LIVE MARKET·11,875 postings · last 180 days·Updated April 30, 2026

Speech Language Pathologist salary: $57.50/hr$2,300/wk$119,600/yr median.

Pay range $49.50$1,980$102,960–$69.87/hr$2,795/wk$145,330/yr across the middle 50% of active Speech Therapy Allied Health Professional postings nationwide.

2,165 unique employers · 2,622 cities · 104 states. Pay moved +0.0% over the last 30 days.

Median /hr/wk/yr

$57.50$2,300$119,600

P25–P75

$49.50$1,980$102,960–$69.87$2,795$145,330

middle 50%

Postings

11,875

▲ 5.0%

Coverage

104 states

2,165 employers

01·PAY DISTRIBUTION·P10 → P90

How Speech Language Pathologist pay is distributed.

10% of postings pay under $44.00/hr$1,760/wk$91,520/yr. The top 10% pay above $77.50/hr$3,100/wk$161,200/yr.

P10

$44.00

P25

$49.50

P50

$57.50

P75

$69.87

P90

$77.50

P10

$44.00/hr$1,760/wk$91,520/yr

P25

$49.50/hr$1,980/wk$102,960/yr

P50 (median)

$57.50/hr$2,300/wk$119,600/yr

P75

$69.87/hr$2,795/wk$145,330/yr

P90

$77.50/hr$3,100/wk$161,200/yr

02·PAY TRENDS·6-MONTH WINDOW

How Speech Language Pathologist pay has moved month over month.

Median pay moved from $56.50 in Nov 2025 to $57.50 in Apr 2026 (+1.8%). Bars show monthly posting volume; the line tracks the posting-weighted median.

Median /hrP25–P75 bandPostings

30-DAY MOVEMENT

Pay (median)

$57.50/hr$2,300/wk$119,600/yr

vs. 30 days ago

$57.50/hr$2,300/wk$119,600/yr

Δ pay— 0.00%

Postings (current 30d)

2,664

Postings (previous 30d)

2,537

Δ postings▲ 5.0%

Month	Median /hr/wk/yr	P25–P75	Postings
Nov 2025	$56.50$2,260$117,520	$47.50$1,900$98,800–$69.00$2,760$143,520	1,408
Dec 2025	$56.00$2,240$116,480	$49.50$1,980$102,960–$67.50$2,700$140,400	2,482
Jan 2026	$58.50$2,340$121,680	$49.50$1,980$102,960–$71.95$2,878$149,656	1,440
Feb 2026	$59.00$2,360$122,720	$50.00$2,000$104,000–$71.19$2,848$148,075	1,344
Mar 2026	$57.50$2,300$119,600	$49.00$1,960$101,920–$67.50$2,700$140,400	2,697
Apr 2026	$57.50$2,300$119,600	$49.50$1,980$102,960–$68.50$2,740$142,480	2,504

03·STATE BREAKDOWN·n=11,875

Speech Language Pathologist pay across every state with live data.

