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Speech-Language Pathologist

Overview and Key Facts

Student and teacher
Education
Education
Master's degree
Median Pay
Median Pay
$95,410
Job Growth
Job Growth
15.00%
(Above US Average)
Jobs in 2034
Jobs in 2034
215,500

What Do They Do?

A speech-language pathologist could...

 
Patient relearning skills
Help stroke patients regain their language skills through word games.
Child doing sign language
Teach sign language to a child with speech delays to help him communicate until his speech is clearer.
Speech pathologist doing exercise with child
Diagnose a speech problem by evaluating a patient's mouth position as he or she makes vowel sounds.
Child blowing bubbles
Use bubbles and other games to help a child learn to make different shapes and sounds with his mouth.
 
Patient relearning skills Child doing sign language Speech pathologist doing exercise with child Child blowing bubbles

Overview Listen to this section

What if you couldn't tell someone what you needed or wanted? Or you couldn't understand what other people around you were saying? Can you imagine how frustrating that would be? Communication is vital to our lives as human beings. Language allows us to express our daily experiences, needs, wants, ideas, and dreams—even our jokes! Without it, we are isolated. Speech-language pathologists are the therapists who assess, diagnose, and treat communicative disorders related to speech, language, cognition, voice, and fluency. They also treat other problems, such as difficulty swallowing.
Watch this video to see how speech-language pathologists help all sorts of people, including stroke patients and children with stutters. If you suffered a brain injury, you'd probably need a good medical staff of doctors, nurses, neurologists, physical therapists, and maybe even a speech-language pathologist.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Irob_DVzRno

Do You Have the Skills and Characteristics of a Speech-Language Pathologist?


  1. Social Perceptiveness: ?
  2. Active Listening: ?
  3. Reading Comprehension: ?
  4. Critical Thinking: ?
  5. Writing: ?
More skills...

Core Tasks

Think about if you'd like the typical tasks a Speech-Language Pathologist might do:
  • Evaluate hearing or speech and language test results, barium swallow results, or medical or background information to diagnose and plan treatment for speech, language, fluency, voice, or swallowing disorders.
  • Write reports and maintain proper documentation of information, such as client Medicaid or billing records or caseload activities, including the initial evaluation, treatment, progress, and discharge of clients.
  • Develop or implement treatment plans for problems such as stuttering, delayed language, swallowing disorders, or inappropriate pitch or harsh voice problems, based on own assessments and recommendations of physicians, psychologists, or social workers.
  • Monitor patients' progress and adjust treatments accordingly.
  • Administer hearing or speech and language evaluations, tests, or examinations to patients to collect information on type and degree of impairments, using written or oral tests or special instruments.
  • Educate patients and family members about various topics, such as communication techniques or strategies to cope with or to avoid personal misunderstandings.
  • Supervise or collaborate with therapy team.
  • Participate in and write reports for meetings regarding patients' progress, such as individualized educational planning (IEP) meetings, in-service meetings, or intervention assistance team meetings.
  • Instruct clients in techniques for more effective communication, such as sign language, lip reading, or voice improvement.
  • Teach clients to control or strengthen tongue, jaw, face muscles, or breathing mechanisms.
  • Consult with and advise educators or medical staff on speech or hearing topics, such as communication strategies or speech and language stimulation.
  • Develop speech exercise programs to reduce disabilities.
  • Complete administrative responsibilities, such as coordinating paperwork, scheduling case management activities, or writing lesson plans.
  • Consult with and refer clients to additional medical or educational services.
  • Design, develop, or employ alternative diagnostic or communication devices or strategies.
  • Participate in conferences, training, continuing education courses, or publish research results to share knowledge of new hearing or speech disorder treatment methods or technologies.
  • Use computer applications to identify or assist with communication disabilities.

Salary & Job Openings

Median Salary (Yearly Pay)

Tap or scroll over map to see median salaries for each state

Future Jobs

Blast-Off:

How Will Speech-Language Pathologist Jobs Grow by 2034?
Projected % Growth
Rapid growth
(10% or higher)
Much faster than average
(7% - 10%)
Faster than average
(5% - 7%)
About as fast as average
(3% - 5%)
Slower than average
(0% - 3%)
Decreasing
Average of all U.S. jobs (5.3%)
Speech-Language Pathologist jobs (15.00%)
Source: https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables/occupational-projections-and-characteristics.htm

Steps to Get There: Becoming a Speech-Language Pathologist

High School Subjects to Study

Aim to study the yellow-shaded subjects.
Math
Algebra 1
Geometry
Algebra 2
Pre-Calculus
Calculus
Statistics
Science
Biology
Chemistry
Physics
Environmental Science
Physiology
Bio-Medical / Biotech
IT &
Engineering
Computer Science
Applied Technology
Drafting & CAD Training
Core
English
Foreign Language
Business
Psychology / Sociology

Career Pathway Listen to this section

A master's degree is the most common level of education among speech-language pathologists. Licensure or certification requirements also exist, but vary by state.

