A speech language pathologist works with patients to correct language, speech, swallowing, voice or other disorders. Speech language pathologists must attain a master's degree and pass their state's separate licensing requirements before practicing. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates faster than average job growth in the field through 2018, partly due to an aging population in the United States. Speech language pathologists earn a salary commensurate with their experience, employer and location.
National Pay Breakdown
As of May of 2010, 112,530 speech language pathologists were actively employed in the United States, as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The average income of speech language pathologists in the United States was $69,880, with the bottom 10 percent having earned $42,970 or less and the top 10 percent having earned $103,630 or more annually. The 25th percentile of speech language pathologists earned $53,230 while the 75th percentile made $84,250 annually.
Top Paying Industries
Medical and diagnostic laboratories paid the highest average salary to speech language pathologists, totaling $121,880. Those who worked for what the BLS classified as the other ambulatory health care services industry earned an average of $99,870 annually. Speech language pathologists who were employed in the home health care services industry earned on average $89,800 each year, while those who worked for community care facilities for the elderly earned an average salary of $81,360. The Federal Executive Branch paid speech language pathologists an average annual wage of $81,340.
Top States
Speech language pathologists who worked in Alaska earned the highest average pay in the nation earning $85,440. Maryland ranked second in the nation, averaging $82,310 each year. In New Jersey, the average salary was $82,170, while those who worked in California averaged $81,910 annually. Speech language pathologists averaged $80,120 per year in Colorado.
Top Metropolitan Areas
The Cape Coral-Fort Myers metropolitan area in Florida came in first in the nation, with speech language pathologists averaging $98,290 annually. Laredo, Texas, was second with an annual average of $93,240, while Salinas, Calif., followed at $90,940 per year. Speech language pathologists in Springfield, Ohio made an average $89,680 annually, while those who worked in the Visalia-Porterville metropolitan area in California earned an average $88,170 annually.