01Alabama AL76 postings

$48.25/hr

02Alaska AK55 postings

$71.35/hr

03Arizona AZ335 postings

$57.50/hr

04Arkansas AR50 postings

$48.50/hr

05California CA1,800 postings

$68.50/hr

06Colorado CO463 postings

$52.50/hr

07Connecticut CT216 postings

$52.50/hr

08Delaware DE85 postings

$58.50/hr

09District Of Columbia DC16 postings

$59.50/hr

10Florida FL585 postings

$52.00/hr

11Georgia GA178 postings

$55.00/hr

12Hawaii HI90 postings

$71.72/hr

13Idaho ID79 postings

$70.60/hr

14Illinois IL503 postings

$55.00/hr

15Indiana IN152 postings

$49.00/hr

16Iowa IA59 postings

$45.00/hr

17Kansas KS83 postings

$50.00/hr

18Kentucky KY75 postings

$56.00/hr

19Louisiana LA35 postings

$50.00/hr

20Maine ME57 postings

$47.50/hr

21Maryland MD334 postings

$57.50/hr

22Massachusetts MA594 postings

$70.15/hr

23Michigan MI138 postings

$55.00/hr

24Minnesota MN162 postings

$50.00/hr

25Mississippi MS20 postings

$45.75/hr

26Missouri MO175 postings

$55.50/hr

27Montana MT31 postings

$69.00/hr

28Nebraska NE24 postings

$48.75/hr

29Nevada NV93 postings

$54.00/hr

30New Hampshire NH49 postings

$48.00/hr

31New Jersey NJ282 postings

$62.50/hr

32New Mexico NM96 postings

$60.00/hr

33New York NY896 postings

$67.50/hr

34North Carolina NC163 postings

$50.00/hr

35North Dakota ND21 postings

$43.50/hr

36Ohio OH317 postings

$56.50/hr

37Oklahoma OK55 postings

$51.00/hr

38Oregon OR136 postings

$57.50/hr

39Pennsylvania PA323 postings

$57.50/hr

40Rhode Island RI43 postings

$48.50/hr

41South Carolina SC177 postings

$51.50/hr

42South Dakota SD55 postings

$55.00/hr

43Tennessee TN82 postings

$50.50/hr

44Texas TX557 postings

$59.00/hr

45Utah UT39 postings

$50.00/hr

46Vermont VT25 postings

$46.00/hr

47Virginia VA144 postings

$55.50/hr

48Washington WA365 postings

$57.50/hr

49West Virginia WV12 postings

$47.25/hr

50Wisconsin WI86 postings

$47.50/hr

51Wyoming WY8 postings

$55.00/hr

Showing all 51 states with live data. Bars scale to the highest-paying state.

04·TOP-PAYING CITIES·METROS WITH ACTIVE POSTINGS

The metros writing the biggest Speech Language Pathologist paychecks.

City	State	Median /hr/wk/yr	P25–P75	Postings
santa rosa	CA · CALIFORNIA	$91.00$3,640$189,280	$78.06$3,122$162,365–$91.88$3,675$191,110	58
redwood city	CA · CALIFORNIA	$90.08$3,603$187,366	$87.30$3,492$181,584–$91.70$3,668$190,736	17
elk grove	CA · CALIFORNIA	$89.00$3,560$185,120	$80.00$3,200$166,400–$94.20$3,768$195,936	29
madera	CA · CALIFORNIA	$84.28$3,371$175,302	$79.25$3,170$164,840–$85.61$3,424$178,069	18
roswell	NM · NEW MEXICO	$80.47$3,219$167,378	$76.46$3,058$159,037–$83.15$3,326$172,952	12

05·EMPLOYER BREAKDOWN·TOP 20 BY PAY

Where the top of the market is paying for Speech Language Pathologist.

Employer	Median /hr/wk/yr	Range	Postings
Achieve Beyond Pediatric Therapy and Autism Services	$162.50$6,500$338,000	$65.00$2,600$135,200–$190.00$7,600$395,200	58
Best Home Health & Hospice	$130.00$5,200$270,400	$130.00$5,200$270,400–$130.00$5,200$270,400	11
Boundless Home Health	$112.50$4,500$234,000	$112.50$4,500$234,000–$112.50$4,500$234,000	40
CareSoft Health	$170.00$6,800$353,600	$170.00$6,800$353,600–$190.00$7,600$395,200	5
Discovery Therapy	$110.00$4,400$228,800	$87.50$3,500$182,000–$110.00$4,400$228,800	12
Halcyon Home	$125.00$5,000$260,000	$125.00$5,000$260,000–$125.00$5,000$260,000	5
Knowledge Road	$127.50$5,100$265,200	$127.50$5,100$265,200–$132.50$5,300$275,600	9
Medquest Health Services	$107.50$4,300$223,600	$107.50$4,300$223,600–$107.50$4,300$223,600	8
Pivot Home Health	$107.00$4,280$222,560	$106.50$4,260$221,520–$107.50$4,300$223,600	6
White Glove Community Care	$105.00$4,200$218,400	$80.00$3,200$166,400–$110.00$4,400$228,800	8

Showing all 10 employers with live pay data.

06·SHIFT & CONTRACT MIX·PAY BY WORK PATTERN

How Speech Language Pathologist pay shifts by schedule and contract type.

Permanent pays the most at $72.78/hr$2,911/wk$151,382/yr median — 39% above PRN at $52.50/hr$2,100/wk$109,200/yr. Fulltime drives the volume with 4,999 active postings.

