4 answers
Skylar
Student
Rock Hill, South Carolina
1
Question
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Speech Pathologist?
For speech pathologists do you choose your own hours? Are you able to have a big family and still have time for everything? What is the salary? What is your day to day schedule?
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4 answers
Briana Pelle, MS, CCC-SLP
Speech language pathology
149
Answers
Nashville, Tennessee
Updated
Briana’s Answer
This is difficult to answer because it's such an expansive field. For example, school SLPs have a very set work schedule and get paid a set wage, but they don't choose their case loads (schools tend to have very large case loads) and the pay is typically not as good as working in medical locations or private practice. Working in hospitals, nursing homes, and in-patient rehab often pays much better and has a much more open schedule throughout the day, but there is less guidance and a lot of working off the clock.
I've personally worked in out patient pediatrics and in adult home health rehab. Home health is definitely the most flexible in terms of choosing my case load and hours worked, but it has less guidance and entails a good amount of driving. Pediatric out patient tends to have large case loads, and it really depends on where you work how flexible that case load and schedule is.
Post-COVID, teletherapy has seen a boom. But I don't typically recommend teletherapy companies because they pay far below a fair wage for the skilled labor for bring to the table. It can be good for extra cash, however, and allows you to treat people in other states if you have the license, which opens up your schedule significantly.
Many SLPs work PRN (as needed), to allow for more flexibility with their schedules as well. For example, a school SLP who is off for the summer can work PRN at a hospital. These are contract jobs that typically pay per hour or per visit.
I work part time in outpatient peds private practice and PRN for home health, and I have a very flexible schedule. I typically work ~20 hours a week between these two positions, and make ~75k per year.
The good thing about an SLP graduate degree is that it opens the door to working in a large variety of settings without needing to go down a "speciality" track while you are in Grad school. You can focus on the fundamentals, then talk with your supervisor about which setting best suits your career goals.
I've personally worked in out patient pediatrics and in adult home health rehab. Home health is definitely the most flexible in terms of choosing my case load and hours worked, but it has less guidance and entails a good amount of driving. Pediatric out patient tends to have large case loads, and it really depends on where you work how flexible that case load and schedule is.
Post-COVID, teletherapy has seen a boom. But I don't typically recommend teletherapy companies because they pay far below a fair wage for the skilled labor for bring to the table. It can be good for extra cash, however, and allows you to treat people in other states if you have the license, which opens up your schedule significantly.
Many SLPs work PRN (as needed), to allow for more flexibility with their schedules as well. For example, a school SLP who is off for the summer can work PRN at a hospital. These are contract jobs that typically pay per hour or per visit.
I work part time in outpatient peds private practice and PRN for home health, and I have a very flexible schedule. I typically work ~20 hours a week between these two positions, and make ~75k per year.
The good thing about an SLP graduate degree is that it opens the door to working in a large variety of settings without needing to go down a "speciality" track while you are in Grad school. You can focus on the fundamentals, then talk with your supervisor about which setting best suits your career goals.
Kylie Dunne-Platero
Speech-Language Pathology
4
Answers
Columbus, Georgia
Updated
Kylie’s Answer
Hi Skylar! I agree with everything Gretchen shared here. A little more on salaries: here is a resource from the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association (ASHA), which gives some average numbers for different settings and schedules: https://www.asha.org/siteassets/surveys/2019-slp-hc-survey-annual-salaries.pdf. I have also found that pay really varies by location. For example, I have been offered a lot more money in more rural locations (where I'm competing against fewer candidates for the same job) than I have when I've lived in areas where there a lot of other SLPs.
Finding balance between your work and your life is so important. Like in any profession, you will encounter SLPs who feel they have achieved that balance and SLPs who do not; when you look for jobs, it will be informative to dig into your employer's expectations (ex. "How many hours am I expected to treat patients per day? How will I be given time for my other responsibilities like documentation and report-writing?") so you're sure to accept a job in an environment that values you as a person AND an employee.
One of the wonderful things about being an SLP is that there are many options. If possible, I'd encourage you to shadow an SLP in a few areas (school, hospital, nursing home, rehabilitation facility, private practice/clinic) so you can really see how the job works and what paths might be most meaningful for you.
Finding balance between your work and your life is so important. Like in any profession, you will encounter SLPs who feel they have achieved that balance and SLPs who do not; when you look for jobs, it will be informative to dig into your employer's expectations (ex. "How many hours am I expected to treat patients per day? How will I be given time for my other responsibilities like documentation and report-writing?") so you're sure to accept a job in an environment that values you as a person AND an employee.
One of the wonderful things about being an SLP is that there are many options. If possible, I'd encourage you to shadow an SLP in a few areas (school, hospital, nursing home, rehabilitation facility, private practice/clinic) so you can really see how the job works and what paths might be most meaningful for you.
Heather Taylor
Speech Language Pathology
3
Answers
Denver, Colorado
Updated
Heather’s Answer
Being a woman with many seasons to her life, this profession is truly a blessing. I've found a home in the hospital system, and it's been a joy to experience the incredible flexibility it offers as I navigate through life's different stages. In my pre-marriage and pre-kids days, I was able to dedicate a full 40 hours a week to my work.
When my first child came along, the flexibility of my job allowed me to switch to working 5 half-days. The arrival of my second child brought another change - I started working "prn", which meant I could pick and choose my workdays, usually settling for 3 days a week.
With the birth of my third child, I transitioned to a standard shift of 3 days per week. Now, with my children in their teens, I've been able to reduce my workdays to just 2 a week. The adaptability this profession offers is truly special and such an opportunity for women like me.
When my first child came along, the flexibility of my job allowed me to switch to working 5 half-days. The arrival of my second child brought another change - I started working "prn", which meant I could pick and choose my workdays, usually settling for 3 days a week.
With the birth of my third child, I transitioned to a standard shift of 3 days per week. Now, with my children in their teens, I've been able to reduce my workdays to just 2 a week. The adaptability this profession offers is truly special and such an opportunity for women like me.
Gretchen Hays
Speech Language Pathologist
1
Answer
Tempe, Arizona
Updated
Gretchen’s Answer
Hi Skylar! In some settings, a Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) can choose his or her own hours. For example, as a PRN (aka “as needed”) employee in a hospital or medical setting, you’re not necessarily beholden to a specific 40 hour per week schedule and can fill in gaps on lower staffing days. An SLP can work in telehealth or home health, providing evaluations and treatment sessions during more flexible hours.
There are a ton of options!
Many SLPs have big families and work hard to balance family, personal care time and their careers. Sometimes, an SLP who has worked in a medical setting will transition to working in a school when they have children, to better match their kids’ schedules.
Salaries vary widely based on location, setting, and number of hours worked. The day-to-day schedule also varies a lot; for example, if you work in a school, you might work from 7-4:30. In a hospital, you might work five 8 hour shifts per week, four 10 hour shifts, etc. It all depends!
There are a ton of options!
Many SLPs have big families and work hard to balance family, personal care time and their careers. Sometimes, an SLP who has worked in a medical setting will transition to working in a school when they have children, to better match their kids’ schedules.
Salaries vary widely based on location, setting, and number of hours worked. The day-to-day schedule also varies a lot; for example, if you work in a school, you might work from 7-4:30. In a hospital, you might work five 8 hour shifts per week, four 10 hour shifts, etc. It all depends!