Speech-Language Pathologist Salary
Speech-Language Pathologists earn a median $97,870 a year nationally. Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations
U.S. median
$97,870
$47.05 per hour
Range
$62,900 – $134,160
10th to 90th percentile
Employed
183,390
across the U.S.
Speech-Language Pathologist take-home pay calculator
Starts at the national median. Pick your state to see your real paycheck.
Your take-home pay
$77,682
per year · effective tax rate 20.6%
$6,473Monthly
$3,237Twice a month
$2,988Every 2 weeks
$37.35Hourly
- Federal income tax$12,701
- Social Security (6.2%)$6,068
- Medicare (1.45%)$1,419
- Texas income tax$0
- Take-home pay$77,682
Marginal rate: 22% federal + 0.00% state
Pay by experience
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home (no state tax) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $62,900 | $30.24 | $52,720 |
| 25th percentile | $77,730 | $37.37 | $63,513 |
| Median (50th) | $97,870 | $47.05 | $77,682 |
| 75th percentile | $114,570 | $55.08 | $89,430 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $134,160 | $64.50 | $102,964 |
Best cities for speech-language pathologists (after tax & cost of living)
| # | Metro area | Median | Take-home | Real value* | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | El Paso, TX | $99,430 | $78,779 | $87,618 | 620 |
| 2 | Austin, TX | $106,290 | $83,605 | $85,254 | 2,860 |
| 3 | Louisville, KY | $103,420 | $78,084 | $83,894 | 710 |
| 4 | McAllen, TX | $89,860 | $72,047 | $83,877 | 480 |
| 5 | San Jose, CA | $132,720 | $92,141 | $83,444 | 890 |
| 6 | Sacramento, CA | $126,360 | $88,468 | $82,937 | 1,030 |
| 7 | Las Vegas, NV | $104,510 | $82,353 | $82,176 | 960 |
| 8 | Cleveland, OH | $98,900 | $76,469 | $81,416 | 1,180 |
| 9 | Dayton, OH | $96,920 | $75,130 | $81,052 | 490 |
| 10 | Houston, TX | $100,400 | $79,461 | $80,566 | 3,780 |
| 11 | Colorado Springs, CO | $108,140 | $80,857 | $80,289 | 710 |
| 12 | Jacksonville, FL | $99,830 | $79,060 | $79,470 | 650 |
| 13 | Denver, CO | $112,090 | $83,462 | $78,900 | 2,480 |
| 14 | Riverside, CA | $118,560 | $83,899 | $78,822 | 2,120 |
| 15 | San Francisco, CA | $130,850 | $91,061 | $78,764 | 1,760 |
| 16 | Albuquerque, NM | $99,160 | $75,061 | $78,560 | 580 |
| 17 | Columbus, OH | $96,460 | $74,819 | $78,370 | 1,390 |
| 18 | San Antonio, TX | $92,700 | $74,044 | $78,175 | 1,780 |
| 19 | Cincinnati, OH | $95,930 | $74,461 | $78,076 | 1,690 |
| 20 | Fresno, CA | $110,960 | $79,358 | $77,682 | 820 |
| 21 | Salt Lake City, UT | $103,740 | $78,109 | $77,437 | 490 |
| 22 | Seattle, WA | $108,690 | $85,293 | $76,749 | 1,910 |
| 23 | Orlando, FL | $97,900 | $77,703 | $76,616 | 1,100 |
| 24 | Dallas, TX | $99,540 | $78,856 | $76,493 | 4,800 |
| 25 | Atlanta, GA | $102,860 | $76,476 | $76,432 | 2,410 |
*Take-home pay in U.S.-average dollars (BEA Regional Price Parities).
Highest-paying cities
- San Jose, CA — $132,720
- San Francisco, CA — $130,850
- Sacramento, CA — $126,360
- San Diego, CA — $119,690
- Riverside, CA — $118,560
- Oxnard, CA — $115,060
- Denver, CO — $112,090
- Fresno, CA — $110,960
- Los Angeles, CA — $109,740
- Seattle, WA — $108,690
- Colorado Springs, CO — $108,140
- New York, NY — $107,860
- Portland, OR — $107,650
- Austin, TX — $106,290
- Las Vegas, NV — $104,510
Speech-Language Pathologist salary by state
| State | Median | Take-home | Range | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $118,970 | $84,144 | $79,750 – $160,900 | 16,930 |
| Colorado | $110,750 | $82,578 | $73,900 – $164,520 | 4,420 |
| District of Columbia | $109,380 | $79,450 | $81,800 – $137,140 | 390 |
| Washington | $105,550 | $83,084 | $81,330 – $132,630 | 3,570 |
| Nevada | $104,510 | $82,353 | $63,180 – $136,520 | 1,270 |
| Rhode Island | $104,000 | $78,656 | $75,270 – $130,830 | 720 |
| Delaware | $102,760 | $75,681 | $79,880 – $135,200 | 690 |
| Alaska | $102,670 | $81,058 | $79,700 – $125,950 | 340 |
| Oregon | $102,660 | $72,898 | $74,410 – $143,000 | 1,600 |
| New Jersey | $101,560 | $75,998 | $71,620 – $167,230 | 6,840 |
| Massachusetts | $101,310 | $75,256 | $71,030 – $129,730 | 5,290 |
| New York | $100,610 | $74,713 | $64,980 – $157,920 | 15,310 |