BY SHIFT

Not Specified

9,705 postings

$55.00/hr$2,200/wk$114,400/yr

Days

1,921 postings

$72.15/hr$2,886/wk$150,072/yr

Day

140 postings

$74.16/hr$2,966/wk$154,253/yr

67 postings

$64.47/hr$2,579/wk$134,098/yr

Flexible

27 postings

$73.05/hr$2,922/wk$151,944/yr

Rotating

6 postings

$69.62/hr$2,785/wk$144,810/yr

Variable

3 postings

$64.47/hr$2,579/wk$134,098/yr

Weekend

3 postings

$70.35/hr$2,814/wk$146,328/yr

BY JOB TYPE

Fulltime

4,999 postings

$54.50/hr$2,180/wk$113,360/yr

Parttime

1,651 postings

$54.50/hr$2,180/wk$113,360/yr

Not Specified

1,618 postings

$57.00/hr$2,280/wk$118,560/yr

Travel Contract

1,535 postings

$72.70/hr$2,908/wk$151,216/yr

Per Diem

1,030 postings

$56.50/hr$2,260/wk$117,520/yr

PRN

519 postings

$52.50/hr$2,100/wk$109,200/yr

Contract

396 postings

$62.50/hr$2,500/wk$130,000/yr

Permanent

84 postings

$72.78/hr$2,911/wk$151,382/yr

Staff Position

17 postings

$60.69/hr$2,428/wk$126,235/yr

Travel

15 postings

$62.50/hr$2,500/wk$130,000/yr

Temporary

5 postings

$57.50/hr$2,300/wk$119,600/yr

07·RELATED ROLES IN ALLIED HEALTH PROFESSIONAL·SAME TRACK FIRST

Other clinical titles paying close to this one.

Role	Track	Median /hr/wk/yr	Postings
Caregiver	Direct Care	$17.50$700$36,400	42,150
Physical Therapist	Physical Therapy	$56.00$2,240$116,480	33,006
CT Technologist	Radiology	$77.00$3,080$160,160	31,855
Cardiac Catheterization Technologist	Cardiovascular	$78.12$3,125$162,490	25,368
Radiology Technologist	Radiology	$76.53$3,061$159,182	21,834
Occupational Therapist	Occupational Therapy	$55.00$2,200$114,400	13,412

08·HOW TO BECOME·CAREER PATHWAY

How to become a Speech Language Pathologist.

Speech-Language Pathologists evaluate and treat communication disorders, swallowing difficulties, and cognitive-communication impairments across the lifespan.

Education·Min: Master's (MS/MA)

SLPs complete a bachelor's degree (often in Communication Sciences and Disorders), then a master's SLP program. Programs require 400+ clinical hours. After graduation, complete Clinical Fellowship Year (CFY) for full certification.

Degree	Duration	Notes
Master of Science in Speech-Language PathologyMS-SLP	2-3 years post-bachelor's	Required entry-level degree. Includes extensive clinical practicum hours. Accredited by CAA/ASHA.
Clinical Doctorate in Speech-Language PathologySLPD	3-4 years post-bachelor's	Clinical doctorate option. Not required but may provide additional expertise. Relatively uncommon.
PhD in Speech-Language PathologyPhD	4-6 years post-master's	Research doctorate for those pursuing academic or research careers.

Licenses & Exams·3 credentials

State SLP LicenseSpeech-Language Pathologist LicenseRequired

Issued by: State Board of Examiners

State license required in all 50 states. Requirements vary but typically include ASHA CCC-SLP.

CCC-SLPCertificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language PathologyRequired

Exam: Praxis SLP Exam · Issued by: ASHA

National credential from ASHA. Requires master's degree, 400+ clinical hours, passing Praxis exam, and Clinical Fellowship.

BLSBasic Life SupportRequired

Issued by: American Heart Association

CPR certification required for medical settings.

Optional Certifications·Pay boost where known

Credential	Issued by	Pay impact
BCS-S Board Certified Specialist in Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders Advanced certification in dysphagia. Requires 350 hours of specialty practice. Highly valued in medical settings.	ASHA	+5-15%
BCS-F Board Certified Specialist in Fluency and Fluency Disorders Specialty certification in stuttering and fluency disorders.	ASHA	+5-10%
BCS-CL Board Certified Specialist in Child Language Specialty certification for pediatric language disorders.	ASHA	+5-10%
LSVT LOUD Lee Silverman Voice Treatment Certification Specialized certification for treating Parkinson's voice disorders. 2-day training course.	LSVT Global	+3-5%
VitalStim Certified VitalStim Therapy Certification Certification for electrical stimulation dysphagia treatment.	VitalStim	Specialized skill

Career Path·6 steps

0-1 years
Clinical Fellow (CF-SLP)
Supervised practice year after master's degree. Required for full CCC-SLP certification.
1-4 years
Staff SLP / CCC-SLP
Fully certified SLP building expertise across populations and disorders.
4-8 years
Senior SLP / Specialist
Expert-level clinician, often with specialty focus (dysphagia, pediatrics, voice, etc.).
8-12 years
SLP Lead / Supervisor
Supervises Clinical Fellows and SLP-As. Coordinates speech services within facility.
12+ years
Director of Speech Services
Administrative leadership overseeing speech-language programs across facility or district.
Varies
Private Practice Owner
Entrepreneurial SLPs opening private practices in pediatrics, voice, or medical settings.

