Typical duties of an audiologist may include:
- Examining patients who have balance, hearing, or ear problems
- Assessing the results of the examination and diagnosing problems
- Determining and administering treatment to meet the goals of patients
- Treating patients for tinnitus, a condition that might cause ringing in the ear
- Fitting and dispensing hearing aids
- Teaching patients and families to communicate using different technology or lip reading
- Recording patient progress
- Researching the causes and treatment of balance and disorders
- Educating patients about the ways through which hearing loss can be prevented
Speech-language pathologists, also known as speech therapists, assess, diagnose, treat, and help prevent swallowing and communication disorders in adults and children. Language, swallowing, and speech disorders might result from various causes, such as brain injury, a stroke, hearing loss, Parkinson’s disease, developmental delay, autism, or a cleft palate. Speech therapists work with patients who may be experiencing difficulty understanding language and speech, or those who may have voice disorders such as a harsh voice or an inappropriate pitch.
Typical duties of speech-language pathologists may include:
- Evaluating levels of language, swallowing, or speech difficulty
- Identifying treatment options
- Creating and carrying out individualized treatment plans, addressing specific functional needs
- Teaching adults and children how to make sounds and improving their voices and maintaining fluency
- Helping individuals in improving vocabulary
- Working with adults and children to strengthen the muscles that are used to swallow
- Counseling individuals and their families on how to cope with swallowing and communication disorders
In general, here is a breakdown of the 147,470 speech-language pathologists’ and 13,240 audiologists’ salaries in the United States, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS May 2021):
| Speech-Language Pathologists | Audiologists | |
|---|---|---|
| Number of Professionals Employed | 147,470 | 13,240 |
| Annual Mean Wage | $85,820 | $86,050 |
| 10th Percentile | $51,310 | $58,920 |
| 25th Percentile | $61,970 | $71,390 |
| 50th Percentile (Median) | $79,060 | $78,950 |
| 75th Percentile | $100,200 | $99,340 |
| 90th Percentile | $125,560 | $120,210 |
Some states do not require audiologists or speech-language pathologists to be certified. However, employers typically prefer hiring certified professionals. Certification can be obtained through the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). This organization awards the Clinical Competence in Audiology (CCC-A) certification for audiologists and the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP) for speech-language pathologists.
Speech-language pathologists also have the option of earning a specialty certification in swallowing, child language, or fluency. Three organizations offering specialty certifications are the American Board of Child Language and Language Disorders, the American Board of Fluency and Fluency Disorders, and the American Board of Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders. Audiologists may also be credentialed through the American Board of Audiology.
Self-reported data from PayScale.com shows speech-language pathologists to be highly satisfied with their jobs with a score of:
- 3.8 out of 5 based on 612 individual ratings – Speech-language pathologists
- 4 out of 5 based on 97 individual ratings – Audiologists
The same website (PayScale.com 2022) states the average salary for speech-language pathologists is $63,529, and for an audiologist as $70,226, and the following percentiles:
| Speech-language pathologist | Audiologists | |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $48k | $56k |
| 50th percentile (median) | $64k | $70k |
| 90th percentile | $85k | $92k |
US News & World Report (2022) ranks speech-language pathologists at number three and audiologists at number 22 in its “Best Healthcare Jobs.” Those seeking careers as speech-language pathologists or audiologists also can look forward to bright job prospects, as demand for these professions in the United States is growing.
In fact, both these occupations are among the fastest-growing in the United States. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS May 2021) shows that the need for speech-language pathologists is growing at a rate of 29 percent, while the need for audiologists is growing at a rate of 16 percent (2020 to 2030). An estimated 45,400 new speech-language pathologist positions are expected to be added by 2030, while an estimated 2,100 new audiologist positions are expected.
To become a speech-language pathologist, a professional typically needs at least a master’s degree, while a doctoral degree in audiology (AuD) is required to become an audiologist.
Read on to learn how much audiologists and speech-language pathologists make, where they are employed, the top-paying clinical specializations, and the top-paying industries.
