Speech-Language Pathologists
Assess and treat persons with speech, language, voice, and fluency disorders. May select alternative communication systems and teach their use. May perform research related to speech and language problems.
Most important skills
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Social Perceptiveness
- Writing
- Speaking
- Learning Strategies
- Active Learning
Key knowledge
- English Language
- Education and Training
- Customer and Personal Service
- Psychology
- Therapy and Counseling
- Administrative
- Sociology and Anthropology
- Medicine and Dentistry
What the work involves
- Monitor patients' progress and adjust treatments accordingly.
- Administer hearing or speech and language evaluations, tests, or examinations to patients to collect information on type and degree of impairments, using written or oral tests or special instruments.
- Develop or implement treatment plans for problems such as stuttering, delayed language, swallowing disorders, or inappropriate pitch or harsh voice problems, based on own assessments and recommendations of physicians, psychologists, or social workers.
- Instruct clients in techniques for more effective communication, such as sign language, lip reading, or voice improvement.
- Teach clients to control or strengthen tongue, jaw, face muscles, or breathing mechanisms.
- Develop speech exercise programs to reduce disabilities.
- Consult with and advise educators or medical staff on speech or hearing topics, such as communication strategies or speech and language stimulation.
- Design, develop, or employ alternative diagnostic or communication devices or strategies.
Strongest interest areas (O*NET): Social, Investigative, Conventional.
Qualifications and licensing
- Most common education
- Master's Degree (88.5% of respondents)
- Related experience
- Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years (72.8%)
- On-the-job training
- Anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month (31.6%)
- Preparation level
- O*NET job zone 5: Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
- Licensing
- Not yet verified. Check your state licensing board.
Check before planning
- Licensing for Speech-Language Pathologists is not yet verified for any state: check the state licensing board before planning.
Limits
- Distributions show what current workers or occupational experts report, not legal minimums.
- Requirements vary by employer and state; time to qualify is not estimated.
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections · dataset 2026.10.8 · method e3-qualification-1.0.0
Work environment
How the typical conditions of this occupation compare with 911 occupations in O*NET (very low = the lowest fifth).
Levels are relative. Most occupations involve a lot of contact with people, for example, so “very low” can still mean regular contact; the last column shows what workers actually reported.
| Condition | Level | Compared with other occupations | Most common answer (O*NET survey) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contact with others | Very high | Higher on contact with others than 98% of occupations compared | 99% of surveyed respondents chose “Constant contact with others” |
| Dealing with the public | High | Higher on dealing with the public than 65% of occupations compared | 39% of surveyed respondents chose “Very important” |
| Teamwork | Very high | Higher on teamwork than 97% of occupations compared | 90% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely important” |
| Freedom to make decisions | Very high | Higher on freedom to make decisions than 88% of occupations compared | 61% of surveyed respondents chose “A lot of freedom” |
| Time pressure | Very high | Higher on time pressure than 94% of occupations compared | 59% of surveyed respondents chose “Every day” |
| Conflict situations | Moderate | Lower on conflict situations than 54% of occupations compared | 39% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a year or more but not every month” |
| Dealing with unpleasant or angry people | Moderate | Lower on dealing with unpleasant or angry people than 57% of occupations compared | 52% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a year or more but not every month” |
| Consequence of error | Moderate | Higher on consequence of error than 59% of occupations compared | 29% of surveyed respondents chose “Very serious” |
Work-pressure profile
- Time pressure: very high
- Conflict situations: moderate
- Dealing with unpleasant or angry people: moderate
- Consequence of error: moderate
Each part is shown on its own. There is no combined stress score, and conditions vary by employer and role.
Full answer distributions
Contact with others
- No contact with others: 0%
- Occasional contact with others: 0%
- Contact with others about half the time: 0%
- Contact with others most of the time: 0.52%
- Constant contact with others: 99.48%
n = 20, Incumbent 08/2022
Dealing with the public
- Not important at all: 10.71%
- Fairly important: 1.31%
- Important: 17.31%
- Very important: 38.51%
- Extremely important: 32.15%
n = 21, Incumbent 08/2022
Teamwork
- Not important at all: 0.23%
- Fairly important: 0%
- Important: 0.18%
- Very important: 9.5%
- Extremely important: 90.08%
n = 21, Incumbent 08/2022
Freedom to make decisions
- No freedom: 0%
- Very little freedom: 0%
- Limited freedom: 0.13%
- Some freedom: 39.07%
- A lot of freedom: 60.8%
n = 21, Incumbent 08/2022
Time pressure
- Never: 0%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 0%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 0.52%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 40.01%
- Every day: 59.47%
n = 21, Incumbent 08/2022
Conflict situations
- Never: 4.44%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 38.89%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 30.69%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 25.99%
- Every day: 0%
n = 21, Incumbent 08/2022
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people
- Never: 0.13%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 51.78%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 31.32%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 16.77%
- Every day: 0%
n = 21, Incumbent 08/2022
Consequence of error
- Not serious at all: 20.34%
- Fairly serious: 20.8%
- Serious: 4.58%
- Very serious: 28.96%
- Extremely serious: 25.32%
n = 21, Incumbent 08/2022
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O*NET-SOC 29-1127.00 · SOC 29-1127 (exact, high confidence) · dataset 2026.10.8