How to Make a Career Change to Speech Pathology

If you’re considering a career transition to speech pathology, get excited about challenging and creative work helping people in a job with high demand and good pay. Speech pathologists work in a number of settings with clients of all ages who have speech and communication disorders. It’s a flexible, fulfilling career for many people.

There are several reasons why speech pathology can be an excellent choice for a second career. The SLP industry is growing much faster than most, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics; it predicts a 15% increase in employment of speech-language pathologists (SLPs) from 2024-2034.

The BLS also reports SLPs earn a median annual wage of $95,410 in 2024. SLP salaries vary depending on the state and setting in which you work. In educational services, the 2024 annual mean wage for SLPs was $80,280, increasing to more than $106,500 in skilled nursing and residential care facilities, according to the BLS.

Speech pathologists work with people who have a wide range of communication disorders. Some of the issues SLPs help individuals with include:

Job responsibilities of SLPs may include evaluation, development of treatment plans, counseling and training, data collection, supervision of others, research, and provision of alternative communication systems for people who are nonverbal.

Speech pathologists work with individuals of all ages, according to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). When you make a career transition to speech pathology, you can also work in a variety of settings. According to the ASHA 2023 Health Care Survey and 2024 Schools Survey, SLPs continue to maintain a strong presence in hospitals, home health, and skilled nursing facilities, with a significant increase in private practice and multi-setting clinical work. In pediatrics, speech-language pathologists work with children who have challenges with speech sound disorders, fluency (stuttering), voice, receptive/expressive language, and swallowing.

 Modern SLPs also play a critical role in supporting neurodivergent individuals (such as those with Autism) and implementing Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) for non-speaking clients. Your professional environment can range from early intervention (Birth-to-Three) programs and public schools to acute care hospitals, private clinics, and permanent telepractice roles that allow for a fully remote career. For adults, the scope includes rehabilitation for aphasia, cognitive-communication disorders, and dysphagia (swallowing) following a stroke or TBI. Additionally, SLPs are increasingly involved in gender-affirming voice care and treating cognitive decline associated with dementia.

If you love working with children and find it easy to communicate with the adults in their lives—parents, teachers, administrators, and medical caregivers—then pediatrics may be your perfect fit. If patience or determination are your strengths, you might choose to work with stroke victims or those with traumatic brain injuries. If you have excellent writing or speaking skills, they will be valued in documenting your patients’ progress. If you’re entrepreneurial, becoming a private practice speech therapist may be the niche for your second career.

Part of the reason for the projected increase in speech-language pathology jobs—nearly 28,200 new jobs are expected from 2024 to 2034, according to the BLS—is the aging of the baby boomer generation, which will need later-in-life care. Furthermore, according to the 2024 ASHA Schools Survey and the 2023 SLP Health Care Survey, the gap between job openings and available clinicians has widened significantly.

 A striking 78.5% of school-based SLPs and over 50% of healthcare-based SLPs now report that job openings in their facilities exceed the number of qualified applicants. While the Pacific states (Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington) continue to show intense demand, this shortage has become a national trend, with the Northeast and Southern regions also reporting critical staffing needs.

In addition to facial gestures, speech is a huge tool we use to express ourselves. Not being able to speak correctly—or at all—affects everything about a person’s life. Speech therapists can make an incredible difference in the life of a child who feels self-conscious about their stuttering, a teen who has to relearn speech after a head injury or an adult who must recapture the speech motor skills after a surgery or stroke. If this interests you, it might be time to switch careers and enter the speech pathology field.

Making a career change may be a stressful journey and everyone’s path may not be the same, but we have gathered some helpful tips on how to make this process a bit easier.  

Each state licenses its speech-language pathologists. ASHA has a state-by-state summary of what you need to know about licensing, including requirements for SLPs and audiologists, teacher requirements, oversight organizations, and state contacts.

You’ll typically enter the profession with a master’s degree in speech-language pathology (a doctoral degree is also acceptable for certification, but the master’s is the standard entry pathway). You’ll complete a supervised clinical practicum during graduate school (minimum 400 hours) and then complete a post-graduate Clinical Fellowship. Before you can enroll in a speech pathology master’s program, you’ll need to complete a bachelor’s degree and any necessary prerequisite courses. Additionally, ASHA offers the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP), a nationally recognized credential. 

