Speech-Language Pathologists Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for speech-language pathologists is $97,870, or $47.05 per hour. About 183,390 people work in this occupation nationwide. Wages vary substantially by state — from $118,970 in California to $65,680 in South Dakota.
Wage distribution nationwide
Earnings spread across all U.S. workers in this occupation.
Salary by state
All 51 states with published data, ranked by median annual wage.
| # | State | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $118,970 | $57.20 | 16,930 | 0.79 |
| 2 | Colorado | $110,750 | $53.25 | 4,420 | 1.30 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $109,380 | $52.59 | 390 | 0.47 |
| 4 | Washington | $105,550 | $50.74 | 3,570 | 0.85 |
| 5 | Nevada | $104,510 | $50.25 | 1,270 | 0.69 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $104,000 | $50.00 | 720 | 1.22 |
| 7 | Delaware | $102,760 | $49.40 | 690 | 1.21 |
| 8 | Alaska | $102,670 | $49.36 | 340 | 0.89 |
| 9 | Oregon | $102,660 | $49.35 | 1,600 | 0.69 |
| 10 | New Jersey | $101,560 | $48.83 | 6,840 | 1.35 |
| 11 | Massachusetts | $101,310 | $48.71 | 5,290 | 1.23 |
| 12 | New York | $100,610 | $48.37 | 15,310 | 1.34 |
| 13 | Connecticut | $100,110 | $48.13 | 2,390 | 1.19 |
| 14 | Florida | $99,990 | $48.07 | 10,080 | 0.86 |
| 15 | Texas | $99,910 | $48.03 | 19,120 | 1.15 |
| 16 | Maryland | $99,190 | $47.69 | 3,510 | 1.08 |
| 17 | New Mexico | $98,690 | $47.45 | 1,250 | 1.22 |
| 18 | Arizona | $97,800 | $47.02 | 3,390 | 0.89 |
| 19 | Hawaii | $97,560 | $46.90 | 270 | 0.37 |
| 20 | Georgia | $96,760 | $46.52 | 4,030 | 0.70 |
| 21 | Virginia | $96,250 | $46.27 | 4,460 | 0.92 |
| 22 | Illinois | $95,080 | $45.71 | 9,040 | 1.26 |
| 23 | Ohio | $93,300 | $44.86 | 7,270 | 1.11 |
| 24 | Pennsylvania | $92,960 | $44.69 | 6,570 | 0.92 |
| 25 | Utah | $91,560 | $44.02 | 1,460 | 0.71 |
| 26 | South Carolina | $90,530 | $43.52 | 2,190 | 0.81 |
| 27 | Minnesota | $89,380 | $42.97 | 3,890 | 1.12 |
| 28 | Missouri | $89,280 | $42.92 | 3,230 | 0.93 |
| 29 | Michigan | $89,120 | $42.84 | 4,730 | 0.91 |
| 30 | Indiana | $87,360 | $42.00 | 3,310 | 0.88 |
| 31 | North Carolina | $86,460 | $41.57 | 5,600 | 0.96 |
| 32 | Tennessee | $84,630 | $40.69 | 3,320 | 0.86 |
| 33 | Oklahoma | $84,470 | $40.61 | 1,870 | 0.93 |
| 34 | Idaho | $84,380 | $40.57 | 1,210 | 1.20 |
| 35 | Nebraska | $84,350 | $40.55 | 1,310 | 1.08 |
| 36 | Arkansas | $83,580 | $40.18 | 2,430 | 1.58 |
| 37 | Kentucky | $83,550 | $40.17 | 2,610 | 1.11 |
| 38 | New Hampshire | $83,040 | $39.92 | 720 | 0.89 |
| 39 | Wisconsin | $83,000 | $39.90 | 2,940 | 0.85 |
| 40 | Maine | $82,660 | $39.74 | 640 | 0.85 |
| 41 | Vermont | $82,090 | $39.47 | 430 | 1.20 |
| 42 | Wyoming | $82,040 | $39.44 | 240 | 0.72 |
| 43 | Iowa | $81,050 | $38.97 | 1,540 | 0.84 |
| 44 | West Virginia | $80,970 | $38.93 | 880 | 1.07 |
| 45 | Kansas | $80,120 | $38.52 | 1,690 | 1.00 |
| 46 | Montana | $78,740 | $37.86 | 490 | 0.81 |
| 47 | Mississippi | $78,130 | $37.56 | 1,790 | 1.31 |
| 48 | North Dakota | $75,240 | $36.17 | 630 | 1.24 |
| 49 | Alabama | $73,660 | $35.41 | 2,060 | 0.83 |
| 50 | Louisiana | $69,610 | $33.46 | 3,000 | 1.31 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $65,680 | $31.58 | 410 | 0.77 |
Related occupations
Same job family, ranked by national employment.
Frequently asked questions
How much do speech-language pathologists make?
The median annual wage for speech-language pathologists in the United States is $97,870, or $47.05 per hour. Entry-level workers (10th percentile) earn $62,900, and the top 10% earn $134,160.
How many speech-language pathologists are employed in the U.S.?
About 183,390 people work as speech-language pathologists nationwide.
Which state pays speech-language pathologists the most?
California pays the most at a median of $118,970, followed by Colorado ($110,750) and District of Columbia ($109,380).
Which state pays speech-language pathologists the least?
South Dakota has the lowest median at $65,680.
Where are speech-language pathologists jobs most concentrated?
The location quotient measures employment concentration relative to the national average. The highest is Arkansas at 1.58×.