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How to hire a speech-language pathology internship

Speech-language pathology internship hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring speech-language pathology interns in the United States:

  • There are a total of 144,581 speech-language pathology interns in the US, and there are currently 72,220 job openings in this field.
  • The median cost to hire a speech-language pathology internship is $1,633.
  • Small businesses spend $1,105 per speech-language pathology internship on training each year, while large companies spend $658.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • It takes approximately 12 weeks for a new employee to reach full productivity levels.
  • HR departments typically allocate 15% of their budget towards recruitment efforts.
  • New York, NY, has the highest demand for speech-language pathology interns, with 2 job openings.

How to hire a speech-language pathology internship, step by step

To hire a speech-language pathology internship, you should clearly understand the skills and experience you are looking for in a candidate, and allocate a budget for the position. You will also need to post and promote the job opening to reach potential candidates. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to hire a speech-language pathology internship:

Here's a step-by-step speech-language pathology internship hiring guide:

  • Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
  • Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
  • Step 3: Make a budget
  • Step 4: Write a speech-language pathology internship job description
  • Step 5: Post your job
  • Step 6: Interview candidates
  • Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new speech-language pathology internship
  • Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist
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  1. Identify your hiring needs

    Before you post your speech-language pathology internship job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a speech-language pathology internship for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

    Determine employee vs contractor status
    Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

    You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a speech-language pathology internship to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a speech-language pathology internship that fits the bill.

    This list shows salaries for various types of speech-language pathology interns.

    Type of Speech-Language Pathology InternshipDescriptionHourly rate
    Speech-Language Pathology InternshipSpeech-language pathologists (sometimes called speech therapists) assess, diagnose, treat, and help to prevent communication and swallowing disorders in patients. Speech, language, and swallowing disorders result from a variety of causes, such as a stroke, brain injury, hearing loss, developmental delay, Parkinson’s disease, a cleft palate or autism.$19-41
    Graduate Student ClinicianGraduate student clinicians can be a nurse practitioner, pharmacist, or doctor whose primary job is to work with patients and assist patients in managing their medical condition or illness. They perform varied duties and responsibilities that include maintaining a good relationship with patients, discussing the treatment progress to patients, and documenting patients' medical history... Show more$19-40
    Student ClinicianA Student Clinician is a healthcare practitioner who works as caregiver of a patient in a hospital or clinic. They integrate knowledge obtained in courses into the clinical practicum assignments.$19-40
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Speech Therapy
    • Language Disorders
    • Patients
    • Autism
    • Dysphagia
    • Traumatic Brain Injury
    • IEP
    • Speech-Language Pathologist
    • Group Therapy Sessions
    • Barium Swallow Studies
    • Acute Care
    • AAC
    • Aphasia
    • Communication Disorders
    Check all skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Conduct speech, language, and cognitive evaluations for individuals following TBI and CVA.
    • Prepare foods/liquids for MBS administration.
    • Conduct evaluations in Spanish, interpret results, and develop IEP team recommendations
    • Collaborate with clinical supervisor in the administration and interpretation of MBS studies.
    • Administer standardized testing relative to the hearing impair population for purpose of IEP development.
    • Focus include autism spectrum disorders, language and developmental delays, articulation disorders and stuttering.
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in your speech-language pathology internship job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A speech-language pathology internship can vary based on:

    • Location. For example, speech-language pathology interns' average salary in maine is 47% less than in california.
    • Seniority. Entry-level speech-language pathology interns 52% less than senior-level speech-language pathology interns.
    • Certifications. A speech-language pathology internship with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
    • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a speech-language pathology internship's salary.

    Average speech-language pathology internship salary

    $59,985yearly

    $28.84 hourly rate

    Entry-level speech-language pathology internship salary
    $41,000 yearly salary
    Updated December 15, 2025
  4. Writing a speech-language pathology internship job description

    A speech-language pathology internship job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a speech-language pathology internship job description:

    Speech-language pathology internship job description example

    • Medical, Dental & Vision
    • Life, LTD & STD
    • Supplemental Insurances
    • 401k
    • PTO accrual
    • Annual CEU Allowance
    • Monthly Compliance Bonus Incentive based on treatment visits
    • Referral program
    • Professional development assistance
    • Flexible schedule
    • Electronic EMR

    If you are interested in learning more about joining the Care Options family, our culture, or immediate and future opportunities, please visit us at www.cofk.com

    Thank you in advance for considering Care Options for Kids!

    Position Summary: The position of a Speech Language Pathologist provides therapeutic techniques for the rehabilitation of patients with speech, language, hearing, oral motor, swallowing and cognitive disorders. Provides coordinated care to patients of all age groups. Plans, implements and evaluates patient care to restore or maintain patient wellbeing. Collaborates with interdisciplinary team.

