Salary
Average Salary: $65,000
Expected Lifetime Earnings: $2,713,620
Like most jobs, a speech-language pathologist’s salary depends on what kind of setting they work in. SLPs employed in schools earn around $60,000 per year, with a range of about $56,000 in preschools to $63,000 in middle or high schools. Salaries usually increase with years of experience, and SLPs who work in city or suburban schools make a few thousand more than those in rural areas. West Coast gigs tend to pay better than those in the Midwest or East Coast.
SLPs in the health care industry (in places like hospitals, nursing homes, and private practice) tend to make around the $75,000 mark, with a span of $58,000 to $85,000. The best paying specialties tend to be geriatric (elderly) and post-injury rehabilitation after an injury or illness. SLPs who work with children or individuals with autism are a bit lower on the pay scale. Administrators and directors make more, sometimes over $90,000. Pay increases with experience, as it does in the school setting.
Ah, but what about the lowly clinical fellow? (For our purposes here, boys and girls are both fellows. Jolly good ones, too.) During the clinical fellowship period, you can expect a range of $38,000 to $61,000, with higher pay for those working with elderly patients and those suffering from dysphagia (difficulty swallowing). Health benefits are usually available. Not too shabby for a rookie!