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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2023

29-1127 Speech-Language Pathologists

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.


National estimates for Speech-Language Pathologists
Industry profile for Speech-Language Pathologists
Geographic profile for Speech-Language Pathologists

National estimates for Speech-Language Pathologists:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Speech-Language Pathologists:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
172,100 1.1 % $ 44.53 $ 92,630 0.4 %

Percentile wage estimates for Speech-Language Pathologists:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 27.84 $ 34.20 $ 42.93 $ 51.79 $ 62.47
Annual Wage (2) $ 57,910 $ 71,140 $ 89,290 $ 107,710 $ 129,930


Industry profile for Speech-Language Pathologists:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Speech-Language Pathologists are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in Speech-Language Pathologists, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Speech-Language Pathologists:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Elementary and Secondary Schools 67,640 0.79 $ 40.25 $ 83,720
Offices of Other Health Practitioners 42,750 3.75 $ 46.41 $ 96,540
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 19,290 0.34 $ 47.50 $ 98,790
Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) 5,770 0.42 $ 52.23 $ 108,640
Home Health Care Services 5,660 0.35 $ 58.37 $ 121,410

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Speech-Language Pathologists:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Offices of Other Health Practitioners 42,750 3.75 $ 46.41 $ 96,540
Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals 5,570 1.95 $ 50.88 $ 105,830
Elementary and Secondary Schools 67,640 0.79 $ 40.25 $ 83,720
Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) 5,770 0.42 $ 52.23 $ 108,640
Home Health Care Services 5,660 0.35 $ 58.37 $ 121,410

Top paying industries for Speech-Language Pathologists:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Civic and Social Organizations (8) (8) $ 62.80 $ 130,620
Home Health Care Services 5,660 0.35 $ 58.37 $ 121,410
Management of Companies and Enterprises 670 0.02 $ 53.90 $ 112,110
Child Care Services 1,240 0.13 $ 52.46 $ 109,110
Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) 5,770 0.42 $ 52.23 $ 108,640


Geographic profile for Speech-Language Pathologists:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Speech-Language Pathologists are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in Speech-Language Pathologists, see the Create Customized Tables function.



Map of employment of speech-language pathologists by state, May 2023


States with the highest employment level in Speech-Language Pathologists:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Texas 18,790 1.39 1.22 $ 43.77 $ 91,030
California 17,270 0.96 0.85 $ 53.86 $ 112,030
New York 16,610 1.77 1.56 $ 47.23 $ 98,240
Illinois 8,260 1.37 1.21 $ 42.27 $ 87,910
Florida 7,850 0.82 0.72 $ 44.60 $ 92,770


Map of location quotient of speech-language pathologists by state, May 2023


States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Speech-Language Pathologists:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York 16,610 1.77 1.56 $ 47.23 $ 98,240
Arkansas 2,230 1.75 1.55 $ 40.42 $ 84,060
Vermont 480 1.59 1.40 $ 37.26 $ 77,500
Louisiana 2,790 1.51 1.33 $ 35.77 $ 74,390
North Dakota 610 1.47 1.30 $ 35.05 $ 72,900


Map of annual mean wages of speech-language pathologists by state, May 2023


Top paying states for Speech-Language Pathologists:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 17,270 0.96 0.85 $ 53.86 $ 112,030
District of Columbia 420 0.60 0.53 $ 53.42 $ 111,110
Colorado 4,070 1.44 1.27 $ 51.82 $ 107,780
Hawaii 130 0.21 0.19 $ 51.34 $ 106,790
New Jersey 5,940 1.41 1.25 $ 49.43 $ 102,820



