Assess and treat speech, language, and swallowing disorders in children and adults through structured therapy.
You may also see this posted as: Bilingual Speech-Language Pathologist (Bilingual SLP), Speech and Language Specialist, Speech Pathologist, Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP), Pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist (Pediatric SLP), Speech and Language Clinician.
Schools, hospitals, clinics, and private practice
Mostly regular weekday hours
Social
helping, teaching, caring for, or supporting other people
Investigative
solving problems, analyzing evidence, and figuring out how things work
Conventional
organizing information, following systems, and getting details right
O*NET job zone 5 of 5
Extensive preparation—often graduate education and significant experience—is common.
Examples employers report—not a checklist you must already know.
May 2025 BLS wage & employment data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.
Openings a year counts new jobs plus the ones that open when people retire or move on — a truer picture of your odds than growth alone.
“Median” means half earn more and half earn less. Your city, employer, and years on the job move it a lot — that is what the 10th-to-90th range shows.
BLS estimates 3.3% of workers in this occupation are self-employed.
Statewide medians are a better starting point than the national number. Your city and experience still matter.
Master's degree
Training path: Master's degree + supervised clinical hours.
Related work experience: None.
On-the-job training: Internship/residency.
Requires a master's degree and a state license, plus a national clinical certification in most settings.
Licensing rules and available programs change by state. These federal tools take you to the current official listings.
Steady demand across schools and clinics, but the master's degree and clinical hours are a real commitment.
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Standard Occupational Classification 29-1127. Pay and employment from the BLS May 2025 OEWS survey; outlook and openings from the 2024–34 employment projections; job context from the Occupational Outlook Handbook; tasks, interests, work styles, software examples, and job zone from O*NET 30.3. See something off? Tell us.