| Connecticut | $100,110 | $75,326 | $65,400 – $130,290 | 2,390 |
| Florida | $99,990 | $79,173 | $69,970 – $122,050 | 10,080 |
| Texas | $99,910 | $79,117 | $66,370 – $132,990 | 19,120 |
| Maryland | $99,190 | $74,262 | $63,480 – $130,590 | 3,510 |
| New Mexico | $98,690 | $74,754 | $61,630 – $134,750 | 1,250 |
| Arizona | $97,800 | $75,396 | $68,990 – $130,550 | 3,390 |
| Hawaii | $97,560 | $71,579 | $61,000 – $120,620 | 270 |
| Georgia | $96,760 | $72,502 | $59,800 – $125,550 | 4,030 |
| Virginia | $96,250 | $71,822 | $66,890 – $132,400 | 4,460 |
| Illinois | $95,080 | $71,157 | $60,870 – $123,800 | 9,040 |
| Ohio | $93,300 | $72,683 | $61,840 – $125,330 | 7,270 |
| Pennsylvania | $92,960 | $71,373 | $60,650 – $130,780 | 6,570 |
| Utah | $91,560 | $70,088 | $56,070 – $128,490 | 1,460 |
| South Carolina | $90,530 | $68,243 | $56,560 – $124,070 | 2,190 |
| Minnesota | $89,380 | $67,154 | $62,390 – $107,820 | 3,890 |
| Missouri | $89,280 | $68,380 | $58,180 – $119,240 | 3,230 |
| Michigan | $89,120 | $67,989 | $62,430 – $108,670 | 4,730 |
| Indiana | $87,360 | $67,740 | $60,990 – $122,930 | 3,310 |
| North Carolina | $86,460 | $66,714 | $60,800 – $121,040 | 5,600 |
| Tennessee | $84,630 | $68,367 | $58,550 – $116,790 | 3,320 |
| Oklahoma | $84,470 | $64,999 | $51,230 – $127,920 | 1,870 |
| Idaho | $84,380 | $64,827 | $62,090 – $121,890 | 1,210 |
| Nebraska | $84,350 | $65,212 | $59,120 – $117,980 | 1,310 |
| Arkansas | $83,580 | $64,582 | $56,250 – $134,420 | 2,430 |
| Kentucky | $83,550 | $64,801 | $63,250 – $121,090 | 2,610 |
| New Hampshire | $83,040 | $67,249 | $64,030 – $119,290 | 720 |
| Wisconsin | $83,000 | $64,202 | $61,320 – $108,360 | 2,940 |
| Maine | $82,660 | $62,567 | $54,010 – $108,580 | 640 |
| Vermont | $82,090 | $63,623 | $64,320 – $103,380 | 430 |
| Wyoming | $82,040 | $66,545 | $63,520 – $124,250 | 240 |
| Iowa | $81,050 | $63,421 | $63,270 – $106,460 | 1,540 |
| West Virginia | $80,970 | $62,825 | $62,690 – $125,160 | 880 |
| Kansas | $80,120 | $61,523 | $59,390 – $108,390 | 1,690 |
| Montana | $78,740 | $61,136 | $58,460 – $106,330 | 490 |
| Mississippi | $78,130 | $61,401 | $50,280 – $106,170 | 1,790 |
| North Dakota | $75,240 | $61,553 | $56,140 – $103,350 | 630 |
| Alabama | $73,660 | $57,232 | $58,010 – $109,300 | 2,060 |
| Louisiana | $69,610 | $56,099 | $53,480 – $107,650 | 3,000 |
| South Dakota | $65,680 | $54,954 | $54,740 – $98,810 | 410 |
Frequently asked questions
How much does a speech-language pathologist make?
The national median salary for speech-language pathologists is $97,870 a year ($47.05 an hour). The lowest-paid 10% earn under $62,900 and the top 10% earn over $134,160. Source: BLS, May 2025.
Which state pays speech-language pathologists the most?
California has the highest median pay at $118,970. After taxes and local prices, El Paso, TX offers the best real take-home pay of any metro area.
How many speech-language pathologists are there in the U.S.?
About 183,390 people work as speech-language pathologists nationwide.
All 71 cities
- Albany, NY
- Albuquerque, NM
- Allentown, PA
- Atlanta, GA
- Austin, TX
- Baltimore, MD
- Baton Rouge, LA
- Birmingham, AL
- Boise City, ID
- Boston, MA
- Bridgeport, CT
- Buffalo, NY
- Charlotte, NC
- Chicago, IL
- Cincinnati, OH
- Cleveland, OH
- Colorado Springs, CO
- Columbus, OH
- Dallas, TX
- Dayton, OH
- Denver, CO
- Detroit, MI
- El Paso, TX
- Fayetteville, AR
- Fresno, CA
- Grand Rapids, MI
- Hartford, CT
- Houston, TX
- Indianapolis, IN
- Jacksonville, FL
- Kansas City, MO
- Kiryas Joel, NY
- Las Vegas, NV
- Little Rock, AR
- Los Angeles, CA
- Louisville, KY
- McAllen, TX
- Memphis, TN
- Miami, FL
- Milwaukee, WI
- Minneapolis, MN
- Nashville, TN
- New Orleans, LA
- New York, NY
- Oklahoma City, OK
- Omaha, NE
- Orlando, FL
- Oxnard, CA
- Philadelphia, PA
- Phoenix, AZ
- Pittsburgh, PA
- Portland, OR
- Providence, RI
- Raleigh, NC
- Richmond, VA
- Riverside, CA
- Rochester, NY
- Sacramento, CA
- Salt Lake City, UT
- San Antonio, TX
- San Diego, CA
- San Francisco, CA
- San Jose, CA
- Seattle, WA
- St. Louis, MO
- Syracuse, NY
- Tampa, FL
- Tulsa, OK
- Virginia Beach, VA
- Washington, DC
- Worcester, MA