speech pathologist salary

speech pathologist salary

Speech Pathologist Salary

1. Overview of Speech Pathologist Salary

Speech pathologists work in many different settings and the salary is impacted by the type and location of the workplace. According to the US Department of Labor, pathologists’ annual salary ranged from approximately $46,000 to $74,000 in 2006. The Dept. of Labor also stated that the median salary for a speech pathologist was $57,120 in 2006 and in a survey conducted by ASHA in 2007, the average salary was $66,000. In 2008, the median salary for a speech pathologist was $62,930. According to a recent salary survey conducted by ADVANCE, a national therapy magazine, the average salary for a speech pathologist is $66,678. Keep in mind that salaries continue to vary according to level of education, years of experience, work setting, and geographic location. This survey also showed that speech pathologists earned average hourly wages ranging from $20 to $25 per hour. Overtime wages typically ranged from $30 to $37 per hour. In general, SLPs with a Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) and those employed in the educational services and health care sectors tend to earn higher salaries. According to the 2008 Schools Survey, SLPs employed as school practitioners had a median salary of $56,000. Those with earnings in the highest 10% in 2008 had salaries approximating $94,000 to $110,000.

2. Factors Influencing Speech Pathologist Salary

Location is very important for salary differences in this profession due to the fact that speech pathologists are in high demand and command good money. The reason for this is because there is a relatively low number of speech pathologists working outside the states. Overseas job opportunities for Americans in this industry yield higher pay but the majority of US trained pathologists will work their entire careers in the states. The demand is high due to the global population shift of aging adults and a recent increase in speech and language deficits in early developmental stages. High demand will equate to higher wages. Now within the states, certain regions will pay more than others. For example, a career in a medical setting in California or New York will pay significantly more than one in the school systems of these same states. This stems from the fact that medical speech pathology is primary healthcare for an adult population and these are two of the few states where pathologists can command high wages in an educational environment. The level of experience or the number of ‘years in the field’ for a pathologist will also influence salary expectations. There is a noticeable pay gap between recent graduates and individuals with 3-5 years experience. Pay increases will continue to rise with time in the field and peak at age fifty-five. This assumes employment is continuous and when taking into account specific age groups, it’s fair to say that middle-aged to elderly pathologists will be taking some of the top earnings in this field. High earners at the end of their careers are most likely working in medical settings specializing in work with the adult and elderly populations.

3. Average Salary Range for Speech Pathologists

This salary range can influence one’s standard of living, debt to income ratio, and the ability to repay student loans. According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s 2007 Schools Survey, forty percent of speech-language pathologists who work full-time have a 9-10 month standard contract while earning a salary for 12 months. Thirty-five percent work on a 10-11 month contract, and eight percent work on an 11-12 month contract. With the SLP field in and of itself rapidly growing, there are ample job employment opportunities with competitive salaries that will further increase in coming years.

The average salary range for speech pathologists is $43,300 to $89,100. These figures depend on the level of experience, the area of employment, and the location of the job. Individuals with one to four years of experience can expect to earn between $39,800 to $59,000, while those with five to nine years of experience can earn between $44,100 to $68,300. A certificate of clinical competence in speech pathology (CCC-SLP) and a master’s degree can both positively impact one’s salary, with an SLP earning closer to the higher end of the salary range mentioned above. It is said that those employed at schools can receive a lower salary than those working at healthcare facilities, private practice, or other locations. Lastly, speaking in terms of location, a speech pathologist in California can earn upwards of $75,000, while those in upstate New York earn closer to $48,000-$60,000.

4. Career Advancement and Salary Growth Opportunities

With growing experience, speech pathologists can make an increasing salary. According to the ASHA report, the average hourly wage for SLPs was $31.18. Salaried SLPs earned an average of $63,000 annually. Those with supervisory responsibilities earned an average of $68,000 and those with extended responsibilities earned an average of $88,000. A 1998 survey conducted by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) found that the average annual salary for speech pathologists was $51,256. Salaries for speech pathologists can vary from setting to setting. In health care and education, salaries are typically one of the highest. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, the average annual salary for an SLP working in health care facilities was $66,000, with SLPs in home health services earning an average salary of $77,240. This is much higher than the national average reported by the NCHS. SLPs employed by schools may be on a ten-month or twelve-month contract. Those on a ten-month contract earn less because they are paid only for nine or ten months of the year and do not receive compensation for work undertaken during the two-month summer vacation period. Earnings for SLPs on a twelve-month contract are meet and in some cases exceed those of SLPs working in health care. SLPs in private clinical practice tend to earn more than those in education, though the average salary can vary. SLPs in private practice may also work on a part-time basis in addition to their primary position in order to earn additional income.

5. Conclusion

In today’s world, the role of the speech language pathologist (SLP) is familiar to most people. We have all encountered the work of SLPs during our educational years in school or enrolled a family member in to an SLP for some type of communication disorder. Many people touched by the work of an SLP may not realize the great importance and impact these careers have on children and adults with communication and swallowing issues. This essay provides information on the salary and wages of an SLP in a variety of work settings, as well as the supply and demand of SLPs and the need for more in the workforce. This topic is of interest to me as I graduate this year with an undergraduate degree in communication disorders and hope to become an SLP in the near future. This information was helpful in giving me an idea of what to expect in terms of salary in an SLP career. Overall, the outlook for speech language pathologists is very good. With an increasing demand for SLPs to work with the aging baby boomer generation, let alone the growing number of children with speech and language disorders, SLPs will find a wide variety of job opportunities open to them. With that, SLPs can look forward to a comfortable income, virtually always at a rate higher than the national average for many other occupations. The range in salary levels in various work settings will cater to certain individuals’ needs and expectations. So while there might be a large difference in salary between working in a school district versus owning a private practice, SLPs can take comfort in knowing that they will be fairly compensated for their services.