Career Opportunities for Speech Language Pathologists
If you’re considering a career in speech pathology, you’ll be pleased to learn that there are an abundance of jobs across the country, and demand for speech language pathologists shows no sign of slowing anytime soon. With a speech pathology career, you can truly help people of all ages improve their quality of life. Speech language therapists help those with communication disorders learn to speak and communicate clearly, so they can talk to a friend on the phone, sing or play an instrument, and live life to the fullest.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job outlook for speech pathologist jobs is going to increase by 21 percent between 2014 and 2024, which is much faster than the average job growth. This translates into nearly 29,000 new jobs for speech pathology graduates like you. According to the U.S. News and World Report, speech pathology careers are No. 28 on the list of 100 best jobs, plus it boasts an amazingly low unemployment rate of just 0.9 percent.
Professionals with speech pathology careers are most often classified as certified speech language pathologists (or SLPs), but they are also sometimes called speech therapists or speech and language therapists. To be a speech language pathologist, you must be licensed in the state where you practice and have at least a master’s degree in speech language pathology. In 2016, the national median pay for speech language pathologists was $74,680.
Speech pathologist jobs focus on diagnosing, treating, assessing, and preventing disorders regarding speech, language, interpersonal communication, cognitive and internal communication, and swallowing. These disorders may occur in children and infants without a clear cause, or it could be related to developmental delay, a cleft palate, or autism. Speech pathologist jobs working with children are becoming increasingly available because of the emphasis on early diagnosis in very young populations.
Adults who have suffered a stroke or brain injury, hearing loss, or Parkinson’s disease also seek the help of those in speech pathology careers. As the general population ages and these issues become more common, the demand for speech language pathologists will, as a result, increase.
Because these disorders are often complex and the patients have a wide range of needs related to their disorders, speech pathology jobs are intertwined with other disciplines, including education, social work, audiology, psychology, physical and occupational therapy, and health care.
Speech pathology careers are available in a range of settings, including hospitals, nursing and long-term care facilities, home health care, community health facilities, and juvenile centers. More than a third of speech pathology jobs are in educational services, mostly in elementary and secondary schools.