    Essential Job Functions include but are not limited to:

    • Perform clinical assessment; identify patient needs and appropriateness of patient
    • Document, prepare/revise and complete Plan of Care, progress notes, phone orders and other clinical record documentation on an ongoing basis.
    • Analyze patient needs and administer care as ordered by physician.
    • Performs and oversees other team members, when applicable, in the performance of patient care that is consistent with the patient needs and desires.
    • Applies concepts of infection control standard precautions in coordinating/performing patient care activities to prevent contamination and transmission of disease
    • Accepts clinical assignments that are consistent with education and competence to care for patients
    • Provides appropriate plan, treatment and evaluation for speech, language, cognitive and swallowing disorders with appropriate test and measurements.
    • Maintain pertinent records of specific test performed and progress made.
    • Educate patient/family concerning patient deficits, ways to facilitate communication and appropriate discharge plans through family members.
    • Uses effective interpersonal relations and communication skills; facilitates the use of these skills by other team members to achieve desirable outcomes.
    • Must meet mandatory continuing education requirements.
    • Promotes compliance with all fiscal intermediary and/or other third-party payors, through education, coaching and other assistance necessary.
    • Demonstrates commitment, professional growth and competency.
    • Promote Agency philosophy and administrative policies to ensure quality of care.

    Experience/Requirements:

    • Pediatric focus and home health experience preferred.
    • Excellent organization skills and attention to detail.
    • Self-motivated, with strong problem-solving skills and ability to work independently.
    • Demonstrated ability to effectively prioritize time and meet deadlines.
    • Ability to work under pressure.
    • Ability to maintain confidentiality of data and information.
    • Knowledge of therapy skills as defined as generally accepted standards of practice.
    • Excellent communication – verbal and written, and interpersonal skills.
    • Responsive to requests.
    • Reliable transportation, valid driver’s license and current auto liability insurance.

    EDUCATION/LICENSES/CERTIFICATIONS:

    • Master’s degree in Speech Language Pathology from an accredited college or university
    • Current Texas State License in Speech Language Pathology
    • Certificate of Clinical Competence from American Speech-Language Association

    Physical and Sensory Essential Functions :

    • Requires prolonged standing and walking, some bending, pulling, pushing, stooping, stretching and/or heavy lifting.
    • Requires eye-hand coordination and manual dexterity, sufficient to operate a keyboard, telephone and other equipment.
    • Requires working under some stressful conditions to meet deadlines and patient needs and to meet patient/family individualized psychosocial needs.

    Working Conditions :

    • This job operates in an office, clinic and/or patients’ home with various conditions.
    • Possible exposure to blood and bodily fluids and infectious diseases with varying exposure to noise.
    • Proof of current CPR and Hepatitis profile required.
    • Ability to work flexible schedule and travel locally.
    • Some exposure to unpleasant weather.

    Machines, Tools, Equipment and Work Aids Used :

    • Typical office equipment including Microsoft Office Suite and KanTime
  5. Post your job

    There are a few common ways to find speech-language pathology interns for your business:

    • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
    • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
    • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
    • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.
    Post your job online:
    • Post your speech-language pathology internship job on Zippia to find and recruit speech-language pathology internship candidates who meet your exact specifications.
    • Use field-specific websites such as healthcarejobsite, health jobs nationwide, hospitalcareers, medreps.com.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    During your first interview to recruit speech-language pathology interns, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

    You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

    The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

  7. Send a job offer and onboard your new speech-language pathology internship

    Once you've found the speech-language pathology internship candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

    You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

    To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

  8. Go through the hiring process checklist

    • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
    • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
    • Define job responsibilities and requirements
    • Establish budget and timeline
    • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
    • Write job description
    • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
    • Promote the job internally
    • Process applications through applicant tracking system
    • Review resumes and cover letters
    • Shortlist candidates for screening
    • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
    • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
    • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
    • Conduct background checks on top candidates
    • Check references of top candidates
    • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
    • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
    • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
    • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
    • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
    • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)
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How much does it cost to hire a speech-language pathology internship?

Before you start to hire speech-language pathology interns, it pays to consider both the one-off costs like recruitment, job promotion, and onboarding, as well as the ongoing costs of an employee's salary and benefits. While most companies that hire speech-language pathology interns pay close attention to the initial cost of hiring, ongoing costs are much more significant in the long run.

You can expect to pay around $59,985 per year for a speech-language pathology internship, as this is the median yearly salary nationally. This can vary depending on what state or city you're hiring in. If you're hiring for contract work or on a per-project basis, hourly rates for speech-language pathology interns in the US typically range between $19 and $41 an hour.

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