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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.
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:
| Employment (1) | Employment RSE (3) |
Mean hourly wage |
Mean annual wage (2) |
Wage RSE (3) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 135,980 | 1.1 % | $37.60 | $78,210 | 0.6 % |
Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:
| Percentile | 10% | 25% | 50% (Median) |
75% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly Wage | $22.63 | $28.12 | $35.90 | $45.67 | $56.16 |
| Annual Wage (2) | $47,070 | $58,480 | $74,680 | $95,000 | $116,810 |
Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.
Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:
| Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary and Secondary Schools | 59,610 | 0.71 | $33.60 | $69,890 |
| Offices of Other Health Practitioners | 29,270 | 3.49 | $40.11 | $83,440 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | 15,060 | 0.28 | $39.72 | $82,620 |
| Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) | 6,430 | 0.39 | $44.54 | $92,640 |
| Home Health Care Services | 5,360 | 0.40 | $47.08 | $97,930 |
Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:
| Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Offices of Other Health Practitioners | 29,270 | 3.49 | $40.11 | $83,440 |
| Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals | 3,800 | 1.48 | $39.72 | $82,610 |
| Educational Support Services | 1,820 | 1.05 | $32.80 | $68,230 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools | 59,610 | 0.71 | $33.60 | $69,890 |
| Home Health Care Services | 5,360 | 0.40 | $47.08 | $97,930 |
Top paying industries for this occupation:
| Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 280 | 0.01 | $52.47 | $109,140 |
| Offices of Physicians | 920 | 0.04 | $48.26 | $100,380 |
| Home Health Care Services | 5,360 | 0.40 | $47.08 | $97,930 |
| Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) | 6,430 | 0.39 | $44.54 | $92,640 |
| Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly | 610 | 0.07 | $44.24 | $92,020 |
States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.
States with the highest employment level in this occupation:
| State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 13,520 | 1.15 | 1.19 | $38.49 | $80,060 |
| California | 11,430 | 0.72 | 0.74 | $42.72 | $88,870 |
| New York | 11,360 | 1.25 | 1.29 | $42.55 | $88,510 |
| Florida | 7,260 | 0.88 | 0.91 | $37.86 | $78,740 |
| Illinois | 6,040 | 1.02 | 1.06 | $36.34 | $75,590 |
States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas | 1,900 | 1.60 | 1.65 | $34.83 | $72,440 |
| West Virginia | 1,040 | 1.50 | 1.54 | $29.53 | $61,420 |
| North Dakota | 560 | 1.32 | 1.36 | $32.49 | $67,580 |
| New Jersey | 5,210 | 1.32 | 1.36 | $40.81 | $84,890 |
| Colorado | 3,190 | 1.27 | 1.31 | $40.83 | $84,930 |
Top paying States for this occupation:
| State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 380 | 0.54 | 0.55 | $44.32 | $92,190 |
| Connecticut | 1,910 | 1.15 | 1.18 | $44.31 | $92,160 |
| California | 11,430 | 0.72 | 0.74 | $42.72 | $88,870 |
| New York | 11,360 | 1.25 | 1.29 | $42.55 | $88,510 |
| Alaska | 310 | 0.94 | 0.97 | $42.50 | $88,390 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:
| Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Jersey City-White Plains, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division | 7,630 | 1.16 | 1.20 | $46.35 | $96,410 |
| Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metropolitan Division | 3,700 | 1.52 | 1.57 | $42.75 | $88,920 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, IL Metropolitan Division | 3,610 | 0.99 | 1.03 | $36.84 | $76,620 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division | 2,790 | 0.66 | 0.68 | $40.88 | $85,020 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | 2,590 | 0.88 | 0.91 | $40.73 | $84,710 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 2,070 | 0.81 | 0.84 | $35.40 | $73,640 |
