Speech teacher vs speech therapist

The differences between speech teachers and speech therapists 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 teacher and a speech therapist. Additionally, a speech therapist has an average salary of $70,411, which is higher than the $57,086 average annual salary of a speech teacher.

The top three skills for a speech teacher include language, IEP and curriculum development. The most important skills for a speech therapist are patients, home health, and rehabilitation.

Speech teacher vs speech therapist overview

	Speech Teacher	Speech Therapist
Yearly salary	$57,086	$70,411
Hourly rate	$27.45	$33.85
Growth rate	5%	21%
Number of jobs	75,550	57,509
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 73%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Average age	43	40
Years of experience	2	2

Speech teacher vs speech therapist salary

Speech teachers and speech therapists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Speech Teacher	Speech Therapist
Average salary	$57,086	$70,411
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $98,000	Between $52,000 And $93,000
Highest paying City	Islandia, NY	Richmond, CA
Highest paying state	Maryland	California
Best paying company	West Contra Costa Unified School District	Ohio's Hospice of Dayton
Best paying industry	Education	Professional

Differences between speech teacher and speech therapist education

There are a few differences between a speech teacher and a speech therapist in terms of educational background:

	Speech Teacher	Speech Therapist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 73%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Most common major	Communication Disorders Sciences	Communication Disorders Sciences
Most common college	Harvard University	Northwestern University

Speech teacher vs speech therapist demographics

Here are the differences between speech teachers' and speech therapists' demographics:

	Speech Teacher	Speech Therapist
Average age	43	40
Gender ratio	Male, 21.0% Female, 79.0%	Male, 9.0% Female, 91.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.1% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.8% Asian, 3.6% White, 72.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 4.9% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 4.5% White, 76.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	12%	6%

Differences between speech teacher and speech therapist duties and responsibilities

Speech teacher example responsibilities.

Lead individualized and group therapy for elementary school children with language delays and articulation disorders.
Sound, lights and costumes.
Utilize principles of apply behavior analysis (ABA).
Direct annual talent show, fall drama, and spring musicals.
Help assist in a classroom for children with autism spectrum disorders.
Design PowerPoint presentation for workshop; rubric for evaluation of school plans.

Speech therapist example responsibilities.

Conduct individual and group therapy with individuals diagnose with speech and language impairment, learning disabilities, and autism spectrum disorder.
Conduct IEP meetings and provide documentation for Medicaid billing.
Provide services to children with developmental delay and autism.
Graduate student supervisor, and supervisor for CFY's.
Work under the supervision of an ASHA's certify SLP.
Instruct children in the proper use of assistive devices such as hearing aides.

Speech teacher vs speech therapist skills

Common speech teacher skills

Language, 24%
IEP, 8%
Curriculum Development, 7%
Classroom Management, 6%
Student Learning, 5%
Language Evaluations, 3%

Common speech therapist skills

Patients, 29%
Home Health, 25%
Rehabilitation, 8%
Acute Care, 7%
Asha, 5%
Treatment Programs, 4%

Speech Teacher vs. similar jobs

Speech Teacher related careers

Speech Teacher related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Education, Training, and Library Industry
Speech Teacher
Speech Teacher vs Speech Therapist

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse education, training, and library jobs