Speech-Language Pathologists Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for speech-language pathologistss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
National mean salary $98,170 ≈ $47/hr
National median salary $97,870
Total employment 183,390 nationwide
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Projected growth +15%
Much faster than average
Annual openings 13,300 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 187,400 → 215,500 (+28,200)
Typical entry education Master's degree
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- California$118,600
- Colorado$116,960
- District of Columbia$112,940
- New Jersey$109,510
- New York$107,700
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- South Dakota$73,310
- North Dakota$75,980
- Louisiana$77,000
- Mississippi$78,570
- Alabama$78,780
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $118,600 | $118,970 | $57 | +20.8% | 16,930 |
| 2 | Colorado | $116,960 | $110,750 | $56 | +19.1% | 4,420 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $112,940 | $109,380 | $54 | +15% | 390 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $109,510 | $101,560 | $53 | +11.6% | 6,840 |
| 5 | New York | $107,700 | $100,610 | $52 | +9.7% | 15,310 |
| 6 | Washington | $107,610 | $105,550 | $52 | +9.6% | 3,570 |
| 7 | Oregon | $106,210 | $102,660 | $51 | +8.2% | 1,600 |
| 8 | Delaware | $105,380 | $102,760 | $51 | +7.3% | 690 |
| 9 | Nevada | $103,870 | $104,510 | $50 | +5.8% | 1,270 |
| 10 | Rhode Island | $103,850 | $104,000 | $50 | +5.8% | 720 |
| 11 | New Mexico | $102,370 | $98,690 | $49 | +4.3% | 1,250 |
| 12 | Massachusetts | $101,890 | $101,310 | $49 | +3.8% | 5,290 |
| 13 | Connecticut | $101,340 | $100,110 | $49 | +3.2% | 2,390 |
| 14 | Alaska | $100,320 | $102,670 | $48 | +2.2% | 340 |
| 15 | Arizona | $100,270 | $97,800 | $48 | +2.1% | 3,390 |
| 16 | Virginia | $99,590 | $96,250 | $48 | +1.4% | 4,460 |
| 17 | Texas | $99,460 | $99,910 | $48 | +1.3% | 19,120 |
| 18 | Maryland | $98,070 | $99,190 | $47 | -0.1% | 3,510 |
| 19 | Florida | $96,710 | $99,990 | $47 | -1.5% | 10,080 |
| 20 | Pennsylvania | $93,720 | $92,960 | $45 | -4.5% | 6,570 |
| 21 | Georgia | $93,470 | $96,760 | $45 | -4.8% | 4,030 |
| 22 | Ohio | $93,140 | $93,300 | $45 | -5.1% | 7,270 |
| 23 | Illinois | $92,660 | $95,080 | $45 | -5.6% | 9,040 |
| 24 | Indiana | $92,290 | $87,360 | $44 | -6% | 3,310 |
| 25 | Hawaii | $91,660 | $97,560 | $44 | -6.6% | 270 |
| 26 | Utah | $90,630 | $91,560 | $44 | -7.7% | 1,460 |
| 27 | Arkansas | $90,490 | $83,580 | $44 | -7.8% | 2,430 |
| 28 | South Carolina | $89,950 | $90,530 | $43 | -8.4% | 2,190 |
| 29 | Wyoming | $89,350 | $82,040 | $43 | -9% | 240 |
| 30 | Kentucky | $89,180 | $83,550 | $43 | -9.2% | 2,610 |
| 31 | Missouri | $89,040 | $89,280 | $43 | -9.3% | 3,230 |
| 32 | Michigan | $88,650 | $89,120 | $43 | -9.7% | 4,730 |
| 33 | North Carolina | $88,640 | $86,460 | $43 | -9.7% | 5,600 |
| 34 | New Hampshire | $88,460 | $83,040 | $43 | -9.9% | 720 |
| 35 | West Virginia | $88,180 | $80,970 | $42 | -10.2% | 880 |
| 36 | Minnesota | $87,670 | $89,380 | $42 | -10.7% | 3,890 |
| 37 | Oklahoma | $87,230 | $84,470 | $42 | -11.1% | 1,870 |
| 38 | Idaho | $87,060 | $84,380 | $42 | -11.3% | 1,210 |
| 39 | Nebraska | $87,030 | $84,350 | $42 | -11.3% | 1,310 |
| 40 | Vermont | $86,040 | $82,090 | $41 | -12.4% | 430 |
| 41 | Wisconsin | $85,550 | $83,000 | $41 | -12.9% | 2,940 |
| 42 | Tennessee | $85,050 | $84,630 | $41 | -13.4% | 3,320 |
| 43 | Iowa | $83,760 | $81,050 | $40 | -14.7% | 1,540 |
| 44 | Maine | $83,690 | $82,660 | $40 | -14.7% | 640 |
| 45 | Kansas | $82,760 | $80,120 | $40 | -15.7% | 1,690 |
| 46 | Montana | $80,780 | $78,740 | $39 | -17.7% | 490 |
| 47 | Alabama | $78,780 | $73,660 | $38 | -19.8% | 2,060 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $78,570 | $78,130 | $38 | -20% | 1,790 |
| 49 | Louisiana | $77,000 | $69,610 | $37 | -21.6% | 3,000 |
| 50 | North Dakota | $75,980 | $75,240 | $37 | -22.6% | 630 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $73,310 | $65,680 | $35 | -25.3% | 410 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 502 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | El Centro, CA | $133,760 | $139,700 | 70 |
| 2 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $132,720 | $134,270 | 890 |
| 3 | Boulder, CO | $131,620 | $129,240 | 320 |
| 4 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $130,850 | $130,240 | 1,760 |
| 5 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $127,470 | $132,480 | 160 |
| 6 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $126,850 | $129,450 | 200 |
| 7 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $126,360 | $121,110 | 1,030 |
| 8 | Vallejo, CA | $124,440 | $123,960 | 130 |
| 9 | Napa, CA | $123,870 | $135,020 | 50 |
| 10 | Salinas, CA | $122,770 | $123,560 | 200 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing speech-language pathologistss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Social Advocacy Organizations | $132,360 | $116,560 | — |
| 2 | Offices of Mental Health Practitioners (except Physicians) | $127,280 | $123,340 | 980 |
| 3 | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $120,440 | $106,450 | — |
| 4 | Sector 54 - Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $120,440 | $106,450 | — |
| 5 | Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals, State Government Owned | $119,120 | $108,360 | 220 |
| 6 | Home Health Care Services | $117,370 | $122,800 | 6,350 |
| 7 | Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) | $115,210 | $112,160 | 2,360 |
| 8 | Federal Government, including the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $115,210 | $112,160 | 2,360 |
| 9 | Offices of All Other Health Practitioners | $112,140 | $115,590 | 170 |
| 10 | Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) | $111,680 | $113,920 | 7,440 |
| 11 | Nursing and Residential Care Facilities | $109,660 | $112,760 | 9,010 |
| 12 | Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly | $108,410 | $110,640 | 940 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Top Skills
Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do speech-language pathologists make in the U.S.?
The median speech-language pathologists salary in the United States is $97,870 per year (mean $98,170), and about 80% earn between $62,900 and $134,160.
How much do speech-language pathologists make per hour?
Roughly $47 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $98,170 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays speech-language pathologists the most?
California has the highest average pay for speech-language pathologists at $118,600 per year (median $118,970).
What is the job outlook for speech-language pathologists?
Employment is projected to change +15% from 2024 to 2034 (Much faster than average), with about 13,300 openings per year.
What People Search
Common U.S. search queries related to this occupation.
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