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Speech Pathology & Audiology

An integrated program that prepares individuals to work as both audiologists and speech-language pathologists. Includes instruction in a variety of communication disorder studies, audiology, speech pathology, language acquisition, and the design and implementation of comprehensive therapeutic and rehabilitative solutions to communications problems. Examples: [Audiology and Speech Pathology], [Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology]

Types of Degrees Speech Pathology & Audiology Majors Are Earning

Those studying Speech Pathology & Audiology can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	10
Associate’s Degree	168
Bachelor’s Degree	4,285
Master’s Degree	3,045
Doctor’s Degree	216

What Speech Pathology & Audiology Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Speech Pathology & Audiology emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Speech Pathology & Audiology graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Speech Pathology & Audiology emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.3 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.5 / 7.
• Medicine and Dentistry — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Psychology — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a Speech Pathology & Audiology program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Speech Pathology & Audiology careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Speech Pathology & Audiology graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.6 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.6 / 7
Working with Computers	4.5 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.5 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.3 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.3 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.3 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.1 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.1 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.1 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Speech Pathology & Audiology professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Healthcare common procedure coding system HCPCS	Medical software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
eClinicalWorks EHR software	Medical software	—
Collaborative editing software	Word processing software	—
Medical condition coding software	Medical software	—
Material safety data sheet MSDS software	Compliance software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Speech Pathology & Audiology graduates include:

• Speech Therapy Teacher
• Chiropractic Teacher
• Serology Teacher
• Professor
• Physiology Teacher
• Dermatology Teacher
• Correctional Therapy Teacher
• Toxicology Teacher
• Nutrition Professor
• Occupational Therapy Aides Teacher
• Pharmacology Teacher
• Pathology Teacher
• Health Education Teacher
• Optometry Teacher
• Surgery Teacher

What Can You Do With a Speech Pathology & Audiology Degree?

Graduates with a degree in Speech Pathology & Audiology commonly enter the following occupations:

Occupation	Job Growth	Median Salary	25th–75th Pctile
Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary	10.7%	$46,663	$40,304–$53,022
Speech-Language Pathologists	4.4%	$47,305	$38,220–$56,389

^{Job-growth = projected employment change for the parent occupation. Source: ONET / BLS Employment Projections.*}

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Speech Pathology & Audiology graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	44.3%
Master’s degree	32.8%
Post-doctoral training	11.0%
Bachelor’s degree	6.2%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	2.3%
Post-master’s certificate	1.9%
Postsecondary certificate	1.4%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Speech Pathology & Audiology?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 95.7% of Speech Pathology & Audiology degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	7,392	95.7%
Men	332	4.3%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Speech Pathology & Audiology graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	5,395	69.8%
Asian	297	3.8%
Hispanic or Latino	1,111	14.4%
Black or African American	433	5.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native	25	0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	8	0.1%
Two or More Races	208	2.7%
Race Unknown	160	2.1%
International Students	87	1.1%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Speech Pathology & Audiology Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Speech Pathology & Audiology graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$53,106
4 years	$57,878
5 years	$63,177

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $63,177 — roughly 19% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Speech Pathology & Audiology Programs

Fully online options is tracked by IPEDS for Speech Pathology & Audiology. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Bachelor’s	3	5
Master’s	6	8

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Speech Pathology & Audiology Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Speech Pathology & Audiology graduates earn a median of $57,878 four years after completion — roughly 52% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services	23,250
Speech-Language Pathology/Pathologist	7,213
Communication Sciences and Disorders, General	7,097
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions, Other	2,445
Audiology/Audiologist	988
Advanced General Dentistry	238
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services, Other	228
Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences, Other	150

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.