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About Speech Pathology
You'll become
Average Salaries
Speech Pathology workers may earn between $48,000 and $82,000 per year
Speech Pathology courses enable students to work in an industry that helps people overcome communication problems – from speech issues through to difficulties with writing, reading, signs, symbols and gestures, and even people who have problems swallowing food and drink.
Potential subjects in Speech Pathology courses are linguistics, psychology, anatomy, physiology, investigating speech disorders, swallowing disorders, the voice, hearing, communication, physiology and language development.
Overall, Speech Pathology courses will provide students with an understanding of diagnosing and treating the communication disorders of people of all ages.
Support others to reach their potential, build in-demand skills and enrich your own life by studying a speech pathology course.
Working closely with clients, speech pathologists work to assess, evaluate and treat communications disorders, including problems relating to speech, pronunciation, voice, language, hearing, fluency and cognitive communication. They provide diagnostic assessment, working with diagnostic tests and investigations, and rehabilitation services and therapies in order to help clients adapt to their circumstances and correct their speech and hearing difficulties.
Speech pathologists may work in hospitals or in private practice, working closely both with clients and with other health providers, to assist people in overcoming speech and language disorders. While the profession is small in Australia, it has grown strongly for the past decade and is expected to continue growing. You may study speech pathology as a bachelor’s degree or master’s degree, and courses are available both online and all over Australia.
If you enjoy working with people and want to help others, studying a speech pathology course is the first step towards a rewarding and fulfilling professional career.
What do speech pathology graduates do?
Speech pathology course students usually work as speech pathologists, and may practise in a hospital, private practice or clinic setting. Your duties will vary depending on your work setting, but your work will generally include performing the following tasks with a client:
- Conducting an individual evaluation with the client, in order to assess their capacity and goals;
- Designing interventions for the client, including tasks, tests and exercises, for them to use in working towards their goals; and
- Evaluating and monitoring their progress towards their goals, and adjusting the intervention plan as needed.
In performing this work, you’ll also be required to administer and interpret a range of diagnostic and audiometric tests, plan and source other rehabilitation programs, prescribe items like hearing aids, and work with clients and their families to manage ongoing exercises. Your role may also take on some therapeutic qualities, with speech pathologists working in counselling and coaching capacities to consult with people who seek their assistance.
Career Outcomes
Career Outcomes
Speech pathologists may work in hospitals or in private practice, working closely both with clients and with other health providers, to assist people in overcoming speech and language disorders.
Graduates of speech pathology courses usually work as speech pathologists after course completion, and may choose to seek employment in a range of settings, including working in a hospital, in private practise, in a clinic, or in a community health setting. Speech pathologists often work in interdisciplinary settings, working closely with practitioners such as audiologists, rehabilitation counsellors, teachers, psychologists, doctors, occupational therapists and physiotherapists to deliver holistic care to clients. The experience you’ll gain working with children and with people who have experienced physical trauma or who live with
The experience you’ll gain working with children and with people who have experienced physical trauma or who live with a disability may also qualify you to pursue employment in a range of other roles, including seeking work as a:
Is speech pathology right for you?
You’ll enjoy studying speech pathology if you:
- Love helping people
- Can pay attention to details
- Have good organisational and time management skills
- Can communicate well
- Are empathetic
- Work well with others
- Can work independently
- Can exercise judgment and solve problems
Job opportunities
Employment opportunities in speech pathology have been growing steadily over the past decade, and the Australian Government’s Job Outlook predicts this trend will continue until at least 2020. While the profession is considered small, with just fewer than 10,000 people in Australia employed as speech pathologists, Job Outlook considers it a secure profession, with unemployment rates lower than the national average.
Due to the nature and demand of the industry, many speech pathologists work in part-time and contracts roles. Job Outlook reports approximately one third of employed speech pathologists aren’t working full-time.
Average Salaries
PayScale reports that speech pathologists may earn between $48,000 and $82,000 per year, depending on the nature of their role and the type of employment. An entry-level speech pathologist with less than five years’ experience can expect to earn up to $60,000 per year, with salary growing in line with years worked. PayScale reports experience is the single greatest factor affecting a speech pathologist’s earning capacity, with salaries spiking after speech pathologists have been working for 10 or more years.
Learn how to become a
Industry Bodies
- Speech Pathology Australia