Speech-Language Pathologists
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
Evaluates hearing, speech, and language tests, swallow studies, and medical history to diagnose communication or swallowing problems and plan treatment. Day-to-day work includes administering tests, writing progress and billing records, adjusting plans as patients improve, and teaching patients and families how to communicate more clearly or avoid misunderstandings. Treatment may cover stuttering, delayed language, harsh or poorly pitched voice, or swallowing difficulty, and sometimes includes choosing and teaching an alternative communication system. Reports are written for school planning meetings, and the work is done with physicians, psychologists, social workers, and other therapists. It suits people who like careful listening, clear writing, and steadily tracking whether a plan is working.
Typical education: Master’s Degree
Annual Median Wage in Field (2025)
$97'870
Median Wage Market Position
$97'870
What you might do
- Review swallow studies and speech tests to plan treatment
- Test patients to measure speech and language impairments
- Treat stuttering, delayed language, or harsh voice problems
- Change therapy when a patient's progress stalls
- Teach families communication tactics that prevent misunderstandings
- Write reports for school planning and care meetings
Skills that matter
- Diagnosis of speech and swallow disorders
- Written reports on progress and discharge
- Tests of hearing, speech, and language
- Treatment plans for stuttering and voice
- Coaching families on communication strategies
- Adjusting therapy as clients improve
AI & the future of this role
Therapy for speech and language disorders hinges on personalized coaching, trust, and nuanced listening that software only partly mimics. Assessment aids may speed screening, but tailored treatment and communication teaching still need a licensed clinician.
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Includes O*NET® 30.3 Database information by USDOL/ETA under CC BY 4.0; modified by LostInCareer. Wage/outlook from BLS. Attribution details