Average Speech-Language Pathologists Salary in the United States
The national median salary for Speech-Language Pathologists is $97,870 per year. The middle 50% earn between $77,730 and $114,570, with 183,390 workers employed nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates . Data covers 51 states and 370 metro areas.
Pay distribution
Here is how Speech-Language Pathologists pay is distributed across workers nationally. The 10th percentile typically reflects entry-level or early-career pay, the median is the midpoint, and the 90th percentile represents the top earners in the field.
- 10th
- $62,900
- 25th
- $77,730
- Median
- $97,870
- 75th
- $114,570
- 90th
- $134,160
All values are percentiles of annual wages.
Pay is well above the national median for all US workers. This is an upper-income occupation.
The spread between entry-level and top-end pay is typical for US occupations. Experience and specialization matter, but the range is not unusually wide.
Job outlook
BLS projects employment for speech-language pathologists from 2024 to 2034. Speech-Language Pathologists are projected to grow much faster than average, more than double the roughly 4% growth rate for all US occupations. Demand is strong and outpacing most of the labor market.
- Projected growth
- +15.0%
- 28,200 net jobs over the projection period.
- Annual openings
- 13,300
- Includes growth plus replacements for workers who leave.
- Typical entry education
- Master's degree
- On-the-job training
- Internship/residency
A master's degree is the typical entry point, which tends to limit supply and support higher pay.
Where Speech-Language Pathologists earn the most
Location matters for pay. The top-paying state is noticeably above the national median, so relocating to a higher-paying market can meaningfully boost earnings. Right now, the top-paying state is California at $118,970, about 21.6% above the national median. At the metro level, El Centro, CA leads with a median of $133,760.
Top-paying states
| State | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| California | $118,970 | 16,930 |
| Colorado | $110,750 | 4,420 |
| District of Columbia | $109,380 | 390 |
| Washington | $105,550 | 3,570 |
| Nevada | $104,510 | 1,270 |
| Rhode Island | $104,000 | 720 |
| Delaware | $102,760 | 690 |
| Alaska | $102,670 | 340 |
Top-paying metros
| Metro area | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| El Centro, CA | $133,760 | 70 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $132,720 | 890 |
| Boulder, CO | $131,620 | 320 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $130,850 | 1,760 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $127,470 | 160 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $126,850 | 200 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $126,360 | 1,030 |
| Vallejo, CA | $124,440 | 130 |
Compare two locations side by side
Pick two states or metros to see speech-language pathologists pay in each, along with a cost-of-living adjusted view.
Salary trend and related occupations
Between 2019 and 2025, the national median salary for Speech-Language Pathologists rose from $79,120 to $97,870, a gain of +23.7% in nominal dollars.
Over the same period, US consumer prices rose by +25.9%. Just to keep pace with inflation, the 2019 median of $79,120 would need to be worth $99,634 in 2025 dollars.
The actual 2025 median of $97,870 is −$1,764 below that inflation-adjusted benchmark, a real change of -1.8% in purchasing power.
Wages have roughly kept pace with inflation. Nominal pay rose by 23.7%, but inflation absorbed most of it.
- Nominal change
- +23.7%
- 2019–2025
- Cumulative inflation
- +25.9%
- US CPI, 2019–2025
- Real change
- -1.8%
- After adjusting for inflation
Median salary over time
Speech-Language Pathologists median pay by year, going back through the available BLS releases.
- 2025
- $97,870
- 2024
- $95,410
- 2023
- $89,290
- 2022
- $84,140
- 2021
- $79,060
- 2020
- $80,480
- 2019
- $79,120
BLS did not publish a median for 2000–2018, so those years are omitted.
Related occupations
Other occupations in the same field, with median pay for comparison.
- Registered Nurses
- $97,550
- Audiologists
- $95,780
- Occupational Therapists
- $100,330
- Physical Therapists
- $102,760
- Radiation Therapists
- $105,310
- Respiratory Therapists
- $82,280
- Therapists, All Other
- $77,930
- Veterinarians
- $130,100
Common salary questions for Speech-Language Pathologists
What does the median salary mean? +
The median is the midpoint of all wages. Half of Speech-Language Pathologists workers earn more and half earn less. It is a better measure of typical pay than the average, which can be skewed by very high or very low earners.
Why does pay vary so much by location? +
Local labor markets, cost of living, industry concentration, and employer competition all affect wages. High-cost metros like San Francisco and New York often pay more in nominal terms, though some of that premium is offset by higher living costs.
How current is this salary data? +
This page uses the May 2025 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release. BLS publishes OEWS data once per year, typically in the spring for the previous May reference period.
What do the percentile ranges tell me? +
The 10th and 90th percentiles show the full pay band. The 25th to 75th percentile range, the middle 50%, is where most workers fall. A wide spread usually means experience, specialization, or location matter a lot for this occupation.