A speech language pathology assistant earns an average salary of $75,273 per year. This article talks about the educational requirements, job description, and salary range of these professionals.
*All figures mentioned in this article are in US dollars, and as of April 2014.
Speech language pathology assistants or SLPAs are medical professionals who perform numerous tasks as per the instructions of ASHA (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association) certified professionals. They may require a degree in courses like clinic management, human development, or sign language. Those who already have an associate or bachelor’s degree, can opt for certification programs in phonetics or patient screening.
The need of SLPAs has grown over the years, owing to the increasing demands of clients. They perform the following duties:
- Documenting the patient’s performance and progress
- Tallying all the collected data, graph, and statistics.
- Transferring patients from one treatment area to another, and from one equipment to another.
- Helping patients with speech disorders by assisting in treating voice problems, delayed language, or stuttering.
- Helping to modify, or come up with treatment plans for the patients.
- Helping patients to lead a better personal and professional life.
Salary Range
Although a speech pathology assistant job may not provide a very high salary, but it can be considered as the first step of getting ahead in this career. On an average, a speech language pathology assistant earns around $75,273 per year, and between $13.00 to $31.10 per hour.
Based on Working Location
Following table shows average location-wise salaries (annual). These figures may vary based on various factors like experience, educational qualification, additional skills, etc.
| Alabama | $73,000 |
| Alaska | $55,000 |
| Arizona | $60,000 |
| Arkansas | $72,000 |
| California | $78,000 |
| Colorado | $65,000 |
| Connecticut | $84,000 |
| Delaware | $64,000 |
| Florida | $68,000 |
| Georgia | $83,000 |
| Hawaii | $46,000 |
| Idaho | $48,000 |
| Illinois | $82,000 |
| Indiana | $70,000 |
| Iowa | $71,000 |
| Kansas | $66,000 |
| Kentucky | $62,000 |
| Louisiana | $63,000 |
| Maine | $64,000 |
| Maryland | $75,000 |
| Massachusetts | $87,000 |
| Michigan | $74,000 |
| Minnesota | $64,000 |
| Mississippi | $76,000 |
| Missouri | $71,000 |
| Montana | $65,000 |
| Nebraska | $53,000 |
| Nevada | $57,000 |
| New Hampshire | $72,000 |
| New Jersey | $79,000 |
| New Mexico | $64,000 |
| New York | $88,000 |
| North Carolina | $70,000 |
| North Dakota | $65,000 |
| Ohio | $70,000 |
| Oklahoma | $66,000 |
| Oregon | $69,000 |
| Pennsylvania | $70,000 |
| Rhode Island | $67,000 |
| South Carolina | $70,000 |
| South Dakota | $55,000 |
| Tennessee | $67,000 |
| Texas | $71,000 |
| Utah | $57,000 |
| Vermont | $65,000 |
| Virginia | $73,000 |
| Washington | $74,000 |
| West Virginia | $69,000 |
| Wisconsin | $65,000 |
| Wyoming | $61,000 |
*All figures mentioned above are as per Indeed.
Work experience is a criterion that is valued by employers of every profession. This is because a candidate with suitable work experience is aware about the intricacies of the job, and he or she is always a step ahead than a fresher. Also, a candidate who has already worked in the same industry is confident, and more excited to learn new challenges of the job. A fresher in this field can earn an average salary ranging between $24,312 to $59,458, depending on the individual educational qualifications, location, certifications, etc.
Based on Type of Employer
There is a difference between a public and private employer especially in matters of salaries and job security. The salary of an SLPA varies depending on whether he is working in a school, private firm, company, non-profit organization, or hospital.
It has to be understood that many people who’re employed in this industry are more for the passion of this job than just the monetary benefits. Many people work in this profession because they love to make a difference in the life of people with speech problems. For ensuring career development and growth, one can also take further education in speech related courses. The more one is skilled in this field, better are the chances of earning.