Top-Paying Cities for Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists
Below is a list of the top-paying cities and their corresponding metropolitan areas with the highest salaries for speech-language pathologists and audiologists. Also shown is the estimated number of employed professionals (not including self-employed workers), and the annual average salary, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2021).
Speech-language pathologists:
| Metropolitan area | Number of SLPs employed | Annual mean wage |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA | 1,590 | $118,260 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 640 | $111,120 |
| Salinas, CA | 140 | $107,160 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | 110 | $106,710 |
| Modesto, CA | 300 | $106,130 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | 13,140 | $106,030 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | 150 | $104,550 |
| Sacramento–Roseville–Arden-Arcade, CA | 800 | $103,740 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | 180 | $103,420 |
| Vallejo-Fairfield, CA | 90 | $102,940 |
Audiologists:
| Metropolitan area | Number of audiologists employed | Annual mean wage |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 100 | $121,170 |
| Sacramento–Roseville–Arden-Arcade, CA | 70 | $117,810 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA | 180 | $116,450 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 30 | $101,440 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 510 | $101,370 |
| Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO | 270 | $101,280 |
| San Diego-Carlsbad, CA | 70 | $100,960 |
| Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN | 130 | $99,440 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 260 | $98,460 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 100 | $98,320 |
Top-Paying States for Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists
The list below shows the states with the highest average salaries for speech-language pathologists and audiologists and the estimated number of employed professionals, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS May 2021):
Speech-language pathologists
| State | Number of SLPs employed | Annual mean wage |
|---|---|---|
| California | 14,150 | $102,650 |
| Hawaii | 220 | $100,120 |
| New York | 13,150 | $98,850 |
| New Jersey | 5,440 | $98,270 |
| District of Columbia | 360 | $98,240 |
Audiologists
| State | Number of audiologists employed | Annual mean wage |
|---|---|---|
| Nevada | Not available | $109,690 |
| California | 1,110 | $106,940 |
| District of Columbia | 110 | $106,720 |
| North Dakota | 30 | $103,700 |
| Washington | 370 | $95,280 |
Top-Paying Specializations for Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists
In order to earn higher salaries, speech-language pathologists and audiologists can specialize in a specific related area. The list below shows five speech-language pathologists and audiologists’ specializations and their correlating salaries, based on self-reported data from PayScale.com 2022:
Speech-language pathologists
| Specialization | Average salary |
|---|---|
| Geriatrics | $72,714 |
| Home Health/Home Care | $71,038 |
| Rehabilitation | $68,379 |
| Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) | $67,629 |
| Diagnosis and Treatment Planning | $64,259 |
Audiologists
| Specialization | Average salary |
|---|---|
| Training | $97,435 |
| Clinical Supervision | $82,880 |
| Clinical Research | $79,672 |
| Clinical Assessment | $71,058 |
| Pediatrics | $70,816 |
Top-Paying Industries for Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists
The list below shows the top-paying industries for speech-language pathologists and audiologists, based on data from BLS (May 2021).
Speech-language pathologists
| Industry | Employment of SLPs | Annual mean wage |
|---|---|---|
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 410 | $113,190 |
| Home Health Care Services | 5,010 | $110,850 |
| Individual and Family Services | 3,530 | $102,610 |
| Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) | 5,030 | $101,210 |
| Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly | 500 | $100,120 |
Audiologists
| Industry | Employment of audiologists | Annual mean wage |
|---|---|---|
| Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing | Not available | $102,760 |
| Outpatient Care Centers | 550 | $102,460 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | 1,680 | $90,720 |
| Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals | 200 | $90,020 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools | 890 | $89,060 |
Farheen Gani
WriterFarheen Gani is a writer and research expert in healthcare degrees. She has written about healthcare career scholarships, audiologists, speech-language pathologists, and reproductive health specialists, among other topics, since 2019. She writes about healthcare, technology, education, and marketing. Her work has appeared on websites such as Tech in Asia and Foundr, as well as top SaaS blogs such as Zapier and InVision. You can connect with her on LinkedIn and Twitter (@FarheenGani).