What do you do for a living?
I’m a speech pathologist.
How would you describe what you do?
I primarily work with the geriatric population helping people
I enjoy just talking with the patients. I love the elderly…I love hearing and laughing at their stories, that’s the best part.
had strokes, swallowing difficulties, or who have cognition impairments.
What does your work entail?
I usually work from 7 to 3. I work in a nursing home. I usually see anywhere from 7 to 10 patients a day. I see most of my patients in the morning, see some at meals. There’s lots of paperwork involved and lots of notes…that’s about it. It’s between 36 to 40 hours per week.
What do you like about what you do?
I enjoy just talking with the patients, I guess. I love the elderly so that helps out. I love hearing and laughing at their stories, that’s the best part.
What do you dislike?
The monotony. Everyday you kind of doing the same things, a lot of these patients have cognitive impairments, they don’t have any short term memory so every day is like Groundhog Day pretty much.
How do you make money/or how are you compensated?
I get paid on an hourly rate. I contract for various nursing homes but the nursing home doesn’t actually pay me. They pay my rehab company who pays me.
How much money do you make as a speech pathologist?
Probably around 60 to 70 thousand in a year.
What education or skills are needed to be a speech pathologist?
Generally you need about 4 years of undergrad plus two years of a grad school to get your Masters¦I don’t know about skills, you pretty much develop them all in college if there is such a skill.
What is most challenging about what you do?
I think Speech pathology is really diverse, there’s just a lot of areas to treat so it’s hard to be specialized. You need to be
Everyday you’re kind of doing the same things, a lot of these patients have cognitive impairments, they don’t have any short term memory so every day is like Groundhog Day pretty much.
and that’s why I’ve chosen the adult population but there’s just so many types of disorders and treatment, I almost feel like they should limit it more.
What is most rewarding?
The most rewarding part I think would be working with stroke patients and seeing a lot of them recover. Those who weren’t able to swallow at all or were on feeding tubes or those who couldn’t speak at all because of the stroke, it’s really rewarding when they are able to get some of those capabilities back.
What advice would you offer someone considering this career?
I would tell them to specialize at the beginning you know, to choose either adults or children. I know it is kind of hard to do that but if they could specialize I think it would make it easier for them in the long run. Just make sure that you are working with the right population, be it adults or children, and realize that there is going to be a little bit of monotony. There is probably more monotony with adults but either way¦try to be as creative as possible to make each day a little bit more¦livable.
How much time off do you get/take?
I get 6 paid holidays. My job is pretty flexible though if I want to work on Sunday for a Friday or a Saturday and take off one day during the week I can.
What is a common misconception people have about what you do?
People assume that Speech Pathologist only work with people who either stutter or have articulate problems and those are just sprinkles on the cake compared to what we really do.
Is there anything else you’d like people to know about what you do? No (laughs) I don’t think so, unless you need to ask me some more questions.
{ 21 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi! I’m not really sure how recent this article is, but I’m going to ask anyway….so, I am currently looking to pursue a career as a speech-language pathologist. You said that the worst things about your job as a speech pathologist is the “monotony.” Is this only because you work in a nursing home with older people? I was under the impression that the job requires a lot of creativity because each patient has different therapy needs. I also assumed that the typical work day would vary because of the diversity in patients and the nature of their problems…am I being idealistic? Or does the nature of the job vary depending on where you work? (I want to own my own practice.)
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Hi my name is Chelsea. How long did it take for you to get a job after graduating? What college did you attend? Did it have a specific program to help you get a job?
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My elderly neighbor claims her adult (but young) grand daughter with a Masters degree is making $350 an hour working as an independent Speech Pathologist in nursing homes and in schools for the mentally impaired. Is she crazy or could this kind of salary be true?. I am thinking of switching careers.
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I’m getting ready to apply for my freshman year of college and i am so excited to start speech language therapy! However i am sort of confused on how the whole thing works… Also would it be helpful to know American Sign Language or would that not e related in any way to this career?
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Hi girls!!! I am so sorry for leaving you all hanging!! I just now received notifications that I had comments!!! Let’s see if I can answer all your questions.
First because this made me laugh…Gail. I think that’s completely absurd and I do not believe anyone is making that much per hour. I would love to meet this person!! Realistically if she is doing private work I would expect no more than $125…and that’s a very highhhh number I have never seen
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Let me begin my rant by saying that I did this interview several years ago. I have changed from nursing homes to an outpatient clinic. We treat kids from birth to 21. I absolutely love my job and my coworkers. Let me clarify, I loveed the elderly. I still remain on the PRN list “as needed”. The nursing home can be very draining and full of pressure to meet quota. You don’t get a lot of social interaction from peers. I do get that interaction now in outpatient. The monotony that I described can apply to any job.