Work Environment

Schools (K-12)Hospitals (acute care/inpatient rehab)Skilled nursing facilitiesOutpatient clinicsHome healthEarly intervention (0-3 years)Private practice

Schedule. Varies by setting. Schools follow academic calendar with summers off. Medical settings may require weekend coverage. Home health and private practice offer flexibility.

Physical demands. Low physical demands. Primarily cognitive work with therapy materials. May require positioning for swallowing evaluations in medical settings.

Job Outlook·Very Strong

19% (2022-2032)

SLP is one of the fastest-growing healthcare professions. Demand in schools, medical facilities, and early intervention programs exceeds supply. Travel SLP positions pay $1,800-2,800+/week.

FAQ — Becoming this role·4 questions

How long does it take to become an SLP?

6-7 years after high school: 4-year bachelor's degree, 2-3 year master's program, then 9-month Clinical Fellowship Year (CFY).

What is the Praxis exam pass rate?

The Praxis SLP exam pass rate is approximately 90-92% for first-time test takers from accredited programs.

Can SLPs work in schools without medical experience?

Yes, many SLPs work exclusively in schools treating articulation, language, fluency, and social communication. School SLPs typically don't perform swallowing evaluations.

What is the Clinical Fellowship Year (CFY)?

The CFY is a 36-week supervised experience required after master's graduation before earning full CCC-SLP certification. It can be completed in any ASHA-approved setting.

09·FREQUENTLY ASKED·SPEECH LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST

What clinicians ask about Speech Language Pathologist pay.

What is the average Speech Language Pathologist salary in 2026?

The median Speech Language Pathologist salary is $57.50/hr (approximately $119,600/yr) based on 11,875 active job postings.

What is the pay range for Speech Language Pathologist?

Hourly pay ranges from $49.50 at the 25th percentile to $69.87 at the 75th percentile, with the top 10% earning above $77.50/hr.

Which state pays Speech Language Pathologist roles the most?

Alabama currently leads with a median of $48.25/hr across 76 postings.

How many employers are hiring Speech Language Pathologists?

Our dataset shows 2,165 unique employers posting Speech Language Pathologist roles across 104 states.

Where does TrueRounds get Speech Language Pathologist salary data?

All salary figures are computed from active US healthcare job postings with listed pay ranges, collected over a rolling 180-day window and weighted by posting volume.

10·OTHER TRACKS IN ALLIED HEALTH PROFESSIONAL·9 SPECIALTIES

Explore other Allied Health Professional tracks.

Speech Language Pathologist sits inside the Speech Therapy track. Here are sibling tracks across Allied Health Professional — same category, different clinical focus and pay envelope.

#TrackVolumePay distributionMedian /hr/wk/yr

01Radiology10 titles · 72,368 postings

$76.16/hr$3,046/wk$158,413/yr 02Direct Care3 titles · 43,455 postings

$17.49/hr$700/wk$36,379/yr 03Physical Therapy6 titles · 38,790 postings

$52.67/hr$2,107/wk$109,554/yr 04Cardiovascular3 titles · 27,559 postings

$77.73/hr$3,109/wk$161,678/yr 05Occupational Therapy4 titles · 16,855 postings

$51.12/hr$2,045/wk$106,330/yr 06Therapy3 titles · 8,702 postings

$49.33/hr$1,973/wk$102,606/yr 07Nuclear Medicine2 titles · 6,939 postings

$75.10/hr$3,004/wk$156,208/yr 08OR Tech6 titles · 6,849 postings

$43.18/hr$1,727/wk$89,814/yr 09Phlebotomy1 titles · 6,546 postings

$22.00/hr$880/wk$45,760/yr

See all Allied Health Professional salaries →Browse every category

11·METHODOLOGY·HOW WE BUILD THESE NUMBERS

Active US healthcare postings. Weighted by volume. Refreshed daily.

Pay benchmarks are computed from active job postings with listed pay ranges, collected on a rolling 180-day window. Each role's percentiles are weighted by posting volume so a metro with two postings doesn't outweigh a metro with two hundred. Outliers (postings priced more than 4× the role median) are dropped to avoid contract-line distortion.

Use the data, then push back.

Bring these numbers into your next contract conversation. Recruiters know what the market pays — now you do too.

Grade your offer →Browse all roles