May 2021 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) indicates that there were about 147,500 speech-language pathologists (SLPs) employed in the United States. SLPs are employed in varied settings, including elementary and secondary schools, offices of non-physician health practitioners, hospitals, home health care agencies, and skilled nursing facilities. Most speech-language pathologist jobs require advanced training and skills, so like many other healthcare professions, the wage scale for SLPs is considerably higher than it is for workers in most occupations. As of May 2021, according to BLS estimates the national mean salary for speech-language pathologists was $85,820 annually. From region to region there is wide variation in SLP mean annual wages, with speech-language pathologists in some regions of the country earning 50% or more than their counterparts elsewhere. This variation is readily visible in BLS data from May 2021, which shows the following about speech-language pathologist pay in the top 20 metro areas in the U.S.:
Speech-Language Pathologist Pay in the Top 20 Metro Areas
| Metropolitan Area | # Employed | Mean Annual Wage | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York-Newark-Jersey City | 13,140 | $106,030 | ||
| 2 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | 5,140 | $100,530 | ||
| 3 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | 6,140 | $85,570 | ||
| 4 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | 4,090 | $82,840 | ||
| 5 | Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land | 2,580 | $85,900 | ||
| 6 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria | 2,350 | $95,910 | ||
| 7 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | 2,980 | $90,110 | ||
| 8 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach | 1,730 | $90,620 | ||
| 9 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta | 1,860 | $79,050 | ||
| 10 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton | 3,160 | $90,810 | ||
| 11 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler | 1,960 | $86,010 | ||
| 12 | San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley | 1,590 | $118,260 | ||
| 13 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | 1,580 | $97,680 | ||
| 14 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn | 1,530 | $80,370 | ||
| 15 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue | 1,550 | $93,260 | ||
| 16 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington | 2,410 | $80,070 | ||
| 17 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 1,180 | $101,150 | ||
| 18 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater | 1,540 | $83,840 | ||
| 19 | Denver-Aurora-Lakewood | 2,210 | $93,990 | ||
| 20 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson | 1,820 | $85,990 | ||
| National | 147,470 | $85,820 | |||
Report Period: May 2021
Top 20 U.S. Metro areas from the 2020 Census
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Occupational Statistics
Data extracted on October 22, 2022