You spoke of creativity!! Yes!!! That Is an awesome quality to have…one that I don’t have an abundance of though
. The nursing home was more monotonous for me due to all of the dementia and Alzheimer’s patients. You don’t always get to see the progress that you do with kids. Keep that in mind. That was always a problem for me because I really wanted to fix and help everyone.
Ok…as far as schooling goes, I graduated from U of A in Arkansas with my under grad degree and went to grad school at UCA in Conway. Both are great programs and have already changed a lot since I graduated almost 7 years ago! With that said, if u are interested in joining the program you first need to talk to your academic
Advisor.
I think things have changed now and you have to get get accepted into the undergrad program which starts your junior year. I do think the program has gotten tougher due to an influx in students.
Lastly, I found my nursing home job within three months of graduating. All of my friends quickly found jobs as well. I didn’t have to use my school to help but I know they would have helped if I had asked. I relied on the phone book and just called al ot of places. There is a wonderful site called http://www.absolutelyhealthcare.com that you will find beneficial as well. I worked in the nursing home for a year and a half and finished my CFY and then took off as a travel therapist. It was a wonderful experience!! I would love to answer any of your questions as they arise!! I will make sure and stay connected to this site! I hope my words helped! It seems like a long overwhelming road but you can do it!! And its worth it in the end!!!!
Hello! First i’d like to thank you for your insight into the Speech and Language Pathology profession. I’d like to ask for your honest opinion regarding a few questions I have about this career. I am looking to begin studies to become a SLP. Being a male I was a little skeptical as to whether or not this would be a good career for me due to the very low rate of males in the profession. How do you feel about males in the SLP profession? Do you know any males that are currently in the profession? If so, do they also enjoy the SLP career? One of the greatest things about SLP in my opinion is the fact that you have the chance to actually make a difference in someone’s life. But, I also know that working directly with individuals can be very stressful at times. Do you feel this profession allows for you to have a nice balance of enjoyment and stress? Also, I hear that many SLP’s begin their careers in public schools and salaries are significantly lower than that of SLP’s working in outpatient clinics. Any truth to that? I plan to specialize in working with adults, hopefully in an outpatient setting. Do you feel career opportunities are better in one setting than another?
Ryan,
Great questions…now where to start!!?? OK, honestly there were only two males in my undergrad program and no males in my graduate program. I do know of some males in the profession; however, I don’t know them personally. Here’s my thought…if you really like the profession (and it sounds like you do), follow your heart and forget about statistics.
I now work primarily with kids and love the change. The nursing home and hospital envrionment can be very stressful and they push alot of patients and minutes on you. It can be very exhausting at times!! Plus, there were not a lot of younger co-workers to converse with….and I’m a people person!! So, changing to an outpatient clinic with children was a great decision for me. I love my co-workers and the children make me laugh alot!! Stress and enjoyment are pretty equally balanced and it has a lot to do with yourself as a person. Laughter helps alot!!
As far as people starting their career in the school system, I only know one or two of my fellow graduates that started in the schools. I do know that schools pay less…but you have to consider that you get so many breaks and holidays. If you do choose the schools, you can always PRN during your breaks or holidays to make some extra money.
I always wanted to work with adults and did so for many years. Things can change in your life though
Lastly, I think that there are plenty of career opportunities for SLPs. It honestly depends on what population you are interested in working with (ie–kids vs adults/geriatrics). Feel free to ask more questions. I hope I answered all of them thus far
Hello Jacklyn and thank you for your response! You’ve provided me with some great insight into the SLP profession. I really like your advice to “follow my heart and forget about the statistics”. Despite my great interest in the profession, I often ponder the fact that not only am I a male but I am a African-American male. My race honestly should not be a factor and I do not intend to turn my comments into a racial discussion, but I fear the possibility of facing some obstacles in my journey towards becoming a great SLP!!! ? So to take you up on your offer to answer a few more questions about the profession, I’d like to ask you some questions that have come to mind after reading your reply. Are there any reading materials, organizations (such as NSSLHA), or general pointers that you feel would be helpful to anyone interested in becoming a SLP? You also mentioned that you are now working with pediatrics instead of adults/geriatrics, did this change to an outpatient clinic affect your annual income? One of my goals is to earn a decent salary (65k-75k), but I know starting out my salary may be a lower. How long have you been a SLP and what was your starting salary when you entered the profession? Also, do you have any goals that you wish to accomplish in your career? Another one of my goals is to stay in the profession for as long as I can! ? I will most likely finish my undergrad and graduate degrees in about 5 years, so I’ve got plenty of time to do everything I can to prepare for the profession (and hopefully there will still be a strong need for SLP’s). Thanks so much again for your willingness to answer my questions! I apologize if I am long winded, it’s just the excitement I get from thinking about being a SLP! ?
