The best speech pathology graduate programs prepare students with skills that are transferable to any region or area. This provides flexibility to find opportunities throughout the United States, which is important since cost of living and demand can impact on salary. SLPs in metropolitan areas, for example, often have higher annual salaries than their peers in rural areas. But even cities of comparable size and population can vary significantly. For instance, the typical income for an SLP in Danbury, CT, is $113,920, while it’s $87,480 in Greenville, NC, according to the BLS.

And while some nonmetropolitan areas, including those in Mississippi, central Kentucky and northeastern Ohio, provide SLPs more job opportunities but lower salaries, other nonmetropolitan areas, such as those in Connecticut, have typical SLP annual incomes of $104,850.

In general, ASHA found that the medial annual salary for SLPs is highest in western U.S. at $96,500, with the northeastern, midwestern and southern regions closer to $85,000.

Education level and certifications: Impact on earning potential

A master’s degree in speech-language pathology is the minimum educational requirement for most positions in the field. And all states require SLPs to be licensed. SLPs who pursue advanced certifications or develop specialized skills, such as becoming a bilingual SLP, treating neurological disorders (such as stroke rehabilitation) or focusing on pediatric speech therapy, may see higher earnings.

To pursue a career as a licensed and practicing SLP, a common path is to earn an undergraduate degree in communication disorders and continue to a master’s degree in speech-language pathology or related field, both through an accredited program.

To practice as an SLP, you need to meet state licensure requirements, which often include passing the SLP Praxis exam and completing a clinical fellowship. ASHA requires a master's degree for its Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP), a national credential.

Sacred Heart’s accredited programs, including a Bachelor of Science in communication disorders and speech pathology graduate programs, can help you to become a SLP.

Work setting: Different salaries across environments

Generally, health care settings, such as nursing and residential care facilities, as well as hospitals, tend to offer higher speech pathologist salaries. SLPs in these settings can make $100,130 to $105,030. They might assist patients who are recovering from surgeries or stroke, which often requires more intensive treatment.

An MS in SLP can prepare you for many settings of varying income level and work schedules. For instance, the average annual pay for a school speech-language pathologist in the U.S. is $86,518 while an SLP in private practice may make about $95,000 to $105,000 a year. SLPs can work as consultants or become clinical directors and that can have an impact on salary, given these roles require additional expertise in management and administration.

Additional factors influencing salary

Job demand is one of the primary drivers of salary growth. SLP graduate programs can prepare you to meet this demand as the population ages and awareness of speech and language disorders increases. The BLS predicts that employment of speech-language pathologists will grow by 18% through 2031, much faster than the average for all occupations.

The type of employer can also affect salary levels. A nonprofit, civic organization or government agency might offer a competitive salary, but the earning potential might differ from the opportunities in private practice or for-profit health care agencies.

Pursue a career you love

There are many reasons to become a speech-language pathologist, and those who aspire to this profession should consider career goals, lifestyle preferences and geographic location when determining their earning potential. SLPs can enjoy a rewarding career with numerous opportunities for professional and financial growth.

For information about Sacred Heart University’s Bachelor of Science in communication disorders, contact undergraduate admissions by email or call 203-371-7880. To learn about SHU’s Master of Science in speech-language pathology, contact graduate admissions by email or call 203-365-7619.

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