How Much Do Speech-Language Pathologists Make?

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that speech-language pathologists make a median annual income of $79,060 or $38 per hour. The lowest 10% of speech-language pathologists earned less than $51,310 and the highest 10% earned more than $125,560.

Do Speech-Language Pathologists Get Paid Well?

Speech-Language Pathologists are paid well—they earn more than the average worker in the United States. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the average salary for speech-language pathologists is $79,060 per year. This is 88 percent more than the average salary for all occupations, which is $45,760.

How Much Do Speech-Language Pathologists Make Starting Out?

The BLS does not provide average compensation data for entry-level positions for speech-language pathologists just starting out, but the bottom 25% of speech-language pathologists earn $61,970 each year according to the BLS.

How Many Speech-Language Pathologists Are There In The United States?

In 2021, there were 158,100 speech-language pathologists in the United States. The BLS predicts the number of speech-language pathologists will increase by 29 percent, approximately 45,400 jobs, by 2030.

Where Can Speech-Language Pathologists Earn The Most?

Speech-Language Pathologists' salaries depend on location and work setting. According to the BLS, speech-language pathologists earn the most in the following industries: elementary and secondary schools, offices of other health practitioners and general medical and surgical hospitals. The metropolitan areas with the highest pay for speech-language pathologists are:

1. San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA - $118,260
2. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA - $111,120
3. Salinas, CA - $107,160

How Much Do Speech-Language Pathologists Earn In Each State?

The table below compares athletic speech pathologist salaries across states and U.S. territories (Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wages May 2020). You can also find data for the number of athletic speech pathologists in each state as well as the number of athletic speech pathologists per 1,000 jobs—a figure that can help you determine the job's popularity in a given location. Not all locations have employment statistics.