What Can You Do With a Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology?

When people think about the job of a speech-language pathologist, classrooms and hospital corridors often come to mind. While those settings are pillars of the profession, they represent only a fraction of the environments where communication experts operate.

Communication is a fundamental human requirement that underpins education, health, and social stability. Because communication can break down in nearly any context—from the playground to the boardroom—professionals trained to assess and restore it are needed across a diverse array of industries.

Understanding the versatility of an MS in speech-language pathology requires looking past traditional labels to see how clinical expertise translates into emerging roles in technology, business, and specialized care.

Education and healthcare remain the primary employers for SLPs, largely because communication disorders often manifest during developmental milestones or following acute medical events. If you’re weighing these workplaces, our deeper comparison of medical vs. school-based SLP roles can help clarify which aligns best with your goals.

In schools and early intervention programs, SLPs primarily support infants through young adults whose speech or literacy affects their ability to participate in the classroom. This role often emphasizes Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), and collaboration with educators to support learning outcomes.

School-based SLPs are critical in early intervention, particularly for speech and sound disorders and social communication challenges. Literacy development is also a focus, because of its close ties to language skills. This role requires strong clinical judgment alongside communication and advocacy skills.

In 2024, the median academic-year salary for school-based SLPs employed as clinical service providers was $74,000, according to the ASHA 2024 Schools Survey (PDF, 2.2 MB). Those in urban and suburban areas and secondary schools generally reported higher earnings.

Clinicians in healthcare settings, including acute care hospitals and skilled nursing facilities, work with patients across the lifespan. Care is often driven by injury or illness, such as a traumatic brain injury or degenerative neurological condition.

Dysphagia (swallowing) management is a critical component of medical speech pathology, as it directly affects patient safety and nutrition. A healthcare-based job in speech pathology is typically faster-paced and medically complex, requiring close collaboration with physicians, nurses, and other therapists.

In 2025, the median annual salary for full-time SLPs in healthcare who were primarily clinical service providers was $85,900, according to ASHA’s 2025 Healthcare Survey (PDF, 494 KB). Among facility types, skilled nursing facilities reported some of the highest median salaries at $105,500.

For those looking to apply their degree in non-traditional ways, the following paths offer opportunities for increased autonomy, travel, or corporate influence.

Owning a practice allows for total clinical and administrative control. Owners can niche down into specialized areas like gender-affirming voice care or intensive stuttering programs. You also decide how services are delivered, from intensive programs to hybrid models that better fit busy families. Income varies widely because revenue depends on reimbursement, client volume, overhead, and whether you employ other clinicians.

Some SLPs may also pursue work as an independent contractor, either on a part-time basis to supplement their income or to eventually transition to full-time private practice.

This path shifts the focus from rehabilitation to “communication enhancement.” Corporate SLPs work with professionals to improve presentation skills, executive presence, and professional clarity. Pay is often structured as consulting or contract work, so it can scale with reputation and niche expertise.

Telepractice has evolved from a niche service to a mainstream necessity, particularly for rural or underserved populations. It can expand jobs in speech pathology by connecting clinicians to rural communities and underserved regions. The pay for this career path often depends on the employment model, caseload expectations, and payer mix.

Travel contracts are ideal for clinicians seeking a change of scenery and higher immediate take-home pay. Assignments are often advertised in 13-week blocks, with roles across settings that can include schools, acute care, rehab, and home health. Compensation is typically quoted weekly and may include stipends affecting take-home pay.

For those passionate about evidence-based practice, academia offers a route to influence the next generation of clinicians. This path involves teaching, clinical supervision, and conducting research to improve patient outcomes. Salaries are highly dependent on the institution’s rank and whether the position is a 9-month or 12-month appointment.

Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and therapy software companies value SLPs because they can serve as a bridge between engineering and the end-user. Roles often sit in sales, customer success, clinical education, or product support, where the job is to guide evaluations and surface feedback to improve outcomes. Pay varies by function; Representatives selling technical and scientific products, which includes medical and assistive technology sales, earned a median annual wage of $100,070 in 2024, according to the BLS.

