Healthcare · 70 Cities Ranked

Highest Paying Cities for Speech-Language Pathologist (2025)

The median Speech-Language Pathologist salary is $132,720 in San Jose, CA, the highest-paying city for this role. After adjusting for cost of living, Bakersfield, CA offers the best purchasing power at $116,650 adjusted.

The 70 cities below are ranked by median wage for Speech-Language Pathologist, drawn from BLS OEWS. Top-of-list cities typically combine high local labor demand with above-baseline cost-of-living, so the gross-wage ranking partly reflects COL adjustment. Reading the ranking carefully: gross median wage is the headline number, but the cost-adjusted figure (which divides by the city's cost-of-living index) tells a different story for high-COL cities. The ranking sorts on gross wage; the per-city pages surface the adjusted figure.

For workers evaluating Speech-Language Pathologist relocation, the top of the ranking is the obvious starting point — but the bottom of the list (low gross wage, low COL) is often where cost-adjusted real income is highest. The role-specific pages link to per-city detail.

$96,848

National Median

$132,720

Highest City

$75,750

Lowest City

Cities Ranked

Ranked by Median Salary

Rank	City	Median	Range (10th-90th)	COL Index	COL-Adjusted	Jobs
1	San Jose, CA	$132,720	$72,080, $170,500	195.8	$67,783	890
2	San Francisco, CA	$130,850	$97,980, $163,610	179.6	$72,856	1,760
3	Sacramento, CA	$126,360	$85,030, $148,300	124.7	$101,331	1,030
4	San Diego, CA	$119,690	$84,200, $148,510	160.2	$74,713	1,590
5	Riverside-San Bernardino, CA	$118,560	$59,590, $146,240	122.4	$96,863	2,120
6	Bakersfield, CA	$117,350	$98,150, $147,300	100.6	$116,650	310
7	Denver, CO	$112,090	$73,900, $158,720	112.8	$99,371	2,480
8	Fresno, CA	$110,960	$88,940, $186,370	105.5	$105,175	820
9	Los Angeles, CA	$109,740	$79,490, $160,430	166	$66,108	4,800
10	Seattle, WA	$108,690	$85,190, $134,920	149.4	$72,751	1,910
11	Colorado Springs, CO	$108,140	$68,710, $170,160	104.5	$103,483	710
12	New York, NY	$107,860	$73,530, $167,210	187.2	$57,618	15,260
13	Portland, OR	$107,650	$81,720, $143,780	130.1	$82,744	1,140
14	Austin, TX	$106,290	$77,120, $126,250	103	$103,194	2,860
15	Las Vegas, NV	$104,510	$57,580, $138,020	109	$95,881	960
16	Salt Lake City, UT	$103,740	$66,240, $134,780	101.4	$102,308	490
17	Louisville, KY	$103,420	$66,650, $142,030	90.2	$114,656	710
18	Anchorage, AK	$103,010	$81,500, $125,950	127	$81,110	220
19	Atlanta, GA	$102,860	$63,360, $129,170	99.2	$103,690	2,410
20	Boston, MA	$102,810	$71,310, $129,950	152.1	$67,594	3,720
21	Hartford, CT	$101,600	$67,230, $123,730	112.6	$90,231	780
22	Miami, FL	$101,590	$79,940, $123,820	123.1	$82,526	2,930
23	Bridgeport, CT	$101,310	$67,370, $130,810	137.5	$73,680	740
24	Baltimore, MD	$101,160	$64,610, $125,160	114.2	$88,581	1,830
25	Spokane, WA	$100,500	$72,850, $122,060	97.4	$103,183	370
