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 improve their vocabulary
- Working with adults and children to strengthen the muscles 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 172,100 speech-language pathologists’ and 13,880 audiologists’ salaries in the United States, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS May 2024):
| Speech-Language Pathologists | Audiologists | |
|---|---|---|
| Number of Professionals Employed | 178,790 | 14,730 |
| Annual Mean Wage | $95,840 | $95,320 |
| 10th Percentile | $60,480 | $61,930 |
| 25th Percentile | $75,310 | $76,440 |
| 50th Percentile (Median) | $95,410 | $92,120 |
| 75th Percentile | $112,510 | $109,330 |
| 90th Percentile | $132,850 | $129,830 |
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 Stuttering, Cluttering and Fluency Disorders (BCS-SCF), 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 (2025) shows speech-language pathologists and audiologists to be highly satisfied with their jobs with a score of:
- 3.8 out of 5 based on 313 individual ratings – Speech-language pathologists
- 4 out of 5 based on 29 individual ratings – Audiologists
The same website (PayScale.com 2025) states the average salary for speech-language pathologists is $69,963, and for an audiologist as $75,854, and the following percentiles:
| Speech-language pathologist | Audiologists | |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $53,000 | $59,000 |
| 50th percentile (median) | $70,000 | $76,000 |
| 90th percentile | $91,000 | $99,000 |
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 2024) shows that the need for speech-language pathologists is growing at a rate of 18 percent, while the need for audiologists is growing at a rate of 11 percent (2023 to 2033). An estimated 33,300 new speech-language pathologist positions are expected to be added by 2033, while an estimated 1,600 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 and the top-paying clinical specializations.
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 2024):
Speech-language pathologists
| State | Number of SLPs employed | Annual mean wage |
|---|---|---|
| California | 14,680 | $114,050 |
| District of Columbia | 410 | $112,490 |
| New York | 16,250 | $111,640 |
| New Jersey | 7,660 | $109,310 |
| Hawaii | 130 | $107,040 |
Audiologists
| State | Number of audiologists employed | Annual mean wage |
|---|---|---|
| California | 1,370 | $119,900 |
| Nevada | Not Available | $116,620 |
| New Jersey | 390 | $110,160 |
| District of Columbia | 50 | $109,530 |
| Tennessee | 260 | $109,000 |
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 (2025):
Speech-language pathologists
| Specialization | Average salary |
|---|---|
| Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) | $82,624 |
| Patient Education | $74,232 |
| Home Health/Home Care | $72,066 |
| Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) | $69,042 |
| Autism Spectrum Disorders (AUD) | $68,640 |
Audiologists
| Specialization | Average salary |
|---|---|
| Training | $97,435 |
| Oral/Verbal Communication | $97,000 |
| Clinical Supervision | $82,880 |
| Clinical Research | $79,672 |
| Clinical Assessment | $79,956 |
Until recently, the Bureau of Labor Statistics published analyses of numerous aspects of employment and wage data. As well as wages paid and the number of individuals employed as shown above, the BLS also published analyses of specialties, industries, and cities and areas that had the highest wages paid and hired the most individuals.
As of May 2025, other sources may provide easier access to analyses of local salary data.
O*Net Online has a wealth of information, including a searchable database of wages, employment, projected growth, trends, and top industries. Keep in mind their statistics are generally based on BLS data, so it may not always be current. O*Net also maintains a searchable database of job openings for each state.
CareerOneStop is another source of information nationwide and by state. Their searchable databases include wages and employment for specialties, licensing requirements, and job search tips. They also include resources for job seekers grouped into categories such as new graduates, disabled individuals, and 55+, among others.
PayScale also provides information about pay rates in major metropolitan areas, as well as resources like career planning.
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).