The ability to communicate effectively with others is an important skill for everyone. For those who are interested in helping others strengthen their communication skills, a career as a speech-language pathologist might be the right choice.

These professionals work one-on-one with patients to help them overcome communication challenges in various areas, such as reading, writing, speaking, listening, and verbal memory. The demand for qualified speech-language pathologists will continue to grow over the next decade. If you’re interested in pursuing this rewarding career, here is everything you need to know about what it takes to become a speech language pathologist and the starting salary of a speech language pathologist.

What Is Required to Become a Speech Language Pathologist?

Before you can start your career as a speech-language pathologist, you’ll need to earn a degree in speech-language pathology. Although the field is not regulated by state licensing boards, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) offers a list of core curricula that all aspiring speech-language pathologists should follow.

The minimum requirement to become a speech-language pathologist is a master’s degree. However, some employers may prefer candidates who have a doctoral degree in speech-language pathology. If you’re interested in a career as a speech language pathologist, you’ll need to be prepared to commit to a lengthy academic path. Most aspiring SLPs must earn a minimum of a bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree, and a clinical fellowship.

The bachelor’s degree is ideally completed at a four-year university, and the master’s degree is typically completed at a graduate school that offers a specialization in speech-language pathology. To complete your coursework and earn your master’s degree, you should plan to spend at least two to three years in school.

How Much Does a Speech Language Pathologist Make?

The salary of a speech language pathologist varies based on a number of factors. The size of the company, the region of the country, and the type of employment setting (e.g. private practice versus an institution) are just a few examples of the factors that can affect an SLP’s earnings. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median annual salary for speech language pathologists was $72,230 in 2016. The bottom 10% earned less than $42,380, while the top 10% earned more than $109,750. It is important to note that the BLS reports these figures are based on a survey of a representative sample of speech-language pathologists nationwide. There may be variance in the salaries of SLPs in different regions of the country and at different types of organizations.

How to Become a Speech Language Pathologist?

If you are interested in becoming a speech-language pathologist, you will first need to earn a bachelor’s degree in speech-language pathology. Ideally, you should complete your coursework at a four-year university, though you may also want to consider attending a two-year school to finish your degree more quickly. You can also earn a master’s degree in speech pathology if you want to advance your career even further. To become a speech-language pathologist, you’ll need to complete a minimum of a bachelor’s degree (preferably a bachelor’s degree in speech-language pathology), a one-year graduate clinical fellowship, and a one-year clinical fellowship. You may also need to pass a state or national licensing exam. If you want to advance your career and earn a higher salary, you should also consider earning your master’s degree in speech pathology.

Steps to Become a Licensed Speech-Language Pathologist

If you’re interested in becoming a licensed speech-language pathologist, you’ll need to complete a minimum of a one-year clinical fellowship and a one-year clinical fellowship. The clinical fellowship is the most important part of the licensing process. It gives you hands-on experience working with real patients, gaining valuable insights and skills you can use in your career. You may also need to pass a state or national licensing exam. The state you plan to work in and the type of license you are pursuing (e.g. SLP, SLP/Ed, etc.) will determine which exams you need to pass in order to become licensed. If you want to advance your career and earn a higher salary, you should also consider earning your master’s degree in speech pathology.

Key Takeaway

If you are interested in becoming a speech-language pathologist, you will need to complete a bachelor’s degree, a one-year graduate clinical fellowship, and a one-year clinical fellowship. You may also need to pass a state or national licensing exam. If you want to advance your career and earn a higher salary, you should also consider earning your master’s degree in speech pathology.

Read more about the salary of a speech-language pathologist.