Speech Therapist
Speech Therapist Job Description
A speech therapist diagnoses and treats conditions that cause problems with communicating and speech. A speech therapist salary varies according to place of employment, education and experience. The average salary for employment in medical facilities averages around $68.000. Salary for employment in schools usually averages around $64.000. The highest expected speech therapist salary is as much as $80.000 a year depending on specialization and experience.
Speech Therapist Salary Statistics as of 2015
Average annual salary for a Speech Therapist is $65347 based on statistics in the U.S. as of 2015. The highest salary recorded was $103043. The lowest salary reported was $41134. These figures will vary on a state to state basis as these are averages across all 50 states.
Median hourly wage for a Speech Therapist is $32.49 based on statistics in the U.S. as of 2015. The highest hourly rate recorded was $51.24. The lowest hourly rate recorded was $20.45. These figures will vary on a state to state basis as these are averages across all 50 states.
Bonuses for a Speech Therapist are based on the years of experience using statistics from the U.S. as of 2015. The average bonus recorded was $0 from people with 15+ years of experience. The average bonus recorded was $0 from people with under 1 year of experience.
These are the highest paying states for a Speech Therapist. These numbers are based off the median annual salary as of 2015.
California – $58,958 – $85,000
Louisiana – $36,358 – $46,290
New Jersey – $50,938 – $98,167
New York – $45,000 – $64,964
North Carolina – n/a
Ohio – n/a
South Carolina – n/a
These are the highest paying cities for a Speech Therapist. These numbers are based off the median annual salary as of 2015.
New York, New York –
Baltimore, Maryland –
Baton Rouge, Louisiana –
Charleston, South Carolina –
Memphis, Tennessee –
Greensboro, North Carolina –
Columbus, Ohio –
This chart outlines the average annual salary of a Speech Therapist from the past 5 years. In 2015 the average annual salary was $65347 while in 2007 it was just $60601.67
Requirements
A bachelor’s degree is required for eligibility into a speech therapist program. This degree should be obtained from a university or college that’s accredited. It’s best to get a Bachelor’s degree in a field that’s related to speech therapy such as pathology or speech language. Some speech therapy programs require courses in phonetics and audiology.
The next step after receiving a bachelor’s degree is enrollment in a speech therapy master’s program. A master’s degree is a standard requirement to become a speech therapist. This program commonly includes courses in speech anatomy, phonology and cognition, speech rehabilitation, phonological disorders and speech rehabilitation.
After completion of a master’s degree program, students can get their license and began practicing as a speech therapist. Before a license is issued a speed pathology test needs to be passed. Also, a certain amount of clinical hours and education requirements need to be met. A speech therapist has the option of continuing education for a doctoral degree, which increases their knowledge and skills or abilities.
Work Environment
Speech therapy can help people of all ages. Work for this career can be found at schools, universities and colleges, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing facilities, clinics, research, laboratories, and state and local health departments. Employment can also include home care and private practice. Home care permits therapists to give counseling to family members about helpful approaches to help the client. A speech therapist salary is often higher in major city areas and may average $53.00 an hour.
Speech therapists that work in schools help students improve language skills, academic performance, communication and swallowing problems. They work with students to prevent, improve or correct articulation or pronunciation, fluency, voice and language. Children are evaluated and tested with toys and games. A speech therapist needs to stay current with education standards and special education requirements.
Employment in medical facilities entails different job duties than working in a school. This includes helping or treating people recover language, speech and swallowing problems from strokes or brain trauma. Many people with brain damage have impairment of language comprehension and expression and need the help of a speech therapist.
Other job duties of a speech therapist may include helping with stuttering problems, assisting people with control of vocal and respiratory systems for voice production and helping modify accents for people that don’t speak English. They also use augmentative and alternative communication systems for extreme communication disorders and treat memory, attention and problem solving conditions. Helping patients and their partners understand the disorders is another part of the job.
Job Outlook
Gender Statistics |
Related Jobs |
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9%
91%
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Based on our stats gathered across the U.S. 9% of Speech Therapists were males while 91% were females. These numbers are based on averages across all states combined. Some individual states may have a much different ratio however.
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Past Jobs |
Future Jobs Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) |
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