Speech-Language Pathology

Types of Degrees Speech-Language Pathology Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many speech-language pathology/pathologist graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Master’s Degree	4,281
Bachelor’s Degree	1,320
Basic Certificate	103
Graduate Certificate	94
Doctor’s Degree	82
Associate Degree	25
Undergraduate Certificate	2

What Speech-Language Pathology Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, speech-language pathology majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.

Knowledge Areas for Speech-Language Pathology Majors

According to O*NET survey takers, a major in speech-language pathology should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:

• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Medicine and Dentistry - Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.

Skills for Speech-Language Pathology Majors

A major in speech-language pathology prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:

• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Learning Strategies - Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.

Abilities for Speech-Language Pathology Majors

Speech-Language Pathology majors often go into careers where the following abilities are vital:

• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
• Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

What Can You Do With a Speech-Language Pathology Major?

People with a speech-language pathology degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Health Specialties Professors	25.9%	$97,370
Speech-Language Pathologists	17.8%	$77,510

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Speech-Language Pathology?

The major attracts more women than men. About 95% of the recent graduates in this field are female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of speech-language pathology majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	38
Black or African American	69
Hispanic or Latino	311
White	801
International Students	13
Other Races/Ethnicities	88

Geographic Diversity

Students from other countries are interested in Speech-Language Pathology, too. About 1.0% of those with this major are international students.

How Much Do Speech-Language Pathology Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

Speech-Language Pathology majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $80,700 to $122,320 (25th to 75th percentile). This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Speech-Language Pathology

Some careers associated with speech-language pathology require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to speech-language pathology have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	1.1%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	1.7%
Bachelor’s Degree	4.6%
Master’s Degree	64.2%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.	12.0%
Doctoral Degree	9.2%
Post-Doctoral Training	7.1%

Online Speech-Language Pathology Programs

In the 2020-2021 academic year, 169 schools offered some type of speech-language pathology/pathologist program. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	1	1
Certificate (2-4 Years)	0	0
Associate’s Degree	8	5
Bachelor’s Degree	8	2
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	137	2
Post-Master’s	1	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	11	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	3	1
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	1	0

Is a Degree in Speech-Language Pathology Worth It?

The median salary for a speech-language pathology grad is $80,700 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 102% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $816,000 after 20 years!

Majors Related to Speech-Language Pathology

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to speech-language pathology.

Major	Number of Grads
Speech Pathology & Audiology	7,841
General Communication Sciences & Disorders	7,269
Audiology/Audiologist	1,032
Other Communication Disorders Sciences & Services	249

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By Ghozt Tramp under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.