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Speech therapist salary
Average speech therapist salary
$70,411
Average Speech Therapist Salary
The average salary for a speech therapist in the United States is $70,411 per year. This figure can vary significantly based on factors such as experience, geographic location, and the specific work setting. For instance, entry-level speech therapists tend to earn less than those with several years of experience, reflecting the typical career progression in healthcare professions.
Speech Therapist Salaries by Experience Level
Entry-level positions generally start around $50,000 annually, while experienced therapists can earn upwards of $90,000, especially in specialized fields. The demand for speech therapists is growing, driven by increased awareness of speech and language disorders, making this a promising career choice.
Where Can a Speech Therapist Earn More?
States like California and New York offer higher salaries due to their cost of living and demand for services. Understanding these regional salary differences can help you navigate your career path effectively.
Furthermore, pursuing certifications in specialized areas can also lead to higher earning potential. Stay informed about job opportunities and salary trends to enhance your career in speech therapy.
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Where can a Speech Therapist earn more?
Speech therapist salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level speech therapist | $67,200 | $32.32 |
| Mid-level speech therapist | $72,600 | $34.93 |
| Senior-level speech therapist | $78,100 | $37.53 |
Speech therapist salary estimates from across the web
Average speech therapist salary by state
The highest-paying states for speech therapists are California, Virginia, and New Jersey. The lowest average speech therapist salary states are Tennessee, Nebraska, and Arizona.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for speech therapists
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Missouri | $80,407 | $38.66 |
| 2 | Washington | $82,333 | $39.58 |
| 3 | Virginia | $84,096 | $40.43 |
| 4 | California | $88,063 | $42.34 |
| 5 | Vermont | $77,327 | $37.18 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $83,437 | $40.11 |
| 7 | Nevada | $81,753 | $39.30 |
| 8 | Delaware | $75,973 | $36.53 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $82,701 | $39.76 |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | $74,759 | $35.94 |
| 11 | Connecticut | $82,440 | $39.63 |
| 12 | Alaska | $82,008 | $39.43 |
| 13 | New Hampshire | $71,629 | $34.44 |
| 14 | North Carolina | $70,754 | $34.02 |
| 15 | Idaho | $72,472 | $34.84 |
| 16 | Oregon | $73,878 | $35.52 |
| 17 | Kansas | $66,955 | $32.19 |
| 18 | Illinois | $70,893 | $34.08 |
| 19 | Ohio | $68,728 | $33.04 |
| 20 | Louisiana | $72,906 | $35.05 |
| 21 | Rhode Island | $73,262 | $35.22 |
| 22 | Colorado | $71,921 | $34.58 |
| 23 | North Dakota | $65,456 | $31.47 |
| 24 | Maine | $68,409 | $32.89 |
| 25 | District of Columbia | $82,918 | $39.86 |
| 26 | Wyoming | $69,264 | $33.30 |
| 27 | Iowa | $65,663 | $31.57 |
| 28 | South Carolina | $68,408 | $32.89 |
| 29 | Montana | $66,923 | $32.17 |
| 30 | Kentucky | $66,192 | $31.82 |
| 31 | West Virginia | $62,918 | $30.25 |
| 32 | New York | $71,761 | $34.50 |
| 33 | New Mexico | $68,075 | $32.73 |
| 34 | Arkansas | $65,810 | $31.64 |
| 35 | Maryland | $67,760 | $32.58 |
| 36 | Texas | $64,916 | $31.21 |
| 37 | Florida | $69,111 | $33.23 |
| 38 | Wisconsin | $65,881 | $31.67 |
| 39 | Georgia | $65,080 | $31.29 |
| 40 | Michigan | $64,820 | $31.16 |
| 41 | Oklahoma | $64,170 | $30.85 |
| 42 | Minnesota | $67,009 | $32.22 |
| 43 | Nebraska | $61,880 | $29.75 |
| 44 | Utah | $66,235 | $31.84 |
| 45 | Tennessee | $62,161 | $29.89 |
| 46 | Hawaii | $69,624 | $33.47 |
| 47 | Indiana | $58,689 | $28.22 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $62,620 | $30.11 |
| 49 | Alabama | $58,671 | $28.21 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $57,948 | $27.86 |
| 51 | Arizona | $61,574 | $29.60 |
Highest paying cities for speech therapists
The highest-paying cities for speech therapists are Richmond, CA, Arlington, VA, and Springfield, MO.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Richmond, CA | $92,364 | $44.41 |
| 2 | Arlington, VA | $84,815 | $40.78 |
| 3 | Springfield, MO | $80,205 | $38.56 |
| 4 | Philadelphia, PA | $75,219 | $36.16 |
| 5 | New York, NY | $71,981 | $34.61 |
| 6 | Aurora, CO | $71,978 | $34.60 |
| 7 | Downers Grove, IL | $70,876 | $34.08 |
| 8 | Panama City, FL | $70,381 | $33.84 |
| 9 | Las Cruces, NM | $69,177 | $33.26 |