To gain CCC-SLP certification, candidates must have a master’s or doctoral degree, meet minimums of graduate semester credit hours and clinical experience, and complete a successful clinical fellowship. You’ll also need to pass the Praxis Speech-Language Pathology exam (test code 5331); ASHA’s current passing score for certification purposes is 162. Assess your current education and identify any gaps that may need to be filled to make this mid-career change, and the state in which you intend to practice.

There are 300+ CAA-accredited and candidate graduate programs/institutions in speech-language pathology and related communication sciences and disorders listed through ASHA’s program directories (with offerings that include on-campus, hybrid, and online options). Because accreditation status changes over time, it’s best to confirm the current list using ASHA’s CAA Program Listing or EdFind. 

Our “Choosing the Right Speech Pathology Program” page tells you about schools’ part-time or online options, bilingual or multicultural programs, minimum GPA and test score requirements (if any), and (when programs report it) application and admissions data, including the number of applications received and offers made, which are available in the program’s EdFind profile.

State licensure rules vary, but most states require a period of post-graduate supervised practice (often aligned with ASHA’s Clinical Fellowship requirements) before you can practice independently. Always confirm requirements with the licensing board in the state where you plan to work. Research your state’s requirements to confirm. To qualify for ASHA certification (CCC-SLP), you must complete ASHA’s Clinical Fellowship (CF) experience. ASHA’s CF requirement is a minimum of 36 weeks and 1,260 hours. 

You must work at least 5 hours per week for weeks to count toward the 36-week minimum, and working more than 35 hours/week does not shorten the 36-week requirement. A minimum of 80% of the CF experience must be spent in direct clinical contact, and the CF is completed across three segments (each at least 12 weeks) to support structured mentorship and skill development. Your CF mentor provides structured feedback and verifies required hours/segments. Mentors must complete mentorship activities in each segment, including at least 6 hours of direct observation and 6 hours of indirect supervision/other mentorship activities per segment (18 + 18 hours across three segments).

To successfully make a career transition to speech pathology, you must pass national exams to get licensed. You can take these exams during your clinical fellowship year or first year of postgraduate experience. ASHA’s certification passing score is 162; many states align with this, but you must confirm your state’s required score with its licensing board. ASHA accepts a passing score at or above 162; that’s also the minimum passing score most states require for licensure. 

Once you’re licensed, you’ll have to satisfy your state’s continuing education requirements. Each state has different requirements, but renewal periods are typically every two or three years.

Speech therapy isn’t something you can get experience in before you’re qualified, so it may be hard to know how you’ll feel about the work until you’ve completed your education and start your clinical fellowship. However, there are many skills that will aid you in a career transition to speech pathology. Understanding how these skills apply may shed light on how you’ll enjoy working in the field. 

According to the BLS, here are some important qualities of speech therapists:

If you’re thinking of making a mid-career change to speech pathology, there are associations, websites and blogs that offer information and insight. 

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association: ASHA is the national credentialing and professional organization for speech pathologists. The website includes news, conferences, events and continuing education opportunities.

American Academy of Private Practice in Speech Pathology and Audiology: A professional organization dedicated to helping speech pathologists in private practice.

International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication: A society for those working with individuals who are unable to communicate using natural speech. Its website includes news, webinars, conference information and links to published material.

National Black Association for Speech-Language and Hearing: An organization that supports and promotes Black speech pathologists, while focusing research efforts around Black people with speech disorders.

National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders: Part of the National Institutes of Health, this website includes news, infographics, and research related to voice, speech and language disorders, and clinical study information.

Speech and Language for Kids: A website filled with free games, worksheets, flash cards, tips and home practice programs created by speech therapist Carrie Clark. It also includes eBooks and continuing education webinars for credit.

Speech2Teach: This website offers printable materials, including teaching exercises, bulletin board displays, speech and articulation cards, and communication tools for parents. Most items cost $2 to $4.

Speed Techies: Created by speech therapist Sean J. Sweeney, this site focuses on “simple and interactive technologies you can use in language lessons and interventions.” It includes interactive websites, useful apps (available in a non-editable Google Doc), videos and professional development resources.

Teach.com’s 2020 Speech Pathologist Resource Guide: An extensive collection of professional development resources, speech therapy blogs, useful books, websites and apps for speech pathologists and students.

Information last updated February 2026

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