| Nassau County-Suffolk County, NY Metropolitan Division | 2,000 | 1.55 | 1.60 | $46.09 | $95,880 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA NECTA Division | 1,990 | 1.10 | 1.14 | $40.69 | $84,640 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division | 1,830 | 0.74 | 0.76 | $43.33 | $90,120 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 1,780 | 0.93 | 0.96 | $34.28 | $71,300 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gadsden, AL | 160 | 4.47 | 4.62 | $31.89 | $66,330 |
| Jonesboro, AR | 190 | 3.49 | 3.61 | $41.41 | $86,120 |
| Homosassa Springs, FL | 100 | 3.11 | 3.21 | $40.25 | $83,720 |
| Parkersburg-Vienna, WV | 100 | 2.73 | 2.81 | $28.24 | $58,730 |
| Las Cruces, NM | 180 | 2.58 | 2.66 | $40.79 | $84,840 |
| Beckley, WV | 100 | 2.32 | 2.39 | $31.91 | $66,370 |
| Pueblo, CO | 130 | 2.30 | 2.37 | $46.24 | $96,180 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY | 1,170 | 2.13 | 2.19 | $37.15 | $77,280 |
| New Bern, NC | 80 | 1.97 | 2.03 | $40.62 | $84,500 |
| Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR | 670 | 1.95 | 2.02 | $34.24 | $71,210 |
Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:
| Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Idaho Falls, ID | (8) | (8) | (8) | $51.11 | $106,310 |
| Napa, CA | (8) | (8) | (8) | $49.94 | $103,880 |
| Fresno, CA | 530 | 1.52 | 1.57 | $49.04 | $102,000 |
| Waterbury, CT | 100 | 1.44 | 1.49 | $48.87 | $101,660 |
| Wichita Falls, TX | (8) | (8) | (8) | $47.58 | $98,970 |
| Fairbanks, AK | 40 | 1.03 | 1.06 | $47.27 | $98,320 |
| San Rafael, CA Metropolitan Division | 120 | 1.11 | 1.14 | $46.85 | $97,450 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT | 450 | 1.07 | 1.11 | $46.65 | $97,040 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 580 | 0.56 | 0.58 | $46.37 | $96,460 |
| New York-Jersey City-White Plains, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division | 7,630 | 1.16 | 1.20 | $46.35 | $96,410 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Arkansas nonmetropolitan area | 330 | 2.87 | 2.96 | $30.87 | $64,210 |
| Piedmont North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | 310 | 1.22 | 1.26 | $31.63 | $65,780 |
| North Northeastern Ohio non-metropolitan area (non-contiguous) | 310 | 0.94 | 0.97 | $37.54 | $78,090 |
| Southwest Maine nonmetropolitan area | 290 | 1.53 | 1.58 | $29.71 | $61,800 |
| Capital/Northern New York nonmetropolitan area | 240 | 1.67 | 1.73 | $30.89 | $64,260 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Arkansas nonmetropolitan area | 330 | 2.87 | 2.96 | $30.87 | $64,210 |
| Southwestern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area | 70 | 2.70 | 2.79 | $35.38 | $73,590 |
| East Central North Dakota nonmetropolitan area | 100 | 2.37 | 2.45 | $32.02 | $66,600 |
| Southwest Louisiana nonmetropolitan area | 130 | 2.07 | 2.13 | $26.03 | $54,130 |
| Far East North Dakota nonmetropolitan area | 50 | 1.96 | 2.03 | $26.38 | $54,860 |
Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northwest Florida nonmetropolitan area | 40 | 1.47 | 1.52 | $49.11 | $102,150 |
| Big Thicket Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | 130 | 1.21 | 1.25 | $45.82 | $95,300 |
| North Coast Oregon nonmetropolitan area | 50 | 1.16 | 1.19 | $44.45 | $92,460 |
| Connecticut nonmetropolitan area | 50 | 1.35 | 1.39 | $43.00 | $89,430 |
| Southside Virginia nonmetropolitan area | 120 | 1.13 | 1.16 | $42.55 | $88,500 |
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 OES estimates and related information:
May 2016 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2016 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2016 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2016 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
Last Modified Date: March 31, 2017