Speech-Language Pathologist is one of the fastest-growing occupations in the country, projected to grow +16.6% through 2035. Median pay sits at $97,870 nationally, a strong return for the training investment.
This page sets out what the federal data says about working as a speech-language pathologist: what the job pays, how fast it is growing, and what it takes to get in. Most people arrive through a degree in Communication Disorders Sciences and and what it leads to, though it is not the only route.
Assess and treat persons with speech, language, voice, and fluency disorders. May select alternative communication systems and teach their use. May perform research related to speech and language problems.
Also known as:
Most speech-language pathologists take home around $97,870 a year, well above what most college graduates make. Half earn somewhere between $77,730 and $114,570, so where you land depends a lot on employer, specialty and city. Worth weighing against how long the training takes. Source: BLS.
A wage on its own says nothing about whether the degree behind it pays for itself, which is a question of lifetime earnings set against the total cost of getting there.
Well above average for college graduates.
25th to 75th percentile. Most workers earn within this band.
This is what the job actually looks like on a Tuesday: 5 core activities and 5 skills the work depends on. Read it before the salary, because pay matters less than whether you would want to spend your days doing this. Source: O*NET.
Working closely with people, teaching, advising, or helping others navigate challenges is a defining feature of this career's daily work.
This career demands analytical thinking: researching problems, interpreting data, and applying logical reasoning to find practical solutions.
Success depends on precision and structured processes, where detail-oriented people who work consistently within established systems perform best.
What the physical and mental conditions of this job actually look like day to day, based on O*NET Work Context data collected from people working in this occupation.
Split between indoor and outdoor or field settings.
Mix of sitting and movement throughout the day.
High time pressure and significant consequences for errors. Deadline-driven or high-stakes decisions are common.
Through 2035 the BLS expects this field to change by +16.6%, meaning it is growing faster than most occupations, so jobs should be easier to find over time. Around 12,500 roles open up each year, which is the number that matters most if you are starting out. Source: BLS.
Growth rates are only meaningful next to other occupations, and the full list of careers with their projected growth puts this one in context.
Much faster than average.
New positions plus replacements for retirees and career-changers.
Total US employment as of BLS May 2025.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025–2035 and Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025.
The five states below employ the most Speech-Language Pathologist professionals nationwide. State-level wages can differ significantly from the $97,870 national median. Research your specific market before committing to a program.
| # | State | Jobs | Median Wage | vs. National |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas | 19,120 | $99,910 | +2.1% |
| 2 | California | 16,930 | $118,970 | +21.6% |
| 3 | New York | 15,310 | $100,610 | +2.8% |
| 4 | Florida | 10,080 | $99,990 | +2.2% |
| 5 | Illinois | 9,040 | $95,080 | -2.9% |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Employment figures rounded. Read our methodology →
To get hired here you will usually need a master's degree. The program below is the most common route in, ordered by how many people actually graduate from each one.
Extensive education (usually a master's or doctoral degree) plus years of field experience is required to qualify for most positions.
| # | Program | Graduates/yr | 4yr Median | Colleges |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Communication Disorders Sciences and | 23,288 | $58,928 | 395 |
Colleges offering the degree programs that lead to this career, ranked by UCD Score. A strong program plus solid outcomes is a good place to begin your search.
| # | College | UCD Score | Net Price | Salary 10yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of California-San Diego La Jolla, CA | 93 | $12,470 | $84,943 |
| 2 | University of Florida Gainesville, FL | 93 | $6,541 | $71,588 |
| 3 | University of Florida-Online Gainesville, FL | 90 | $4,815 | $71,588 |
| 4 | Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN | 90 | $15,846 | $91,565 |
| 5 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC | 90 | $11,655 | $72,200 |
| 6 | California State University-Long Beach Long Beach, CA | 90 | $10,440 | $64,403 |
Once you've sized up Speech-Language Pathologist, these tools turn the numbers into a plan. Estimate the real cost of a degree that leads here, weigh the long-term payoff, compare specific colleges side-by-side, and find programs that match your profile.
See if the degree that leads to Speech-Language Pathologist pays off. Weighs each college's cost against the earnings graduates see.
Enter a budget and see the colleges whose net price fits, with the out-of-pocket cost and likely loan load for each.
Put any 2–4 colleges side-by-side. Admissions, cost, outcomes, and earnings, all on one screen, no tab-hopping.
Answer six quick questions and see your best-fit colleges ranked by budget, field of study, and what matters most to you.
Strong earnings and growing demand make Speech-Language Pathologist a compelling path. The 3 strengths and 1 trade-offs below are drawn from BLS wage data and employment projections.
Air traffic controllers earn more than the typical bachelor's-degree career, with an associate degree. The occupations that pay six figures without four years of college.
Group every career by the degree it requires and master's-level jobs pay a median of about $91,000, statistically tied with bachelor's-level work. The premium hides in a few fields.
Only 106 of 393 federal careers both pay a median above $80,000 and grow faster than the typical job. Here is the rare set that clears both bars.
Browse our full directory: every college, major, program, and career we track, all built from verified government data.
Scout uses AI and can make mistakes. Verify important numbers on the page.
