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What is a speech pathologist assistant and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted expert
Dr. HyeKyeung Seung Ph.D.

Speech pathologist assistants work directly under licensed speech pathologists, aiding them in their daily responsibilities. They work in numerous settings, including schools, hospitals, clinics, and long-term health care facilities. They can perform many tasks delegated by speech pathologists and be of research assistance and aid in the creation and maintenance of public relations programs.

Speech pathologist assistants assist the speech-language pathologists during the assessment of patients and deliver a variety of other services. Moreover, they also provide administrative support, such as clerical duties and others, and are responsible for prevention and advocacy. While there is no standard degree requirement for a position as a speech pathology assistant, the ASHA recommends completing at least an associate's degree program. Typical coursework covers communication disorders, normal communication processes, and workplace behaviors. Requirements can also differ state-wise. Some require a bachelor's degree whereas others graduate level courses.

The average hourly salary for the position is $27.74, which amounts to $57,707 annually. The career is expected to grow 27% in the following years to come and will likely result in new opportunities emerging across the United States.

What general advice would you give to a speech pathologist 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 Pathologist AssistantUS Average
Salary
4.6

Avg. Salary $58,474

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 9.15%

Black or African American 15.25%

Hispanic or Latino 21.02%

Unknown 4.71%

White 48.40%

Gender

female 89.95%

male 10.05%

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

Speech pathologist assistant career paths

Key steps to become a speech pathologist assistant

  1. Explore speech pathologist assistant education requirements

    Most common speech pathologist assistant degrees

    Bachelor's

    81.0 %

    Associate

    10.1 %

    Master's

    6.9 %
  2. Start to develop specific speech pathologist assistant skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Patients19.49%
    Home Health13.93%
    Language Disorders8.14%
    Autism7.87%
    Rehabilitation7.14%
  3. Complete relevant speech pathologist assistant training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New speech pathologist 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 pathologist assistant based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real speech pathologist assistant resumes.
  4. Research speech pathologist assistant duties and responsibilities

    • Help students to achieve goals gear toward behavior, ADL, and safety skills.
    • Provide care for children with the following diagnosis: autism, articulation disorder, language disorder, and down syndrome.
    • Assist in administering individual speech therapy to pediatric patients in outpatient clinical setting under supervision of license speech-language pathologist.
    • Provide inpatient/outpatient speech and language rehabilitative services for adult patients ages 18 and older in a sub-acute 70 bed rehabilitative center.
  5. Prepare your speech pathologist assistant resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your speech pathologist 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 pathologist 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 pathologist assistant resume templates

    Build a professional speech pathologist 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 pathologist assistant resume.
    Speech Pathologist Assistant Resume
    Speech Pathologist Assistant Resume
    Speech Pathologist Assistant Resume
    Speech Pathologist Assistant Resume
    Speech Pathologist Assistant Resume
    Speech Pathologist Assistant Resume
    Speech Pathologist Assistant Resume
    Speech Pathologist Assistant Resume
    Speech Pathologist Assistant Resume
  6. Apply for speech pathologist assistant jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a speech pathologist 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 pathologist assistant job

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Average speech pathologist assistant salary

The average speech pathologist assistant salary in the United States is $58,474 per year or $28 per hour. Speech pathologist assistant salaries range between $38,000 and $88,000 per year.

Average speech pathologist assistant salary
$58,474 Yearly
$28.11 hourly

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How do speech pathologist assistants rate their job?

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Based on 1 ratings

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Speech pathologist assistant reviews

profile
5.0
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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