Speech language pathologist demographics and statistics in the US
Speech language pathologist demographics research summary. Zippia estimates speech language pathologist demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our speech language pathologist estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about speech language pathologists after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 155,035 speech language pathologists currently employed in the United States.
- 91.1% of all speech language pathologists are women, while 8.9% are men.
- The average speech language pathologist age is 39 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of speech language pathologists is White (77.1%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (9.5%), Black or African American (4.8%) and Asian (4.5%).
- Speech language pathologists are most in-demand in Houston, TX.
- Redwood City, CA pays an annual average wage of $85,108, the highest in the US.
- In 2022, women speech language pathologists earned 87% of what men earned.
- California is the best state for speech language pathologists to live.
- Speech language pathologists are 58% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to education companies.
On this page
Speech language pathologist demographics by:
Speech language pathologist gender statistics
91.1% of speech language pathologists are women and 8.9% of speech language pathologists are men.
- Female, 91.1%
- Male, 8.9%
Speech language pathologist gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 91.1% |
| Male | 8.9% |
Speech language pathologist gender pay gap
Women earn 87¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$58,663
Female income
$51,320
Speech language pathologist gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in speech language pathologist positions over time. Currently, 91.1% of speech language pathologists are female.
Speech language pathologist gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 9.54% | 90.46% |
| 2011 | 8.39% | 91.61% |
| 2012 | 6.19% | 93.81% |
| 2013 | 7.62% | 92.38% |
| 2014 | 5.68% | 94.32% |
| 2015 | 8.90% | 91.10% |
| 2016 | 8.83% | 91.17% |
| 2017 | 10.25% | 89.75% |
| 2018 | 8.07% | 91.93% |
| 2019 | 9.08% | 90.92% |
| 2020 | 8.86% | 91.14% |
| 2021 | 8.90% | 91.10% |
Speech language pathologist related jobs gender ratio
We compared speech language pathologists with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, flight surgeon and optometrist, owner have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Staff Nurse Midwife | 2% | 98% |
| Perinatal Nurse | 3% | 97% |
| Therapeutic Dietitian | 3% | 97% |
| Speech Language Pathologist | 9% | 91% |
| Radiology Resident | 75% | 25% |
| Optometrist, Owner | 76% | 24% |
| Flight Surgeon | 82% | 18% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Speech language pathologist demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among speech language pathologists is White, which makes up 77.1% of all speech language pathologists. Comparatively, 9.5% of speech language pathologists are Hispanic or Latino and 4.8% of speech language pathologists are Black or African American.
- White, 77.1%
- Hispanic or Latino, 9.5%
- Black or African American, 4.8%
- Asian, 4.5%
- Unknown, 3.8%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
Speech language pathologist race
| Speech language pathologist race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 77.1% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 9.5% |
| Black or African American | 4.8% |
| Asian | 4.5% |
| Unknown | 3.8% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.3% |
Speech language pathologist race and ethnicity over time
See how speech language pathologist racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Speech language pathologist race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 84.63% | 5.12% | 2.60% | 6.16% |
| 2011 | 82.61% | 5.03% | 2.76% | 7.90% |
| 2012 | 83.60% | 4.34% | 2.93% | 7.53% |
| 2013 | 83.65% | 4.49% | 2.42% | 7.93% |
| 2014 | 83.43% | 4.93% | 3.15% | 7.16% |
| 2015 | 83.86% | 4.56% | 2.58% | 7.69% |
| 2016 | 82.08% | 4.53% | 3.33% | 8.92% |
| 2017 | 82.76% | 4.06% | 2.65% | 9.31% |
| 2018 | 80.92% | 4.31% | 3.08% | 9.40% |
| 2019 | 82.86% | 4.15% | 3.33% | 8.09% |
| 2020 | 79.96% | 4.36% | 3.11% | 9.31% |
| 2021 | 77.11% | 4.82% | 4.47% | 9.47% |
Speech language pathologist wage gap by race
According to our data, asian speech language pathologists have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. White speech language pathologists have the lowest average salary at $57,395.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $58,077 |
| White | $57,395 |
| Black or African American | $59,574 |
| Asian | $60,036 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $58,275 |
Average speech language pathologist age
See how the average age of speech language pathologists varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Speech language pathologist age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 38 | |
| White | 42.5 | 39 |
| Black or African American | 38 | |
| Asian | 34 | |
| Hispanic or Latino | 35 |
Speech language pathologist age breakdown
The average age of speech language pathologists is 40+ years years old, representing 45% of the speech language pathologist population.