26	Houston, TX	$100,400	$69,650, $135,580	96.5	$104,041	3,780
27	Philadelphia, PA	$100,080	$66,940, $132,090	118.4	$84,527	3,330
28	Washington, DC	$99,960	$72,800, $135,830	152.8	$65,419	3,140
29	Jacksonville, FL	$99,830	$76,130, $116,630	95.1	$104,974	650
30	Providence, RI	$99,720	$68,600, $127,710	119.4	$83,518	1,090
31	Dallas, TX	$99,540	$69,960, $131,400	104.1	$95,620	4,800
32	Albuquerque, NM	$99,160	$61,630, $133,050	94	$105,489	580
33	Chicago, IL	$98,490	$62,470, $124,400	107.3	$91,789	7,150
34	Phoenix, AZ	$98,040	$69,740, $131,270	100.7	$97,358	2,640
35	Orlando, FL	$97,900	$63,400, $114,260	103.1	$94,956	1,100
36	Tampa, FL	$96,580	$76,310, $121,960	99.6	$96,968	1,710
37	Columbus, OH	$96,460	$65,460, $120,200	93.1	$103,609	1,390
38	Richmond, VA	$96,080	$67,700, $124,800	102.1	$94,104	770
39	Reno, NV	$96,020	$63,180, $132,930	106.5	$90,160	240
40	Cincinnati, OH	$95,930	$61,270, $127,610	91.2	$105,186	1,690
41	Tucson, AZ	$95,450	$68,910, $118,670	95.4	$100,052	420
42	Minneapolis, MN	$93,370	$62,920, $111,590	106.2	$87,919	2,570
43	Indianapolis, IN	$93,320	$63,370, $122,970	90.1	$103,574	1,360
44	San Antonio, TX	$92,700	$64,540, $131,680	91.5	$101,311	1,780
45	Charlotte, NC	$90,960	$59,230, $125,380	96.7	$94,064	1,260
46	Detroit, MI	$89,640	$64,060, $113,100	95.1	$94,259	1,850
47	Greenville, SC	$88,610	$52,040, $118,670	90.1	$98,346	330
48	Oklahoma City, OK	$88,250	$56,990, $127,920	86.5	$102,023	810
49	Milwaukee, WI	$88,190	$61,370, $112,010	97.4	$90,544	1,000
50	Lexington, KY	$87,470	$65,570, $111,950	91.3	$95,805	360
51	Raleigh, NC	$87,400	$62,900, $124,090	99.8	$87,575	1,050
52	Madison, WI	$86,890	$64,740, $119,430	103.8	$83,709	410
53	St. Louis, MO	$86,480	$58,180, $113,470	90	$96,089	1,630
54	Little Rock, AR	$86,380	$62,880, $134,060	88.2	$97,937	810
55	Kansas City, MO	$86,120	$59,390, $118,340	95.4	$90,273	1,270
56	Memphis, TN	$86,120	$59,310, $117,530	84	$102,524	460
57	Boise, ID	$84,380	$66,880, $122,360	102.1	$82,644	660
58	Des Moines, IA	$84,080	$64,950, $123,350	93.3	$90,118	380
59	Tulsa, OK	$83,970	$51,230, $128,350	86.8	$96,740	540
60	Nashville, TN	$83,780	$61,190, $112,020	100.3	$83,529	980
61	Buffalo, NY	$82,890	$51,280, $116,390	92.5	$89,611	850
62	Omaha, NE	$82,650	$61,490, $116,360	91.8	$90,033	690
63	Albany, NY	$82,160	$62,610, $121,050	100.7	$81,589	690
64	Pittsburgh, PA	$81,810	$51,670, $118,410	92.3	$88,635	1,300
65	Rochester, NY	$80,220	$55,500, $120,490	92.9	$86,351	950
66	Greensboro, NC	$78,830	$60,780, $117,810	91.3	$86,342	430
67	Wichita, KS	$78,390	$56,120, $112,630	84	$93,321	430
68	Knoxville, TN	$78,060	$54,590, $108,290	90.3	$86,445	400
69	New Orleans, LA	$77,420	$63,410, $102,380	95.9	$80,730	550
70	Birmingham, AL	$75,750	$61,190, $115,700	90.4	$83,794	600

Ranked by Purchasing Power (COL-Adjusted)

Cost-of-living adjusted salaries show where your Speech-Language Pathologist paycheck goes furthest. A lower COL index means your dollars stretch further.