Ryan,
I understand your concern with being a male and with race. I actually had an African American male teacher in grad school and worked with another in the hospital. So it can be done
Kudos to you for looking into reading materials so soon….I’m not sure I did that so early on 
The best articles are from ASHA. I also enjoy ADVANCE magazine. It is free and has some pretty interesting articles as well. I would recommend that you observe a few SLPs in a variety of settings. It might help you direct your focus.
I have been a SLP for almost 7 years (including my CFY). I started out in the nursing homes making around 28/hour during my CFY. I never got 40 hours a week though. Most PRN rates are around 50, give or take. You can make anywhere from 40-85,000 depending on your setting and hours. For instance contract pay is higher but you are responsible for insurance and taxes. Not a lot of outpatient clinics have benefits, but the pay might be higher. Most clinics in NWA pay between 40-60 an hour. Depending on your caseload you can make more or less money.
Goals??? Hmmm, that’s a good one. I co-own a business now with some other therapists so I guess I have achieved one thus far. I would love to be able to do travel therapy again one day. As far as educationally, I want to expand my knowledge about oral motor/feeding and sensory. Speech can be pretty broad sometimes and it’s hard to have a firm handle on every aspect!!
Hope this helps!! Feel free to continue to ask questions as they arise!
Thanks, Jacklyn! I appreciate all of the additional insight that you’ve provided me! I’ll post every now and then to let you know how my journey is going! Best wishes!
You are very welcome Ryan!! Good luck with all of your school! Hang in there!! It will be worth it!!! Stay in touch!!
Jacklyn
Hi Jacklyn,
Thank you so much for this info – I have been pondering going back to school/a job change lately, and have been thinking about speech therapy/pathology as something I would enjoy and that would also make me a better salary than I have at my current job. My main question is, what was your undergrad degree in? I have a B.A. in theatre, which obviously has no relevance. I’m wondering if I would need to start all over again and do 4 more years of undergrad and then 2 of grad school, or if I could maybe go right to grad school… or perhaps start again as undergrad but with a good deal of credits transferring. Thanks for your help!
Kate
Kate-
Jenn might know more about this since she is contemplating the same thing as you!! I’m pretty sure that a lot of your core credits will apply toward your undergraduate degree (mine is a bachelor of science in eduation). It will probably be a four year venture for you. Two years years in undergraduate and two years in graduate school. During graduate school you will obtain a LOT of hours in various clinical settings (adults/children, treatment/evaluation). Following graduation—YEA you will complete a 9-12 month clinical fellowship year (more of less depending on the amount of hours you work). You WILL get paid during your CFY; however, it might be at a reduced rate. You will be performing services under the supervision of a licensed SLP. I highly encourage you to get in touch with an academic advisor to ensure that your credits are able to be transfered and they should direct you more appropriately. There are endless job settings for SLPs once you graduate!! That’s what I love most about my degree. You can travel, do contract, schools, outpatient clinics, adults, hospitals, children, adults, NICU…..etc!! Good luck everyone!! I hope I have helped….if not, keep the quesitons coming
Jacklyn-Thanks for the detailed and very helpful information!!
Ryan-great questions, thanks.
Kate-I’m in the same boat but with a business major. From the research I started, I think you can take 32-35 credit hours of pre-reqs as a post-baccalaureate student. I’m looking for schools in Florida, I have no idea if this is standard throughout the US, but I think they are the standard courses. There are some online options as well for completing the pre-reqs before being accepted into a Master’s program. My plan looks like 1 year of pre-reqs and 2 years in the Master’s program…including all of your clinical hours (400).
•SPA 3030 Introduction to Hearing Sciences
•SPA 3112 Applied Phonetics in Communication Disorders
•SPA 3101 Anatomy and Physiology of the Speech and Hearing Mechanism
•SPA 3004 Introduction to Language Development and Disorders
•SPA 3011 Introduction to Speech Science
•SPA 3310 Introduction to Disorders of Hearing
•SPA 4104 Neuroanatomy
And I believe standard science and math courses as well for an additional 12 credit hours. I would guess that you can transfer credits from your undergrad for these “basic” courses if you took them (fingers crossed!)
HI! I am in a Florida Speech Pathology program and I did the previous degree thing, too. You can expect no less than 4 semesters of undergrad simply because of class sequencing, in other words, you need this class to take that clas, and that class to take the next class, so on so forth. UCF (go Knights!) offers an opportunity to begin your Masters while in your senior year of Undergrad work though.
I know U of F (gators) also has a good program.
Good Luck!
Hey Lori! I’m a Knight too! Would you be interested in answering some of my questions? I’m looking into UCF and USF (so hard for me to say as a Knight). I’m having such a tough time making a concrete decision. It would be great to talk with someone that’s been there and done it…esp ecially from UCF! Thanks.
jennb06@aol.com if you’re interested
Above, I don’t think I considered the CCC which is an additional 9 months working under another SLP but you are technically finished with your schooling.