Speech language pathologist age breakdown
| Speech Language Pathologist Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 45% |
| 30-40 years | 35% |
| 20-30 years | 20% |
Speech language pathologist educational attainment
The most common degree for speech language pathologists is bachelor's degree, with 51% of speech language pathologists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 46% and master's degree degree at 2%.
- Bachelor's, 51%
- Master's, 46%
- Associate, 2%
- Doctorate, 0%
- Other Degrees, 1%
Speech language pathologists by degree level
| Speech language pathologist degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 51% |
| Master's | 46% |
| Associate | 2% |
| Doctorate | 0% |
| Other Degrees | 1% |
Speech language pathologist jobs you might like
Speech language pathologist wage gap by degree level
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $74,607 |
| Doctorate Degree | $70,985 |
Speech language pathologist employment statistics
Most speech language pathologists work for a private in the health care industry.
Company size where speech language pathologists work
Below, you can see the size of companies where speech language pathologists work.
Speech language pathologist jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 5% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 14% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 28% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 9% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 30% |
| > 10,000 employees | 14% |
Speech language pathologist jobs by company type
Employees with the speech language pathologist job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most speech language pathologists prefer to work at private companies over education companies.
Speech language pathologist jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 35% |
| Public | 4% |
| Private | 58% |
| Government | 3% |
Speech language pathologist jobs by industry
The most common industries for speech language pathologists are health care, education and professional.
Speech language pathologist industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Health Care | 44% |
| Education | 30% |
| Professional | 10% |
| Government | 3% |
| Non Profits | 3% |
| Media | 2% |
| Pharmaceutical | 1% |
| Retail | 1% |
| Transportation | 1% |
| Finance | 1% |
| Start-up | 1% |
| Manufacturing | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
| Fortune 500 | 1% |
| Hospitality | 1% |
| Technology | 1% |
Speech language pathologist turnover and employment statistics
Speech language pathologist unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for speech language pathologists between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Speech language pathologist unemployment rate by year
| Year | Speech language pathologist unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 0.82% |
| 2011 | 0.76% |
| 2012 | 1.15% |
| 2013 | 0.96% |
| 2014 | 0.82% |
| 2015 | 0.63% |
| 2016 | 0.82% |
| 2017 | 1.00% |
| 2018 | 0.95% |
| 2019 | 0.73% |
| 2020 | 0.91% |
| 2021 | 0.89% |
Average speech language pathologist tenure
The average speech language pathologist stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 27,565 speech language pathologists resumes in Zippia's database.
Speech language pathologist tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 24% |
| 1-2 years | 28% |
| 3-4 years | 12% |
| 5-7 years | 17% |
| 8-10 years | 8% |
| 11+ years | 11% |
Speech language pathologist LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of speech language pathologists that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Speech Language Pathologist | 5.69% | - |
| Adolescent Medicine Specialist | 9.88% | 13,473 |
| Hospitalist Physician Assistant | 11.62% | 41,862 |
| Sex Therapist | 13.00% | 33,260 |
| Medicine Worker | 13.05% | 29,829 |
| Eye Specialist | 17.57% | 5,904 |
| Associate Professor Program Director Nurse Anesthesia | 31.64% | 75,423 |
Similar speech language pathologist jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Adolescent Medicine Specialist | 9.88% | 13,473 |
| Hospitalist Physician Assistant | 11.62% | 41,862 |
| Sex Therapist | 13.00% | 33,260 |
| Medicine Worker | 13.05% | 29,829 |
| Eye Specialist | 17.57% | 5,904 |
| Associate Professor Program Director Nurse Anesthesia | 31.64% | 75,423 |
Foreign languages spoken by speech language pathologists
The most common foreign language among speech language pathologists is Spanish at 65.2%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 6.3% and Russian is the third-most popular at 5.7%.
- Spanish, 65.2%
- French, 6.3%
- Russian, 5.7%
- Italian, 2.8%
- German, 2.2%
- Other, 17.8%
Speech language pathologist languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 65.2% |
| French | 6.3% |
| Russian | 5.7% |
| Italian | 2.8% |
| German | 2.2% |
| Other | 17.8% |
