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The differences between speech pathologists and school psychologists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a speech pathologist and a school psychologist. Additionally, a school psychologist has an average salary of $78,431, which is higher than the $62,640 average annual salary of a speech pathologist.
The top three skills for a speech pathologist include patients, language and speech. The most important skills for a school psychologist are professional development, mental health, and psychological services.
| Speech Pathologist | School Psychologist | |
| Yearly salary | $62,640 | $78,431 |
| Hourly rate | $30.12 | $37.71 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 14% |
| Number of jobs | 22,779 | 25,457 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Average age | 40 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
The job of speech pathologists is to diagnose, treat, and prevent speech, social communication, language, swallowing, and cognitive-communication disorders in both children and adults. They are responsible for providing aural rehabilitation for people with hearing impairment and hearing loss, and alternative and augmentative systems for people with severe language comprehension disorders such as progressive neurological disorders and the autism spectrum. Speech pathologists may also work with individuals without language, swallowing, or speech disorders, but are eager to know how to communicate more effectively.
School psychologists are knowledgeable professionals whose responsibilities include identifying, addressing, and overcoming the educational and behavioral needs of school-aged children. They generally work in schools and focus their observations on children and youth who often face issues related to education, social relationships, decision-making, as well as managing emotions. They help families, counselors, and members of the community understand and solve these issues the children may encounter. Additionally, they provide comprehensive psychological services to help students achieve academic, behavioral, social, and emotional success.
Speech pathologists and school psychologists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Speech Pathologist | School Psychologist | |
| Average salary | $62,640 | $78,431 |
| Salary range | Between $43,000 And $89,000 | Between $55,000 And $110,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | California |
| Best paying company | Mayo Clinic | CORA Services |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Education |
There are a few differences between a speech pathologist and a school psychologist in terms of educational background:
| Speech Pathologist | School Psychologist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Most common major | Communication Disorders Sciences | Psychology |
| Most common college | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between speech pathologists' and school psychologists' demographics:
| Speech Pathologist | School Psychologist | |
| Average age | 40 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 11.9% Female, 88.1% | Male, 26.8% Female, 73.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.9% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 4.5% White, 77.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 3.4% Hispanic or Latino, 10.4% Asian, 3.3% White, 76.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 12% |