Speech-Language Pathologists
Speech-Language Pathologists earn an average annual salary of $117,150, making it one of the higher-paying occupations. While facing some shifts, the field is adapting to changes in the job market. Professionals in this field are primarily employed in industries such as Cross-industry and Educational Services.
Key Statistics
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Speech-Language Pathologists workforce.
Employment Over Time
14,680 Workforce in 2023
The Speech-Language Pathologists workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Speech-Language Pathologists.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$117,150 Average Wage
In 2023, Speech-Language Pathologists earned an average of $117,150.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Speech-Language Pathologists.
Salary distribution for Speech-Language Pathologists.
Employment Growth Projections
3.7% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
69,593 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 19.9%
83,474 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 43.9%
This occupation is projected to grow at 3.7% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Speech-Language Pathologists.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Speech-Language Pathologists and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Speech-Language Pathologists employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Speech-Language Pathologists.
Wage Trends by Industry
6.0% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Speech-Language Pathologists.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Speech-Language Pathologists.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 13,680 employees, $117,480 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Speech-Language Pathologists.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 2,980 employees, $114,202 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 1,800 employees, $114,551 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 1,560 employees, $109,148 avg wage
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 1,390 employees, $110,745 avg wage
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 1,250 employees, $127,885 avg wage
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 750 employees, $121,536 avg wage
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 630 employees, $138,864 avg wage
- San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD: 600 employees, $130,272 avg wage
- Fresno MSA: 570 employees, $118,023 avg wage
- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura MSA: 410 employees, $120,909 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Speech-Language Pathologists.
Diversity
Demographic information on Speech-Language Pathologists in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Speech-Language Pathologists in 2023 was 14,680 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Speech-Language Pathologists.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Speech-Language Pathologists.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Speech-Language Pathologists.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Speech-Language Pathologists in 2023 were Health Sciences, Business, Social Sciences.
Common majors for Speech-Language Pathologists.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Speech-Language Pathologists workers.
Education level distribution for Speech-Language Pathologists.
Skills
Speech-Language Pathologists need many skills, but most especially Social Perceptiveness, Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Writing.
Required skills for Speech-Language Pathologists.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Speech-Language Pathologists.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Speech-Language Pathologists include English Language, Education and Training, Customer and Personal Service, Psychology, Therapy and Counseling.
Knowledge areas required for Speech-Language Pathologists.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Speech-Language Pathologists include Oral Comprehension, Written Expression, Oral Expression, Speech Recognition, Written Comprehension.
Required abilities for Speech-Language Pathologists.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Speech-Language Pathologists.
Daily Activities
Speech-Language Pathologists spend their time on activities such as Documenting/Recording Information, Getting Information, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships, Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work, Making Decisions and Solving Problems.
Most important work activities for Speech-Language Pathologists.
About
Speech-Language Pathologists
The average yearly wage for Speech-Language Pathologists was $117,150 in 2023.
SOC Code
29-1127 - Speech-Language Pathologists
Insights and Analysis
High earnings profile: Speech-Language Pathologists reports an average salary of $117,150, placing it among stronger-paying occupations.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 14,680 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 3.7%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.