| 10 | Spartanburg, SC | $68,605 | $32.98 |
| 11 | El Paso, TX | $66,350 | $31.90 |
| 12 | Fargo, ND | $65,585 | $31.53 |
| 13 | Oklahoma City, OK | $64,122 | $30.83 |
| 14 | Omaha, NE | $61,954 | $29.79 |
| 15 | Richmond, IN | $58,968 | $28.35 |
| 16 | Birmingham, AL | $58,744 | $28.24 |
| 17 | Sioux Falls, SD | $58,054 | $27.91 |
Speech therapist salary details
A speech therapist's salary ranges from $52,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $93,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a speech therapist's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $93,000 | $7,750 | $45 |
| 75th Percentile | $81,000 | $6,750 | $39 |
| Average | $70,411 | $5,868 | $34 |
| 25th Percentile | $60,000 | $5,000 | $29 |
| 10th Percentile | $52,000 | $4,333 | $25 |
Highest paying speech therapist jobs
The highest paying types of speech therapists are occupational therapist, speech/language therapist, and speech-language pathologist teacher.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graduate Student Clinician | $59,667 | $4,972 | $28.69 | 39,709 |
| Student Clinician | $59,506 | $4,959 | $28.61 | 36,281 |
| Speech-Language Pathology Internship | $59,985 | $4,999 | $28.84 | 72,220 |
| Speech Language Pathologist | $62,340 | $5,195 | $29.97 | 25,617 |
| Occupational Therapist | $75,707 | $6,309 | $36.40 | 78,315 |
| Speech Pathologist | $62,640 | $5,220 | $30.12 | 22,779 |
Top companies hiring speech therapists now:
Which companies pay speech therapists the most?
Speech therapist salaries at Ohio's Hospice of Dayton and Aya Healthcare are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average speech therapist salary at companies like Therapy Source and Chapters Health System are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ohio's Hospice of Dayton | $95,477 | $45.90 |
| 2 | Aya Healthcare | $93,201 | $44.81 |
| 3 | Therapy Source | $91,867 | $44.17 |
| 4 | Chapters Health System | $89,468 | $43.01 |
| 5 | Blue Sky Therapy | $89,348 | $42.96 |
| 6 | Tenet Healthcare | $89,092 | $42.83 |
| 7 | University Hospitals | $88,717 | $42.65 |
| 8 | Encompass Health | $87,218 | $41.93 |
| 9 | Sutter Health | $87,136 | $41.89 |
| 10 | Favorite Healthcare Staffing | $86,914 | $41.79 |
| 11 | Kaiser Permanente | $86,898 | $41.78 |
| 12 | Highland Manor Nursing Ctr. | $86,555 | $41.61 |
| 13 | ProCare Therapy | $86,433 | $41.55 |
| 14 | Health First | $85,422 | $41.07 |
| 15 | Ecumen | $85,185 | $40.95 |
| 16 | Whidbey General Hospital | $85,065 | $40.90 |
| 17 | Beacon Health Options | $84,913 | $40.82 |
| 18 | Hackensack Meridian Health | $84,748 | $40.74 |
| 19 | Memorial Hospital | $84,704 | $40.72 |
| 20 | Fellowship Senior Living | $84,284 | $40.52 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Speech therapist salary trends
The average speech therapist salary has risen by $9,956 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average speech therapist earned $60,455 annually, but today, they earn $70,411 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for speech therapists over the last decade.
Compare speech therapist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average speech therapist salary over time
Compare speech therapist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Speech therapist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $70,400 | $33.85 | +1.7% |
| 2024 | $69,200 | $33.28 | +2.0% |
| 2023 | $67,800 | $32.60 | +1.2% |
| 2022 | $67,000 | $32.22 | +2.5% |
| 2021 | $65,300 | $31.41 | +1.7% |
Recently added speech therapist salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sanford Health | Speech Therapist-Peds | Bismarck, ND | 06/30/2025 | $62,610 |
| Sutterhealth | Speech Therapist, Home Health, Sonoma/Marin County | Santa Rosa, CA | 06/30/2025 | $123,717 |
| Memorialcare | Speech Therapist II-Inpatient Therapy | Long Beach, CA | 06/29/2025 | $102,138 |
| St. Croix County | Speech Therapist-Birth To Three | New Richmond, WI | 06/29/2025 | $62,130 |
| Get It-Real Estate | Speech Therapist-Remote | WFH | Killeen, TX | 06/29/2025 | $82,186 |
| Genesis Healthcare | Speech Therapist | Westbrook, ME | 06/28/2025 | $125,220 |
| Advanced Health Care of Cincinnati | Speech Therapist | Sharonville, OH | 06/28/2025 | $114,785 |
| Denver Health and Hospital Authority | Nicu Speech Therapist (PRN/Intermittent) | Denver, CO | 06/28/2025 | $77,532 |
| University of Nebraska Medical Center | Speech Therapist, Acute Care Clinical Fellowship | Omaha, NE | 06/28/2025 | $60,800 |
| Pillar Care Continuum | Speech Therapist-Early Intervention Program | East Hanover, NJ | 06/28/2025 | $173,221 |
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