SalariesWhat the occupation covers
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.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 29-1127.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $62,900 | $5,242 | $1,210 | $30.24 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $77,730 | $6,478 | $1,495 | $37.37 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $97,870 | $8,156 | $1,882 | $47.05 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $114,570 | $9,548 | $2,203 | $55.08 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $134,160 | $11,180 | $2,580 | $64.50 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Speech-Language Pathologists is $97,870, which is 92% higher. Among the 71 occupations of the field Healthcare Practitioners and Technical, it ranks number 39 by median pay. With 183,390 jobs, it makes up about 12 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Speech-Language Pathologists pay by state
The highest median pay was in California ($118,970), Colorado ($110,750) and District of Columbia ($109,380). The lowest was in Puerto Rico ($49,800), South Dakota ($65,680) and Louisiana ($69,610). The most jobs were in Texas (19,120), California (16,930) and New York (15,310). The occupation is most concentrated in Arkansas, where its share of all jobs is 1.6 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 16,930 | $118,970 | $118,600 | $57.20 |
| Colorado | 4,420 | $110,750 | $116,960 | $53.25 |
| District of Columbia | 390 | $109,380 | $112,940 | $52.59 |
| Washington | 3,570 | $105,550 | $107,610 | $50.74 |
| Nevada | 1,270 | $104,510 | $103,870 | $50.25 |
| Rhode Island | 720 | $104,000 | $103,850 | $50.00 |
| Delaware | 690 | $102,760 | $105,380 | $49.40 |
| Alaska | 340 | $102,670 | $100,320 | $49.36 |
| Oregon | 1,600 | $102,660 | $106,210 | $49.35 |
| New Jersey | 6,840 | $101,560 | $109,510 | $48.83 |
| Massachusetts | 5,290 | $101,310 | $101,890 | $48.71 |
| New York | 15,310 | $100,610 | $107,700 | $48.37 |
| Connecticut | 2,390 | $100,110 | $101,340 | $48.13 |
| Florida | 10,080 | $99,990 | $96,710 | $48.07 |
| Texas | 19,120 | $99,910 | $99,460 | $48.03 |
| Maryland | 3,510 | $99,190 | $98,070 | $47.69 |
| New Mexico | 1,250 | $98,690 | $102,370 | $47.45 |
| Arizona | 3,390 | $97,800 | $100,270 | $47.02 |
| Hawaii | 270 | $97,560 | $91,660 | $46.90 |
| Georgia | 4,030 | $96,760 | $93,470 | $46.52 |
| Virginia | 4,460 | $96,250 | $99,590 | $46.27 |
| Illinois | 9,040 | $95,080 | $92,660 | $45.71 |
| Ohio | 7,270 | $93,300 | $93,140 | $44.86 |
| Pennsylvania | 6,570 | $92,960 | $93,720 | $44.69 |
| Utah | 1,460 | $91,560 | $90,630 | $44.02 |
| South Carolina | 2,190 | $90,530 | $89,950 | $43.52 |
| Minnesota | 3,890 | $89,380 | $87,670 | $42.97 |
| Missouri | 3,230 | $89,280 | $89,040 | $42.92 |
| Michigan | 4,730 | $89,120 | $88,650 | $42.84 |
| Indiana | 3,310 | $87,360 | $92,290 | $42.00 |
| North Carolina | 5,600 | $86,460 | $88,640 | $41.57 |
| Tennessee | 3,320 | $84,630 | $85,050 | $40.69 |
| Oklahoma | 1,870 | $84,470 | $87,230 | $40.61 |
| Idaho | 1,210 | $84,380 | $87,060 | $40.57 |
| Nebraska | 1,310 | $84,350 | $87,030 | $40.55 |
| Arkansas | 2,430 | $83,580 | $90,490 | $40.18 |
| Kentucky | 2,610 | $83,550 | $89,180 | $40.17 |
| New Hampshire | 720 | $83,040 | $88,460 | $39.92 |
| Wisconsin | 2,940 | $83,000 | $85,550 | $39.90 |
| Maine | 640 | $82,660 | $83,690 | $39.74 |
| Vermont | 430 | $82,090 | $86,040 | $39.47 |
| Wyoming | 240 | $82,040 | $89,350 | $39.44 |
| Iowa | 1,540 | $81,050 | $83,760 | $38.97 |
| West Virginia | 880 | $80,970 | $88,180 | $38.93 |
| Kansas | 1,690 | $80,120 | $82,760 | $38.52 |
| Montana | 490 | $78,740 | $80,780 | $37.86 |
| Mississippi | 1,790 | $78,130 | $78,570 | $37.56 |
| North Dakota | 630 | $75,240 | $75,980 | $36.17 |
| Alabama | 2,060 | $73,660 | $78,780 | $35.41 |
| Louisiana | 3,000 | $69,610 | $77,000 | $33.46 |
| South Dakota | 410 | $65,680 | $73,310 | $31.58 |
| Puerto Rico | 150 | $49,800 | $60,400 | $23.94 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Occupational Therapists$100,330 a year
- Genetic Counselors$100,040 a year
- Dental Hygienists$98,100 a year
- Registered Nurses$97,550 a year
- Diagnostic Medical Sonographers$96,590 a year
- Audiologists$95,780 a year
Common questions
How much do Speech-Language Pathologists earn in the United States?
The median pay was $97,870 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $62,900 and the highest-paid 10% more than $134,160.
How many people work as Speech-Language Pathologists?
About 183,390 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.
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