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What is a speech-language pathology assistant and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted experts
Dr. HyeKyeung Seung Ph.D.,
Meaghan Goodman Ph.D.

A speech-language pathology assistant is an individual who works under the supervision of a licensed speech-language pathologist to provide services to individuals with communication and swallowing disorders. They assist in the evaluation, treatment, and management of clients with speech, language, voice, fluency, and cognitive-communication disorders. A speech-language pathology assistant may also provide support to clients with alternative and augmentative communication needs. Their duties may include implementing therapy plans and providing education to clients and families.

What general advice would you give to a speech-language pathology assistant?

Dr. HyeKyeung Seung Ph.D.Dr. HyeKyeung Seung Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Professor and Chair, California State University, Fullerton

Do not lock yourself into a setting and/or population. As you gain clinical experience and taking CEUs, you will have different views regarding settings (public school, hospital, or private practice clinic as well as different clinic populations). If you want to work in hospital ultimately, you can start working at private practice or public school for CF and a few years. During that time, you can work per diem on weekend or summer to maintain skills in hospital while taking CEUs. By building your skill sets, you put yourself in a better position to look for hospital position.

ScoreSpeech-Language Pathology AssistantUS Average
Salary
4.6

Avg. Salary $58,806

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
4.4

Growth rate 21%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
10.0
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.47%

Asian 9.16%

Black or African American 11.61%

Hispanic or Latino 21.10%

Unknown 4.71%

White 51.95%

Gender

female 91.20%

male 8.80%

Age - 42
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 42
Stress level
4.4

Stress level is moderate

7.1 - high

Complexity level
6.8

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance
8.5

Work life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a speech-language pathology assistant?

Pros

  • Opportunity to help others improve their communication skills

  • Variety of work settings, including schools, hospitals, and private practices

  • Good salary and benefits

  • Opportunity for career advancement

  • High demand for speech-language pathology assistants

Cons

  • Work with difficult or uncooperative clients

  • Emotionally draining to work with individuals with communication disorders

  • Requires a lot of paperwork and documentation

  • Limited opportunities for professional development or continuing education

  • Challenging to balance the needs of multiple clients with different communication disorders and abilities.

Speech-language pathology assistant career paths

Key steps to become a speech-language pathology assistant

  1. Explore speech-language pathology assistant education requirements

    Most common speech-language pathology assistant degrees

    Bachelor's

    72.5 %

    Associate

    13.7 %

    Master's

    11.0 %
  2. Start to develop specific speech-language pathology assistant skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Speech Language Pathology23.26%
    Home Health8.47%
    Patients7.29%
    Language Disorders6.81%
    Asha5.22%
  3. Complete relevant speech-language pathology assistant training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New speech-language pathology assistants learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a speech-language pathology assistant based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real speech-language pathology assistant resumes.
  4. Research speech-language pathology assistant duties and responsibilities

    • Manage scheduling and patient treatment according to insurance and Medicaid guidelines.
    • Provide individual and group speech and language therapy to children and adults, with a strong emphasis on those with autism.
    • Conduct diagnostic evaluations and provide individual therapy for adult client with aphasia and pragmatic impairments secondary to stroke
    • Assist with staff education and supervision on language facilitation, AAC and visual supports.
  5. Prepare your speech-language pathology assistant resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your speech-language pathology assistant resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a speech-language pathology assistant resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable speech-language pathology assistant resume templates

    Build a professional speech-language pathology assistant resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your speech-language pathology assistant resume.
    Speech-Language Pathology Assistant Resume
    Speech-Language Pathology Assistant Resume
    Speech-Language Pathology Assistant Resume
    Speech-Language Pathology Assistant Resume
    Speech-Language Pathology Assistant Resume
    Speech-Language Pathology Assistant Resume
    Speech-Language Pathology Assistant Resume
    Speech-Language Pathology Assistant Resume
    Speech-Language Pathology Assistant Resume
  6. Apply for speech-language pathology assistant jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a speech-language pathology assistant job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first speech-language pathology assistant job

Zippi

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Average speech-language pathology assistant salary

The average speech-language pathology assistant salary in the United States is $58,806 per year or $28 per hour. Speech-language pathology assistant salaries range between $39,000 and $88,000 per year.

Average speech-language pathology assistant salary
$58,806 Yearly
$28.27 hourly

What am I worth?

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How do speech-language pathology assistants rate their job?

-/5

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Speech-language pathology assistant reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2021
Pros

Creative therapy technique freedom, working with all types of disorders and disabilities; continuous change, never stagnant.

Cons

N/A


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A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2019
Pros

working with kids on their learning disabilities and to see their improvement everyday

Cons

the little time we sometimes offer so little


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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