Speech-language pathologists, sometimes referred to as speech clinicians or speech therapists, diagnose, evaluate, and provide treatments for persons who have speech, voice, language as well as eating and swallowing problems.
Speech pathologists work in hospitals, rehabilitation centers, physicians’ offices, speech language and hearing centers, home health care agencies, schools, colleges, and universities. A few work in private practice or contract out their services. They treat patients who experience speech and language problems as a result of hearing loss, stroke, brain injury or other debilitating conditions. Speech pathologists work with individuals who may suffer from eating and swallowing problems and/or speech and language difficulties. They are trained to evaluate and test a patient’s skill level in speech and language, to create and implement proper treatment programs, to operate audio-visual equipment for patient treatment, and monitor each patient’s progress. Speech pathologists may work part-time or full-time, although most work 40 hours a week.
Education: 6 years
Patient Interaction: High
Physical Activity: Low
Salary: $64,852
Job Growth: High
Respiratory Therapist (RT)/Certified (CRT)/Registered (RRT)
Rehabilitation Counselors/Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC)
Recreational Therapist/Registered (RRT/RTR)
Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA)
Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA)
Certified Athletic Trainer (ATC)
High school students should study the sciences, health and related courses. A master’s degree in speech-language pathology is required. Course work includes study in speech, language, hearing, and communicative disorders as well as clinical training in the treatment of these disorders. Graduates with a master’s degree in the field must then complete a required number of hours in supervised clinical work, pass a written exam and finish a postgraduate internship to earn a Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) offered by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
Academy of Doctors of Audiology
3493 Lansdowne Dr., Suite 2
Lexington, KY, 40517
866/493-5544
www.audiologist.org
American Academy of Audiology
11480 Commerce Park Drive, Suite 220
Reston, VA, 20191
800/222-2336 or 703/790-8466
www.audiology.org/
American Academy of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery
1650 Diagonal Road
Alexandria, VA, 22314-2857
703/836-4444
www.entnet.org/
American Academy of Private Practice in Speech Pathology
www.aappspa.org/
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
2200 Research Blvd.
Rockville, MD, 20850-3289
800/638-8255 or 800/498-2071 or 301/296-5700
www.asha.org
American Speech-Language-Hearing Foundation
2200 Research Boulevard
Rockville, MD, 20850
301/296-8703
www.ashfoundation.org/default.htm
Corporate Speech Pathology Network
www.corspan.org/index.php
Council of Academic Programs in Communication Sciences and Disorders
3000 South Jamaica Court, Suite 390
Aurora, CO, 80014
303/835-9089
www.capcsd.org/
Council on Academic Accrediation Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology
2200 Research Blvd.
Rockville, MD, 20850-3289
800/638-8255 or 800/498-2071 or 301/296-5700
www.asha.org/academic/accreditation/
Educational Audiology Association
700 McKnight Park Drive, Suite 708
Pittsburgh, PA, 15237
800/460-7EAA (7322)
www.edaud.org
National Center for Voice and Speech
136 South Main Street, Suite 320
Salt Lake City, UT, 84101-1623
801/596.2012
www.ncvs.org/
National Student Speech Language Hearing Association
2200 Research Boulevard #322
Rockville, MD, 20850
800/638-8255 or 800/498-2071 or 301/296-5700
www.nsslha.org/students/
Speech-Language Pathologist Organization
P.O. Box 880053
Boca Raton, FL, 33488-0053
888/820-8073 or 561/998-9501
www.speechtherapist.net/
Wisconsin Speech-Language-Pathology and Audiology Association
563 Carter Court, Suite B
Kimberly, WI, 54136
920/560-5642 or 800/545-0640
www.wisha.org
Number Employed in 2014 (Wisconsin): 2,470
Number Employed in 2014 (U.S.): 135,400
Expected Employment in 2024 (U.S.): 163,300
Percent Employment Growth (2014-2024): 21%
Expected Annual Openings: 6,310
Median Salary in 2014 (Wisconsin): $64,852
Salary information is located at Career One Stop
Wisconsin AHEC Health Careers Information Center provides the most current salary information available from CareerOneStop. CareerOneStop will have a lapse between when the information is gathered and when it is released.
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