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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2021

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)
147,470 1.5 % $ 41.26 $ 85,820 0.5 %

Percentile wage estimates for Speech-Language Pathologists:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 24.67 $ 29.79 $ 38.01 $ 48.18 $ 60.36
Annual Wage (2) $ 51,310 $ 61,970 $ 79,060 $ 100,200 $ 125,560


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 60,920 0.75 $ 36.37 $ 75,650
Offices of Other Health Practitioners 36,220 3.72 $ 43.68 $ 90,850
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 17,290 0.31 $ 44.14 $ 91,810
Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) 5,030 0.36 $ 48.66 $ 101,210
Home Health Care Services 5,010 0.33 $ 53.29 $ 110,850

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 36,220 3.72 $ 43.68 $ 90,850
Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals 4,700 1.74 $ 46.34 $ 96,400
Educational Support Services 2,610 1.34 $ 35.47 $ 73,790
Elementary and Secondary Schools 60,920 0.75 $ 36.37 $ 75,650
Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) 5,030 0.36 $ 48.66 $ 101,210

Top paying industries for Speech-Language Pathologists:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Management of Companies and Enterprises 410 0.02 $ 54.42 $ 113,190
Home Health Care Services 5,010 0.33 $ 53.29 $ 110,850
Individual and Family Services 3,530 0.13 $ 49.33 $ 102,610
Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) 5,030 0.36 $ 48.66 $ 101,210
Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly 500 0.06 $ 48.13 $ 100,120


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 2021


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)
California 14,150 0.86 0.82 $ 49.35 $ 102,650
Texas 13,370 1.09 1.04 $ 39.88 $ 82,940
New York 13,150 1.52 1.45 $ 47.52 $ 98,850
Illinois 7,710 1.37 1.31 $ 39.71 $ 82,590
Florida 7,300 0.85 0.81 $ 40.56 $ 84,360


Map of location quotient of speech-language pathologists by state, May 2021


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 13,150 1.52 1.45 $ 47.52 $ 98,850
Colorado 3,740 1.43 1.36 $ 44.93 $ 93,460
New Jersey 5,440 1.41 1.35 $ 47.24 $ 98,270
Illinois 7,710 1.37 1.31 $ 39.71 $ 82,590
Vermont 380 1.35 1.29 $ 40.53 $ 84,290


Map of annual mean wages of speech-language pathologists by state, May 2021


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 14,150 0.86 0.82 $ 49.35 $ 102,650
Hawaii 220 0.41 0.39 $ 48.14 $ 100,120
New York 13,150 1.52 1.45 $ 47.52 $ 98,850
New Jersey 5,440 1.41 1.35 $ 47.24 $ 98,270
District of Columbia 360 0.54 0.52 $ 47.23 $ 98,240



Map of employment of speech-language pathologists by area, May 2021


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 13,140 1.51 1.45 $ 50.98 $ 106,030
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 6,140 1.45 1.39 $ 41.14 $ 85,570
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 5,140 0.90 0.86 $ 48.33 $ 100,530
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 4,090 1.14 1.09 $ 39.83 $ 82,840
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 3,160 1.22 1.17 $ 43.66 $ 90,810
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 2,980 1.12 1.07 $ 43.32 $ 90,110
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 2,580 0.89 0.85 $ 41.30 $ 85,900
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 2,410 1.32 1.26 $ 38.50 $ 80,070
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 2,350 0.80 0.76 $ 46.11 $ 95,910
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO 2,210 1.51 1.44 $ 45.19 $ 93,990


Map of location quotient of speech-language pathologists by area, May 2021


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 200 2.62 2.50 $ 36.56 $ 76,050
Victoria, TX 90 2.39 2.28 $ 39.25 $ 81,630
Homosassa Springs, FL 80 2.36 2.26 $ 36.05 $ 74,990
Bay City, MI 80 2.35 2.25 $ 36.72 $ 76,370
Gadsden, AL 60 2.03 1.94 $ 34.58 $ 71,920
New Bern, NC 90 2.02 1.93 $ 33.30 $ 69,270
Lima, OH 90 1.95 1.86 $ 42.98 $ 89,390
Bismarck, ND 130 1.89 1.80 $ 34.46 $ 71,690
St. George, UT 140 1.86 1.77 $ 35.60 $ 74,050
Lubbock, TX 260 1.80 1.72 $ 34.87 $ 72,520


Map of annual mean wages of speech-language pathologists by area, May 2021


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 Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 1,590 0.71 0.68 $ 56.85 $ 118,260
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 640 0.60 0.57 $ 53.42 $ 111,120
Salinas, CA 140 0.80 0.77 $ 51.52 $ 107,160
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA 110 1.23 1.17 $ 51.30 $ 106,710
Modesto, CA 300 1.68 1.61 $ 51.03 $ 106,130
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 13,140 1.51 1.45 $ 50.98 $ 106,030
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA 150 0.75 0.72 $ 50.27 $ 104,550
Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA 800 0.81 0.77 $ 49.88 $ 103,740
Urban Honolulu, HI 180 0.46 0.44 $ 49.72 $ 103,420
Vallejo-Fairfield, CA 90 0.71 0.67 $ 49.49 $ 102,940

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 330 0.89 0.85 $ 32.19 $ 66,950
Piedmont North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 320 1.32 1.26 $ 34.55 $ 71,860
North Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 280 1.04 0.99 $ 38.86 $ 80,820
North Northeastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area (noncontiguous) 270 0.87 0.83 $ 34.61 $ 71,990
Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area 260 1.53 1.46 $ 32.71 $ 68,040

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)
East Kentucky nonmetropolitan area 170 1.83 1.74 $ 33.65 $ 69,990
Northern West Virginia nonmetropolitan area 220 1.71 1.64 $ 31.92 $ 66,390
Central New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area 150 1.68 1.61 $ 38.74 $ 80,590
Northwest Nebraska nonmetropolitan area 60 1.68 1.60 $ 35.39 $ 73,600
Northern Vermont nonmetropolitan area 110 1.64 1.56 $ 40.50 $ 84,230

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)
Central Louisiana nonmetropolitan area 60 0.84 0.80 $ 51.17 $ 106,430
North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area 90 0.91 0.87 $ 49.51 $ 102,980
North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area 50 0.54 0.51 $ 47.67 $ 99,150
Western Washington nonmetropolitan area 80 0.70 0.67 $ 44.16 $ 91,860
Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area 80 1.37 1.31 $ 44.00 $ 91,510


About May 2021 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.

(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 2021 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2021 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2021 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2021 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2021 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 31, 2022