Map of employment of speech-language pathologists by area, May 2023


Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Speech-Language Pathologists:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 16,780 1.77 1.56 $ 50.09 $ 104,190
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 6,490 1.44 1.27 $ 43.62 $ 90,740
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 5,080 1.28 1.13 $ 43.75 $ 91,000
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 4,750 0.77 0.68 $ 53.44 $ 111,140
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 4,210 1.32 1.17 $ 44.98 $ 93,550
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 3,540 1.25 1.10 $ 45.27 $ 94,170
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 3,400 1.23 1.09 $ 47.36 $ 98,520
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 2,520 1.04 0.92 $ 59.54 $ 123,830
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 2,500 1.09 0.96 $ 48.29 $ 100,450
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 2,370 0.77 0.68 $ 50.16 $ 104,320


Map of location quotient of speech-language pathologists by area, May 2023


Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Speech-Language Pathologists:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Greenville, NC 280 3.57 3.15 $ 42.06 $ 87,480
Jonesboro, AR 180 2.99 2.64 $ 42.36 $ 88,110
Homosassa Springs, FL 100 2.79 2.46 $ 42.98 $ 89,400
Monroe, LA 200 2.64 2.33 $ 33.61 $ 69,900
Victoria, TX 100 2.49 2.20 $ 43.74 $ 90,990
Abilene, TX 180 2.46 2.17 $ 37.62 $ 78,260
Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR 830 2.41 2.13 $ 42.01 $ 87,390
Texarkana, TX-AR 130 2.38 2.10 $ 42.90 $ 89,230
Colorado Springs, CO 720 2.32 2.04 $ 50.06 $ 104,110
Bismarck, ND 160 2.28 2.02 $ 35.78 $ 74,430


Map of annual mean wages of speech-language pathologists by area, May 2023


Top paying metropolitan areas for Speech-Language Pathologists:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 850 0.75 0.66 $ 61.15 $ 127,190
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 2,520 1.04 0.92 $ 59.54 $ 123,830
Napa, CA 30 0.39 0.34 $ 57.57 $ 119,750
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA 220 1.10 0.97 $ 55.27 $ 114,960
Santa Rosa, CA 150 0.70 0.62 $ 54.77 $ 113,920
Modesto, CA 230 1.20 1.06 $ 54.47 $ 113,300
Boulder, CO 240 1.22 1.08 $ 54.39 $ 113,130
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 4,750 0.77 0.68 $ 53.44 $ 111,140
Danbury, CT 90 1.11 0.98 $ 53.43 $ 111,140
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO 2,160 1.36 1.20 $ 53.35 $ 110,980

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Speech-Language Pathologists:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 390 1.00 0.88 $ 39.85 $ 82,880
Northeast Mississippi nonmetropolitan area 370 1.65 1.46 $ 36.36 $ 75,630
North Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 360 1.29 1.13 $ 41.02 $ 85,330
North Northeastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area (noncontiguous) 340 1.03 0.91 $ 39.03 $ 81,170
Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area 310 1.69 1.49 $ 37.69 $ 78,400

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Speech-Language Pathologists:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Connecticut nonmetropolitan area 80 2.37 2.09 $ 50.41 $ 104,850
Southern Vermont nonmetropolitan area 220 2.19 1.93 $ 38.54 $ 80,170
Central Louisiana nonmetropolitan area 150 1.98 1.75 $ 44.49 $ 92,530
Coastal Plains Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 280 1.90 1.68 $ 45.21 $ 94,030
Northwest Mississippi nonmetropolitan area 160 1.85 1.63 $ 34.07 $ 70,870

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Speech-Language Pathologists:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southside Virginia nonmetropolitan area 90 0.92 0.81 $ 52.09 $ 108,350
Southwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area 120 1.15 1.02 $ 51.79 $ 107,720
Northern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area 60 0.71 0.63 $ 51.63 $ 107,390
Eastern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area 170 1.06 0.93 $ 50.53 $ 105,100
Connecticut nonmetropolitan area 80 2.37 2.09 $ 50.41 $ 104,850


About May 2023 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OEWS estimates and related information:

May 2023 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2023 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2023 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2023 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2023 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: April 3, 2024