Nearly 174,000 speech language pathologists (SLPs) were employed in the United States as of May 2024 according to the latest occupational employment data available from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). More than 27,460 employed SLPs were living in the five-state Great Lakes region at that time. BLS data revealed the region to be a subpar one for speech language pathologist pay, as no Great Lakes state recorded a SLP annual mean wage level that topped the national average for the profession. A further examination of May 2024 BLS data reveals the following state-level details about speech language pathologist pay in the Great Lakes region:
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| Speech Language Pathologist Pay in the Great Lakes Region |
| State | # Employed | Annual Mean Wages | Wage Rank* |
| IL | 9,100 | $87,940 | 27th |
| IN | 3,080 | $90,180 | 22nd |
| MI | 4,410 | $84,330 | 35th |
| OH | 7,660 | $89,740 | 24th |
| WI | 3,210 | $84,090 | 37th |
| U.S. | 173,910 | $91,089 | ------- |
(*) annual mean wage ranking among the 50 states and the District of Columbia
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on August 1, 2025