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Speech-Language Pathology

Types of Degrees Speech-Language Pathology Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Speech-Language Pathology may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	2
Associate’s Degree	30
Bachelor’s Degree	1,432
Master’s Degree	5,691
Doctor’s Degree	58

What Speech-Language Pathology Majors Need to Know

Programs in Speech-Language Pathology develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Speech-Language Pathology graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Speech-Language Pathology emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.7 / 5; level 5.7 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 5.8 / 7.
• Medicine and Dentistry — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Biology — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Psychology — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.

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

Skills

Skills built by a Speech-Language Pathology program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Speech-Language Pathology careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Speech-Language Pathology graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.6 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.5 / 7
Working with Computers	4.4 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.4 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.4 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.3 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.2 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.2 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.1 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Speech-Language Pathology professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Medical procedure coding software	Medical software	—
SAS	Analytical or scientific software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Blackboard Learn	Computer based training software	—
Course management system software	Computer based training software	—
Learning management system LMS	Computer based training software	—
Electronic health record EHR software	Medical software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Speech-Language Pathology graduates include:

• Roentgenology Teacher
• Nutrition Professor
• Health and Safety Instructor
• Podiatry Professor
• Recreation Therapy Teacher
• Serology Teacher
• Nutrition Teacher
• Neurological Surgery Teacher
• Professor
• Medicine Teacher
• Manual Arts Therapy Teacher
• Laboratory Technology Teacher
• Oxygen Therapy Teacher
• Inhalation Therapy Teacher
• Dental Laboratory Technology Teacher

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Speech-Language Pathology graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Master’s degree	49.3%
Doctoral degree	18.6%
Post-doctoral training	14.3%
Bachelor’s degree	9.3%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	3.5%
Post-master’s certificate	2.9%
Postsecondary certificate	2.2%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Speech-Language Pathology?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 96.5% of Speech-Language Pathology degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	6,960	96.5%
Men	253	3.5%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Speech-Language Pathology graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	4,476	62.1%
Asian	353	4.9%
Hispanic or Latino	1,312	18.2%
Black or African American	361	5.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native	28	0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	4	0.1%
Two or More Races	215	3.0%
Race Unknown	401	5.6%
International Students	63	0.9%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Speech-Language Pathology Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Speech-Language Pathology graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow 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 Speech-Language Pathology Programs

Fully online options is tracked by IPEDS for Speech-Language Pathology. 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	3	1
Bachelor’s	3	4
Master’s	9	15

^{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 Speech-Language Pathology Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Speech-Language Pathology 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 Disorders Sciences and Services, Other	51.0299
Communication Sciences and Disorders, General	51.0201
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.