How Much Money Does A Speech Pathologist Make

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data on speech-language pathologists, the median annual salary for a speech pathologist in the United States was $80,480 in 2020. The salary for this healthcare profession has grown 11% since 2018, as indicated by SLP annual salary and hourly wage trend data from ASHA, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (PDF, 594 KB), and will differ by location and the type of setting the SLP works in. Below you will find typical salaries for various settings and locations.

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Salary by Setting

According to 2020 BLS data, the top 10% of speech pathologists earned more than $122,790. The range of SLP salaries depends on a variety of factors, including career specialization and physical location. For example, 38% of SLPs work in educational services, but there also are 23% of SLPs whose work setting is the offices of physical, occupational and speech therapists and audiologists.

According to the BLS data on SLPs median annual salaries in 2020 for SLPs by setting is as follows:

Nursing/Residential Care Facilities: $95,010
Hospitals: $87,110
Offices of Occupational/Physical/Speech Therapists and Audiologists: $83,250
Educational Services: $71,410

Salary by State

The table below reflects the earning potential for speech language pathologists throughout the United States based on data provided by O*NET OnLine.

State	Median Annual Salary, 2020
Alabama	$60,600
Alaska	$88,390
Arizona	$79,490
Arkansas	$67,620
California	$95,850
Colorado	$86,060
Connecticut	$96,100
Delaware	$85,500
District of Columbia	$99,420
Florida	$82,850
Georgia	$76,000
Hawaii	$81,870
Idaho	$73,760
Illinois	$78,380
Indiana	$76,600
Iowa	$73,790
Kansas	$73,890
Kentucky	$70,330
Louisiana	$78,880
Maine	$67,530
Maryland	$84,830
Massachusetts	$86,060
Michigan	$77,050
Minnesota	$75,050
Mississippi	$65,760
Missouri	$80,090
Montana	$72,420
Nebraska	$70,210
Nevada	$80,010
New Hampshire	$78,050
New Jersey	$93,860
New Mexico	$77,260
New York	$89,850
North Carolina	$70,560
North Dakota	$68,190
Ohio	$76,210
Oklahoma	$71,480
Oregon	$83,110
Pennsylvania	$78,850
Rhode Island	$86,680
South Carolina	$71,080
South Dakota	$56,790
Tennessee	$77,060
Texas	$70,890
Utah	$76,240
Vermont	$74,860
Virginia	$92,010
Washington	$82,720
West Virginia	$61,710
Wisconsin	$74,580
Wyoming	$76,130

This page includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

Information last updated July 2021