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Communication Sciences and Disorders Outcomes & Career Options

Outcomes & Career Options

Speech-language pathologists treat persons with speech, language, voice, and fluency disorders. They use specialized instruments as well as written or oral tests to determine the nature and extent of impairment, and to record and analyze speech irregularities. For individuals with little or no speech, speech-language pathologists choose alternative communication systems, including automated devices and sign language, and teach their use

Audiologists treat persons with hearing related disorders. They use audiometers and other testing devices to measure loudness and the level at which a person begins to hear sounds. They also measure the patient’s ability to distinguish between sounds and extent of their hearing loss. Audiologists can work in clinical settings or in the field where they can test noise levels in workplaces and conduct hearing protection programs. Many speech pathologists are employed in public schools. Other speech pathologists and most audiologists work in hospitals, rehabilitation centers, college or community speech and hearing clinics, or in private practice.

Educational Qualifications

The master’s degree or its equivalent is required for the certificate of clinical competence and California licensing. In many states, credentials for working in schools are also required. Requirements for licensing and school credentials vary from state to state.

Job Outlook

 


19% Job Market Growth

$89,290 Median Salary

 

Entering Salary

The median annual wage for speech-language pathologists was $89,290 in May 2023. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $57,910, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $129,930.

In May 2023, the median annual wages for speech-language pathologists in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:

  • Nursing and residential care facilities $105,030
  • Hospitals; state, local, and private $100,130
  • Offices of physical, occupational and speech therapists, and audiologists $94,990
  • Educational services; state, local, and private $79,960

Partial information in this page was retrieved from Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Speech-Language Pathologists, at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/speech-language-pathologists.htm (visited April 17, 2024).

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