What do they do?
Assist speech-language pathologists in the assessment and treatment of speech, language, voice, and fluency disorders. Implement speech and language programs or activities as planned and directed by speech-language pathologists. Monitor the use of alternative communication devices and systems.
Also known as:
Communication Assistant, Speech and Language Assistant, Speech Assistant, Speech Paraeducator, Speech Pathologist Assistant, Speech Pathology Assistant, Speech Therapy Assistant, Speech-Language Assistant, Speech-Language Pathologist Assistant (SLPA), Speech-Language Pathologists Assistant (SLPA), Speech-Language Pathology Assistant (SLPA), Speech-Language Technician
No Data Available
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1.4%
Change
Ranks #51 in job growth rate200Job Openings
Ranks #30 in net job growth
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- Some college, no degree (29%)
- High school diploma equivalent (28%)
- Bachelor's degree (17%)
- Associate's degree (14%)
- Master's degree (5%)
- Less than high school diploma (5%)
- Doctorate or Professional Degree (2%)
Most Popular Majors that prepare Speech-Language Pathology Assistants
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#1
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Degrees Granted
3,426
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Female Students
3,320
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Male Students
106
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Median Starting Salary
$37,800
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#2
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Degrees Granted
564
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Female Students
535
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Male Students
29
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Median Starting Salary
$37,800
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-
#3
-
Degrees Granted
405
-
Female Students
339
-
Male Students
66
-
Median Starting Salary
$38,300
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#4
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Degrees Granted
265
-
Female Students
247
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Male Students
18
-
Median Starting Salary
$37,800
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#5
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Degrees Granted
95
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Female Students
91
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Male Students
4
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Median Starting Salary
$38,300
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People in this career often have these skills:
- Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.
People in this career often know a lot about:
- English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
- Therapy and Counseling - Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
- Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
- Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
- Administrative - Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
People in this career often have talent in:
- Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
- Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
- Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
- Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
- Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
- Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
- Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
- Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
- Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
- Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
- Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
People in this career often do these activities:
- Maintain medical records.
- Implement therapeutic programs to improve patient functioning.
- Prepare medical reports or documents.
- Prepare medical instruments or equipment for use.
- Perform clerical work in medical settings.
- Develop patient therapy programs.
- Administer screening tests to determine abilities or treatment needs.
- Monitor medical equipment to ensure proper functioning.
- Teach medical procedures to healthcare personnel.
This page includes data from:
Career data: O*NET 28.3 Database
by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (“USDOL/ETA”). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA
Occupation statistics: USDOL U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics
Videos: CareerOneStop, USDOL/ETA and the Minnesota Department of Employment & Economic Development
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