Speech pathologist demographics and statistics in the US
Speech pathologist demographics research summary. Zippia estimates speech pathologist demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our speech 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 pathologists after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 117,056 speech pathologists currently employed in the United States.
- 88.1% of all speech pathologists are women, while 11.9% are men.
- The average speech pathologist age is 39 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of speech pathologists is White (77.0%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (9.5%), Black or African American (4.9%) and Asian (4.5%).
- Speech pathologists are most in-demand in New York, NY.
- The health care industry is the highest-paying for speech pathologists.
- 6% of all speech pathologists are LGBT.
On this page
Speech pathologist demographics by:
Speech pathologist gender statistics
88.1% of speech pathologists are women and 11.9% of speech pathologists are men.
- Female, 88.1%
- Male, 11.9%
Speech pathologist gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 88.1% |
| Male | 11.9% |
Speech pathologist gender pay gap
Women earn 87¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$58,914
Female income
$51,480
Speech pathologist gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in speech pathologist positions over time. Currently, 88.1% of speech pathologists are female.
Speech pathologist gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 12.75% | 87.25% |
| 2011 | 11.26% | 88.74% |
| 2012 | 8.37% | 91.63% |
| 2013 | 10.26% | 89.74% |
| 2014 | 7.70% | 92.30% |
| 2015 | 11.93% | 88.07% |
| 2016 | 11.84% | 88.16% |
| 2017 | 13.67% | 86.33% |
| 2018 | 10.84% | 89.16% |
| 2019 | 12.16% | 87.84% |
| 2020 | 11.87% | 88.13% |
| 2021 | 11.93% | 88.07% |
Speech pathologist related jobs gender ratio
We compared speech 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 Pathologist | 12% | 88% |
| 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 pathologist demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among speech pathologists is White, which makes up 77.0% of all speech pathologists. Comparatively, 9.5% of speech pathologists are Hispanic or Latino and 4.9% of speech pathologists are Black or African American.
- White, 77.0%
- Hispanic or Latino, 9.5%
- Black or African American, 4.9%
- Asian, 4.5%
- Unknown, 3.8%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
Speech pathologist race
| Speech pathologist race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 77.0% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 9.5% |
| Black or African American | 4.9% |
| Asian | 4.5% |
| Unknown | 3.8% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.3% |
Speech pathologist race and ethnicity over time
See how speech pathologist racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Speech pathologist race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 84.52% | 5.15% | 2.62% | 6.22% |
| 2011 | 82.50% | 5.06% | 2.77% | 7.96% |
| 2012 | 83.50% | 4.37% | 2.95% | 7.59% |
| 2013 | 83.54% | 4.53% | 2.44% | 7.99% |
| 2014 | 83.33% | 4.97% | 3.16% | 7.21% |
| 2015 | 83.75% | 4.60% | 2.59% | 7.75% |
| 2016 | 81.97% | 4.56% | 3.35% | 8.98% |
| 2017 | 82.65% | 4.10% | 2.66% | 9.37% |
| 2018 | 80.81% | 4.35% | 3.10% | 9.46% |
| 2019 | 82.75% | 4.18% | 3.35% | 8.15% |
| 2020 | 79.85% | 4.39% | 3.12% | 9.37% |
| 2021 | 77.00% | 4.85% | 4.49% | 9.53% |
Speech pathologist wage gap by race
According to our data, asian speech pathologists have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. White speech pathologists have the lowest average salary at $57,630.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $58,320 |
| White | $57,630 |
| Black or African American | $59,837 |
| Asian | $60,305 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $58,521 |
Average speech pathologist age
See how the average age of speech pathologists varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Speech 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 pathologist age breakdown
The average age of speech pathologists is 40+ years years old, representing 45% of the speech pathologist population.
Speech pathologist age breakdown
| Speech Pathologist Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 45% |
| 30-40 years | 35% |
| 20-30 years | 20% |
Speech pathologist educational attainment
The most common degree for speech pathologists is bachelor's degree, with 54% of speech pathologists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 43% and master's degree degree at 1%.
- Bachelor's, 54%
- Master's, 43%
- Associate, 1%
- Diploma, 1%
- Other Degrees, 1%
Speech pathologists by degree level
| Speech pathologist degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 54% |
| Master's | 43% |
| Associate | 1% |
| Diploma | 1% |
| Other Degrees | 1% |
Speech pathologist jobs you might like
Speech pathologist wage gap by degree level
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $75,082 |
| Doctorate Degree | $71,406 |
Speech pathologist employment statistics
Most speech pathologists work for a private in the health care industry.
Company size where speech pathologists work
Below, you can see the size of companies where speech pathologists work.
Speech pathologist jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 7% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 16% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 27% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 7% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 31% |
| > 10,000 employees | 14% |
Speech pathologist jobs by company type
Employees with the speech pathologist job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most speech pathologists prefer to work at private companies over education companies.
Speech pathologist jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 37% |
| Public | 4% |
| Private | 56% |
| Government | 4% |
Speech pathologist jobs by industry
The most common industries for speech pathologists are health care, education and professional.
Speech pathologist industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Health Care | 45% |
| Education | 32% |
| Professional | 6% |
| Non Profits | 5% |
| Government | 3% |
| Media | 2% |
| Retail | 1% |
| Transportation | 1% |
| Finance | 1% |
| Manufacturing | 1% |
| Fortune 500 | 1% |
| Hospitality | 1% |
| Technology | 1% |
Speech pathologist turnover and employment statistics
Speech pathologist unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for speech pathologists between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Speech pathologist unemployment rate by year
| Year | Speech 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 pathologist tenure
The average speech pathologist stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 2,878 speech pathologists resumes in Zippia's database.
Speech pathologist tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 21% |
| 1-2 years | 32% |
| 3-4 years | 13% |
| 5-7 years | 13% |
| 8-10 years | 6% |
| 11+ years | 14% |
Speech pathologist LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of speech 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 Pathologist | 5.69% | - |
| Baby Doctor | 9.88% | 1,178 |
| Cardiothoracic Anesthesia Technician | 11.62% | 6,831 |
| Clinical Coordinator, Heart Failure Cardiac Rehabilitation | 13.00% | 64,523 |
| Hospitalist Physician | 13.05% | 40,597 |
| Eye Clinic Manager | 17.57% | 15,789 |
| Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist | 31.64% | 189,889 |
Similar speech pathologist jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Baby Doctor | 9.88% | 1,178 |
| Cardiothoracic Anesthesia Technician | 11.62% | 6,831 |
| Clinical Coordinator, Heart Failure Cardiac Rehabilitation | 13.00% | 64,523 |
| Hospitalist Physician | 13.05% | 40,597 |
| Eye Clinic Manager | 17.57% | 15,789 |
| Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist | 31.64% | 189,889 |
Foreign languages spoken by speech pathologists
The most common foreign language among speech pathologists is Spanish at 48.9%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is Russian at 8.0% and French is the third-most popular at 8.0%.
- Spanish, 48.9%
- Russian, 8.0%
- French, 8.0%
- Arabic, 4.5%
- German, 3.4%
- Other, 27.2%
Speech pathologist languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 48.9% |
| Russian | 8.0% |
| French | 8.0% |
| Arabic | 4.5% |
| German | 3.4% |
| Other | 27.2% |
