The Average Income for Speech Language Pathologists in Springfield, Missouri

Speech therapists often work with family members and show them communication-enhancing techniques.

Speech-language pathologists (SLP) work to resolve communication and swallowing problems in children and adults caused by brain injury, developmental delays, cleft palate, voice pathology or hearing impairment. According to the Occupational Employment Statistics report, in May 2009, there were 110 speech-language pathologists employed in Springfield, Missouri. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the average salary of speech-language pathologists in Springfield was lower than the national average. In 2009, speech-language pathologists in Springfield earned about $60,000 per year.

Average Salary

According to the May 2009 Occupational Employment Statistics report, speech-language pathologists in Springfield made an average, or mean, wage of $28.74 per hour, which annualized comes out to $59,780. In comparison, the mean annual salary for the state of Missouri was $29.45, or $61,250.

Wage Range

The best-paid 10 percent of speech-language pathologists in Springfield made on average $39.34 an hour, equivalent to $81,820 annually. The lowest-paid 10 percent made $17.54 or approximately $36,500 per year. The median wage for speech-language pathologists in Springfield was $30.01 per hour or $62,420 a year.

City Comparison

Springfield was the fifth-highest-paying metropolitan area in Missouri. The three top-paying metropolitan areas in the state were St. Joseph, St. Louis and Kansas City. SLPs working in St. Joseph averaged $30.86 per hour or about $64,000 per year; in St. Louis they averaged $30.73 per hour or $63,920 annually; and in Kansas City they earned $29.09 per hour or $60,360 annually. The lowest-paid speech-language pathologists worked in Joplin and earned an average wage of $21.40 per hour or $44,520 annually.

National Comparison

According to 2009 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the national average for this occupation was $32.86 per hour or $68,350 per year. The highest-paying state was Nevada with an average hourly wage of $46.23 or $96,160 a year. The second- and third-highest-paying states were Alaska and Maryland, with average annual salaries for this occupation of $81,250 and $80,860, respectively. The metropolitan areas with the highest wages in the nation for this profession were Las Vegas-Paradise, Nevada; Fresno, California; and Gary, Indiana. Speech-language pathologists in the Las Vegas-Paradise metropolitan area earned an average of $53.57 per hour or $111,430 per year; in Fresno they earned an average wage of $46.95 per hour or $97,650 annually; and in Gary they earned an average wage of $46.86 an hour or $97,470 a year.

References

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition, Speech-Language Pathologists
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2009. Speech-Language Pathologists