What Is the Salary Range for a Speech Pathologist?

Experience

A speech pathologist's work experience helped determine her rate of pay as of November 2010, reports Payscale. Those just entering the field with less than one year of experience earned an average of $39,640 to $50,860 per year. With one to four years' experience, the annual average salary range rose to $41,846 to $58,142. Speech pathologists who had five to nine years' experience made an average of $46,624 to $62,542 annually. With 20 years' experience or more, professionals in the field received average annual salaries of $54,478 to $75,050.

Speech-language pathology salaries differed based on employer type and industry as of May 2009, according to the BLS. The largest employers of speech pathologists, elementary and secondary schools, paid an average of $62,860 per year. General hospitals featured average annual salaries of $72,030, while nursing homes paid an average of $80,500. Speech pathologists who worked for medical and diagnostic laboratories received the highest average annual salaries at $130,640. Home health care services also offered high average rates of pay at $87,820 annually.

Differences in specialties among speech pathologists accounted for variations in salaries as of November 2010, reports Payscale. Those who specialized in geriatrics or working with the elderly were among the highest paid, earning an average of $52,925 to $68,899 per year. Pediatric speech pathologists, who work with children and adolescents, averaged $48,863 to $64,346 annually. Those who focused on Spanish language speech pathology received average annual salaries of $44,219 to $66,054.

A speech pathologist's geographic location also affected his average salary range as of May 2009, according to the BLS. West Virginia featured the highest concentration of speech pathologists. Professionals working in the state averaged annual salaries of $49,370. At an annual average of $96,160, speech pathologists in Nevada earned the highest wages. Other high-paying states for speech pathologists in terms of average annual salaries included Colorado at $78,680, California at $80,480, Maryland at $80,860 and Alaska at $81,250.