Rank	City	COL-Adjusted	Raw Median	COL Index
1	Bakersfield, CA	$116,650	$117,350	100.6
2	Louisville, KY	$114,656	$103,420	90.2
3	Albuquerque, NM	$105,489	$99,160	94
4	Cincinnati, OH	$105,186	$95,930	91.2
5	Fresno, CA	$105,175	$110,960	105.5
6	Jacksonville, FL	$104,974	$99,830	95.1
7	Houston, TX	$104,041	$100,400	96.5
8	Atlanta, GA	$103,690	$102,860	99.2
9	Columbus, OH	$103,609	$96,460	93.1
10	Indianapolis, IN	$103,574	$93,320	90.1
11	Colorado Springs, CO	$103,483	$108,140	104.5
12	Austin, TX	$103,194	$106,290	103
13	Spokane, WA	$103,183	$100,500	97.4
14	Memphis, TN	$102,524	$86,120	84
15	Salt Lake City, UT	$102,308	$103,740	101.4
16	Oklahoma City, OK	$102,023	$88,250	86.5
17	Sacramento, CA	$101,331	$126,360	124.7
18	San Antonio, TX	$101,311	$92,700	91.5
19	Tucson, AZ	$100,052	$95,450	95.4
20	Denver, CO	$99,371	$112,090	112.8
21	Greenville, SC	$98,346	$88,610	90.1
22	Little Rock, AR	$97,937	$86,380	88.2
23	Phoenix, AZ	$97,358	$98,040	100.7
24	Tampa, FL	$96,968	$96,580	99.6
25	Riverside-San Bernardino, CA	$96,863	$118,560	122.4
26	Tulsa, OK	$96,740	$83,970	86.8
27	St. Louis, MO	$96,089	$86,480	90
28	Las Vegas, NV	$95,881	$104,510	109
29	Lexington, KY	$95,805	$87,470	91.3
30	Dallas, TX	$95,620	$99,540	104.1
31	Orlando, FL	$94,956	$97,900	103.1
32	Detroit, MI	$94,259	$89,640	95.1
33	Richmond, VA	$94,104	$96,080	102.1
34	Charlotte, NC	$94,064	$90,960	96.7
35	Wichita, KS	$93,321	$78,390	84
36	Chicago, IL	$91,789	$98,490	107.3
37	Milwaukee, WI	$90,544	$88,190	97.4
38	Kansas City, MO	$90,273	$86,120	95.4
39	Hartford, CT	$90,231	$101,600	112.6
40	Reno, NV	$90,160	$96,020	106.5
41	Des Moines, IA	$90,118	$84,080	93.3
42	Omaha, NE	$90,033	$82,650	91.8
43	Buffalo, NY	$89,611	$82,890	92.5
44	Pittsburgh, PA	$88,635	$81,810	92.3
45	Baltimore, MD	$88,581	$101,160	114.2
46	Minneapolis, MN	$87,919	$93,370	106.2
47	Raleigh, NC	$87,575	$87,400	99.8
48	Knoxville, TN	$86,445	$78,060	90.3
49	Rochester, NY	$86,351	$80,220	92.9
50	Greensboro, NC	$86,342	$78,830	91.3
51	Philadelphia, PA	$84,527	$100,080	118.4
52	Birmingham, AL	$83,794	$75,750	90.4
53	Madison, WI	$83,709	$86,890	103.8
54	Nashville, TN	$83,529	$83,780	100.3
55	Providence, RI	$83,518	$99,720	119.4
56	Portland, OR	$82,744	$107,650	130.1
57	Boise, ID	$82,644	$84,380	102.1
58	Miami, FL	$82,526	$101,590	123.1
59	Albany, NY	$81,589	$82,160	100.7
60	Anchorage, AK	$81,110	$103,010	127
61	New Orleans, LA	$80,730	$77,420	95.9
62	San Diego, CA	$74,713	$119,690	160.2
63	Bridgeport, CT	$73,680	$101,310	137.5
64	San Francisco, CA	$72,856	$130,850	179.6
65	Seattle, WA	$72,751	$108,690	149.4
66	San Jose, CA	$67,783	$132,720	195.8
67	Boston, MA	$67,594	$102,810	152.1
68	Los Angeles, CA	$66,108	$109,740	166
69	Washington, DC	$65,419	$99,960	152.8
70	New York, NY	$57,618	$107,860	187.2

Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose, CA pays the highest median Speech-Language Pathologist salary at $132,720. However, after cost-of-living adjustment, Bakersfield, CA offers the most purchasing power at $116,650 adjusted.

The national median Speech-Language Pathologist salary is $96,848 based on BLS data. Salaries range from $75,750 to $132,720 depending on city.

Not necessarily. A city with higher nominal pay may have a higher cost of living that offsets the salary difference. Compare the "COL-Adjusted" column in both tables above, cities with lower costs of living often offer better real purchasing power.