Education- Typical Degree Needed After High School Listen to this section

Degree
Post
high school credential
AA
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctoral or Professional Degree

Typical degree for an entry-level position: Master's degree ? Types of Degrees and Credentials

Most speech-language pathologist jobs require a master's degree. The Council on Academic Accreditation is an entity of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association; it accredits postsecondary academic programs in speech-language pathology. While graduation from an accredited program is not always required, it is required by some states for licensure and is mandatory for professional credentialing from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. In 2009, about 240 colleges and universities offered graduate programs, at both the master's and doctoral levels, in speech-language pathology accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation. Speech-language pathology courses cover anatomy, physiology, and the development of the areas of the body involved in speech, language, and swallowing; the nature of disorders; principles of acoustics; and psychological aspects of communication. Graduate students may also learn to evaluate and treat speech, language, and swallowing disorders as part of curriculum in supervised clinical practicum.

Companies That Hire Speech-Language Pathologists

Try it Out with an Activity or Project

STEM Activities

STEM activities are fun hands-on explorations that usually take from 10 minutes to one hour and use readily available household or classroom materials while introducing you to STEM concepts common in this career.

Science Project Ideas

Project Ideas are in-depth STEM explorations that have a strong focus on controlling variables, taking accurate measurements, and analyzing data suitable for investigating the scientific method or the engineering design process.

On the Job

Role Models

In this interview, Deborah Dixon explains that as a speech language pathologist in the school setting, she tries to work with children during the regular school day as much as possible and to give families ideas to incorporate new ways of communicating into everyday life.
True collaboration requires a lot of trust, but once you build that trust you understand that no one person can be responsible for a child’s progress. 
Deborah Dixon, M.A., CCC-SLP

Nature of the Work

Speech-language pathologists, sometimes called speech therapists, assess, diagnose, treat, and help prevent disorders related to speech, language, cognitive-communication, voice, swallowing, and fluency.

Speech-language pathologists work with people who cannot produce speech sounds or cannot produce them clearly; those with speech rhythm and fluency problems, such as stuttering; people with voice disorders, such as inappropriate pitch or harsh voice; those with problems understanding and producing language; those who wish to improve their communication skills by modifying an accent; and those with cognitive communication impairments, such as attention, memory, and problem-solving disorders. They also work with people who have swallowing difficulties.

Speech, language, and swallowing difficulties can result from a variety of causes, including stroke, brain injury or deterioration, developmental delays or disorders, learning disabilities, cerebral palsy, cleft palate, voice pathology, mental retardation, hearing loss, or emotional problems. Problems can be congenital, developmental, or acquired. Speech-language pathologists use special instruments and qualitative and quantitative assessment methods, including standardized tests, to analyze and diagnose the nature and extent of impairments.

Speech-language pathologists develop an individualized plan of care, tailored to each patient's needs. For individuals with little or no speech capability, speech-language pathologists may select augmentative or alternative communication methods, including automated devices and sign language, and teach their use. They teach patients how to make sounds, improve their voices, or increase their oral or written language skills to communicate more effectively. They also teach individuals how to strengthen muscles or use compensatory strategies to swallow without choking or inhaling food or liquid. Speech-language pathologists help patients develop, or recover, reliable communication and swallowing skills so patients can fulfill their educational, vocational, and social roles.

Speech-language pathologists keep records on the initial evaluation, progress, and discharge of clients. This helps pinpoint problems, tracks client progress, and justifies the cost of treatment when applying for reimbursement. They counsel individuals and their families concerning communication disorders and how to cope with the stress and misunderstanding that often accompany them. They also work with family members to recognize and change behavior patterns that impede communication and treatment and show them communication-enhancing techniques to use at home.

Most speech-language pathologists provide direct clinical services to individuals with communication or swallowing disorders. In medical facilities, they may perform their job in conjunction with physicians, social workers, psychologists, and other therapists. Speech-language pathologists in schools collaborate with teachers, special educators, interpreters, other school personnel, and parents to develop and implement individual or group programs, provide counseling, and support classroom activities.

Some speech-language pathologists conduct research on how people communicate. Others design and develop equipment or techniques for diagnosing and treating speech problems.

Work Environment

Speech-language pathologists usually work at a desk or table in clean, comfortable surroundings. In medical settings, they might work at the patient's bedside and assist in positioning the patient. In schools, they might work with students in an office or classroom. Some work in the client's home.

Although the work is not physically demanding, it requires attention to detail and intense concentration. The emotional needs of clients and their families may be demanding. Most full-time speech-language pathologists work 40 hours per week. About 20 percent of speech-language pathologists worked part-time in 2008. Those who work on a contract basis might spend a substantial amount of time traveling between facilities.

More Information

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