Audiologist or Speech Pathologist
Medical Assistant & Health Sciences
An integrated program that prepares individuals to work as both audiologists and speech-language pathologists.
What Audiologist or Speech Pathologists Do
An integrated program that prepares individuals to work as both audiologists and speech-language pathologists.
Common Tasks
Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary
- 1Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
- 2Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.
- 3Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, and papers.
- 4Supervise laboratory sessions.
- 5Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
What You'll Learn
Types of Audiologist or Speech Pathologists
Work Environment
Locations
- • Hospitals and medical centers
- • Outpatient rehabilitation clinics
- • Schools and early intervention programs
- • Private practices
- • Universities and teaching hospitals
Schedule
Most roles work a regular weekday schedule with appointments or class times, though clinical settings can involve high time pressure and occasional evenings to meet patient or student needs.
Physical Demands
Work is mostly indoors with long periods of sitting and moderate standing and walking between rooms. You’ll frequently use your hands for testing equipment, documentation, and therapy materials, with generally low heavy-lifting demands.
Salary & Job Outlook
National Employment: 492,800 jobs
Top Paying States
Why Demand May Grow
Demand may rise as the population ages and more people need evaluation and treatment for hearing loss, balance issues, swallowing disorders, and speech/language delays. Increased awareness and screening in schools and healthcare settings can also drive more referrals.
Skills You'll Need
Pros & Cons
Pros
- • Strong pay potential in clinical and academic roles
- • Meaningful work improving communication and quality of life
- • Variety of settings (medical, school, private practice, research/teaching)
- • Clear, evidence-based treatment pathways and measurable progress
- • Growing need tied to aging and pediatric development services
Cons
- • High documentation and billing workload in many settings
- • Emotional demands working with patients and families
- • Time pressure and full caseloads can lead to burnout
- • Licensure/credentialing requirements can be extensive
- • Some roles involve repetitive testing and therapy sessions
Common Questions About the Audiologist or Speech Pathologist Trade
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