Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists

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Speech-language pathologists and audiologists help people who have speech and hearing disorders. They identify the problem and use tests to further evaluate it. Speech-language pathologists, who are also called speech therapists, try to improve the speech and language skills of clients with communications disorders. Audiologists perform tests to measure the hearing ability of clients, who may range in age from the very young to the very old. Since it is not uncommon for clients to require assistance for both speech and hearing, pathologists and audiologists may frequently work together to help clients. Some professionals decide to combine these jobs into one, working as speech-language pathologists or audiologists. Audiologists and speech-language pathologists may work for school systems, in private practice, and at clinics and other medical facilities. Other employment possibilities for these professionals include teaching at universities, and conducting research on what causes certain speech and hearing disorders. There are approximately 135,400 speech-language pathologists and 13,200 audiologists employed in the United States.

Salary Range

$25,000 to $100,000+

Minimum Education Level

Master's Degree

Certification/License

Required

Outlook

Faster than the Average

Personality Traits

Helpful

Scientific

Technical

Career Ladder

Researcher, or Professor, or Administrator

Speech-Language Pathologist/Audiologist

Speech-Language Pathology/Audiology Student