Transitioning into corporate training involves building learning programs rather than treatment plans. SLPs build learning programs so teams communicate with more clarity, empathy, and intent. That can look like workshops for new managers, practical training for client-facing roles, or communication support embedded into leadership development and culture initiatives. Training and development managers earned a median annual wage of $127,090 in 2024, according to the BLS.

SLPs are often defined by their setting, but the more meaningful lens is the people they serve. Caseloads can span early feeding and language development through adult neurologic recovery and aging-related change.

In the earliest years, SLPs may support feeding and swallowing, early speech and language, and the social communication foundations that shape later learning. Pediatric feeding disorder, which affects 1 in 37 children under age five, according to ASHA, can also drive referrals.

Early language delays and autism-related communication needs are also suited for treatment by SLPs. CDC found that 1 in 36 eight-year-old children identified with autism spectrum disorder, up from prior estimates, which amplifies the need for early, family-centered intervention.

For school-age children, the work is often both clinical and functional, with goals tied to peer relationships and literacy. Common needs include articulation errors, language processing weaknesses, social communication challenges, and fluency differences—all of which can affect confidence and academic access. Developmental language disorder affects about 7%, or roughly 1 in 14 children, according to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.

In adult practice, the job of a speech-language pathologist is often to support those rebuilding communication and swallowing function after neurologic events. Stroke remains a major driver: 795,000 people in the U.S. have a stroke each year, according to the CDC.

With older populations, communication support can be deeply relational, especially when memory changes affect word-finding and everyday connection. Swallowing is also a critical focus; Dysphagia affects between 10% to 33% of older adults, according to Mayo Clinic research.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment for speech-language pathologists to grow 15% between 2024 and 2034, much faster than the average for all occupations. They also estimate about 13,300 openings per year, on average, over the decade.

However, the value of the degree extends beyond sheer volume. Unlike specialized roles confined to a single industry, the demand for SLPs is distributed across schools, acute care, long-term rehabilitation, and corporate consulting. This diversification acts as a hedge against economic shifts in any one sector and offers clinicians the “levers” necessary to pivot their career as their personal priorities or interests evolve.

An SLP career is both purposeful and practical, because it’s grounded in human connection and real impact. If your goal is to make a difference while building a resilient professional life, a master’s degree is the first step.

The Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology from Pepperdine blends evidence-based academic study with meaningful clinical experience. The program offers flexible full-time and part-time pacing, 400 supervised clinical hours, and three onsite experiences that deepen your competence to lead in practice. Graduates are equipped for licensure, eligible for ASHA-certification pathways, and ready to serve diverse communities.

• Can SLPs Work From Home?

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  Yes. Many SLPs work from home through telepractice. Remote roles are common in schools, private practices, and healthcare organizations serving rural or underserved populations. Work-from-home roles can offer flexible schedules and broader geographic reach, though they require strong self-management skills, reliable technology, and comfort building rapport through a screen.

•  Can I Switch Settings Later in My Career?

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  Yes. Clinicians often move between schools, healthcare, and private practice as interests or life circumstances change. Core competencies transfer well across environments, although additional training or supervised experience may be necessary.

• What Is the Highest-Paying SLP Setting?

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  Pay varies by region, experience, and role, but healthcare is associated with the highest average earnings. According to BLS data, SLPs who work in nursing and residential care facilities earn a median annual salary of $106,500. Seniority, specialized expertise, and leadership responsibilities can lift compensation anywhere, and contract-based work can sometimes outpace permanent roles depending on location and demand. Read our full analysis in our SLP salary guide.

• Will SLPs Be Replaced by AI?

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  AI technology can assist with documentation, practice activities, and data-tracking, but it cannot replicate clinical judgment, ethical decision-making, or human connection of SLPs. Speech-language pathology relies on nuanced assessment and relationship-based care, which will always require professional expertise.