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Communication Disorders Sciences

Types of Degrees Communication Disorders Sciences Majors Are Earning

Those studying Communication Disorders Sciences may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	5
Bachelor’s Degree	90
Master’s Degree	119
Doctor’s Degree	14

What Communication Disorders Sciences Majors Need to Know

Studies in Communication Disorders Sciences emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Communication Disorders Sciences graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Communication Disorders Sciences emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.3 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.5 / 7.
• Medicine and Dentistry — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Psychology — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills built by a Communication Disorders Sciences program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Communication Disorders Sciences careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Communication Disorders Sciences graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.6 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.6 / 7
Working with Computers	4.5 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.5 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.3 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.3 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.3 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.1 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.1 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.1 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Communication Disorders Sciences professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Healthcare common procedure coding system HCPCS	Medical software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
eClinicalWorks EHR software	Medical software	—
SAS	Analytical or scientific software	—
Image scanning software	Optical character reader OCR or scanning software	—
Geographic information system GIS software	Geographic information system	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Communication Disorders Sciences graduates include:

• Pathology Teacher
• Dentistry Teacher
• Nutrition Aides Teacher
• Oxygen Therapy Teacher
• Podiatry Teacher
• Dietary Aide Teacher
• Occupational Therapy Aides Teacher
• Surgical Aides Teacher
• Recreation Therapy Teacher
• Neurosurgery Professor
• Hygiene Teacher
• Radiologic Technology Teacher
• Instructor
• Pharmacy Teacher
• Associate Professor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Communication Disorders Sciences graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	44.3%
Master’s degree	32.8%
Post-doctoral training	11.0%
Bachelor’s degree	6.2%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	2.3%
Post-master’s certificate	1.9%
Postsecondary certificate	1.4%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Communication Disorders Sciences ?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 96.5% of Communication Disorders Sciences degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	220	96.5%
Men	8	3.5%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Communication Disorders Sciences graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	166	72.8%
Asian	8	3.5%
Hispanic or Latino	20	8.8%
Black or African American	18	7.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native	1	0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	1	0.4%
Two or More Races	5	2.2%
Race Unknown	6	2.6%
International Students	3	1.3%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Communication Disorders Sciences Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Communication Disorders Sciences graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$53,106
4 years	$57,878
5 years	$63,177

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $63,177 — roughly 19% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Communication Disorders Sciences Programs

Distance learning are documented by IPEDS for Communication Disorders Sciences . The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	1	0
Bachelor’s	1	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Communication Disorders Sciences Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Communication Disorders Sciences graduates earn a median of $57,878 four years after completion — roughly 52% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services	51.02
Audiology/Audiologist and Speech-Language Pathology/Pathologist	51.0204
Audiology/Audiologist	51.0202
Communication Sciences and Disorders, General	51.0201
Speech-Language Pathology/Pathologist	51.0203
Advanced General Dentistry	51.0502
Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences, Other	51.0599
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions, Other	51.0999

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.