Work to identify and correct common speech disorders such as stuttering or lisps. Use a mixture of psychosocial and medical research to improve patient outcomes. Apply psychology and medicine in order to help people communicate more clearly. If you enjoy helping others become more effective communicators, improving their lives in the process, check out this career!

Make a Difference

A Typical Day

  • Monitor patients' progress and adjust treatments accordingly.
  • Create treatment plans for problems such as stuttering, delayed language, swallowing disorders, or inappropriate pitch or harsh voice problems.
  • Write reports and maintain proper documentation of information, such as the initial evaluation, treatment, progress, and discharge of clients.
  • Evaluate hearing or speech and language test results.
  • Complete leading responsibilities, such as coordinating paperwork, scheduling case management activities, or writing lesson plans.
  • Create individual or group activities or programs in schools to deal with behavior, speech, language, or swallowing problems.
  • Instruct clients in techniques for more effective communication, such as sign language, lip-reading, or voice improvement.
 

Recommended Credentials

Master’s Degree

Education & Training

Regional employers often hire graduates of these programs.

 

Northwest Lower Michigan

 

Complete your General Studies at Northwestern Michigan College before you transfer to a 4-year school.

Research the undergraduate courses required for entry into a Speech-Language Pathology Master's degree program before and during your undergraduate program. A master's degree in Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences is the entry-level requirement for certification as a professional.

Elsewhere in Michigan

 

Apply to a graduate program at an accredited university. Pursue a Master's in Speech-Language Pathology.

Explore This Career

Try it before you buy it!

Study people. Learn about the science behind the sounds words make. Pay attention to how people learn to communicate, from babies to the elderly. Help a foreign exchange student improve their English-speaking accent or practice speech cognition games with friends and young family members. Pay attention to where language arts meet health science.

Find more experiments with sound here.

The Local Advantage Learning Pathway

Pathway 1

Ask about AP science classes at your high school or Sci-Ma-Tech in TCAPS high schools.

Northwest Education Services (formerly TBAISD) Career Tech Center - Health Sciences for basics in Medical Ethics, Law, Anatomy and Physiology 

Consider enrolling in the Northwest Education Services Career Tech Early College program: Health Sciences

Pathway 2

Look into bachelor’s programs like those listed below after you complete your general studies at Northwestern Michigan College.
Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences 
— Western Michigan University
Communication Sciences and Disorders, Majors or Minors 
— Central Michigan University
Bachelor of Arts in Communication Science and Disorders, BA 
— Wayne State University

Pathway 3

Complete a Master of Arts program, which is required for this career.
Speech Language and Hearing Sciences, MA
— Western Michigan University
Master of Arts in Speech-Language Pathology, MA
— Wayne State University
Master of Arts in Speech-Language Pathology, MA 
— Central Michigan University

 

Sample Employers in Our Region

Click the logos below to learn more.

TIP

Contact one of these companies and ask for an informational interview, to see if you can job shadow, or to find out if they hire interns.

 

Sample Job Titles...

  • Bilingual Speech-Language Pathologist
  • Communication Specialist
  • Educational Speech-Language Clinician
  • Speech and Language Clinician
 

Hear It From The Pros

10-Year Job Growth Projections

14.3%
10-County Region
18%
Michigan
25%
U.S.

Employed Regionally

110
In 2021 (10-County Region)

Wage Range & Median 10-County Region

$59,140
$76,730 
$118,060

Annual Hires Regionally

26
In 2021

Other Regional Career Resources

Learn more about Speech-Language Pathologists at O*NET Online.