Speech-Language Pathologists
Assess and treat persons with speech, language, voice, and fluency disorders. May select alternative communication systems and teach their use. May perform research related to speech and language problems.
183,390 people do this job in the US. $97,870 a year.
of the working time. Estimate.
- 73%
- 17%
- 10%
Measured, from Anthropic's usage data (2025). Counts help on part of a task.
On the chosen pace and reliability. Estimate.
Share of the working time within reach, now to 2030
What each choice means: , , , , . Every pace starts from .
At this date and pace, models finish tasks up to 4.4 h long four times in five.
How far this has come
With GPT-4, measured in March 2023, 0% of this job's working time was within reach at . With Claude 3.7 Sonnet, measured in February 2025, 1%. With Claude Mythos Preview (early), measured in April 2026, 67%. Today's estimate: 71%.
A backcast: today's task data with the best model METR had measured by each date. It shows how fast the models have moved, not what anyone forecast at the time.
The tasks
Sorted by . 23 tasks from .
| Task | Kind | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Develop or implement treatment plans for problems such as stuttering, delayed language, swallowing disorders, or inappropriate pitch or harsh voice problems, based on own assessments and recommendations of physicians, psychologists, or social workers.Done several times a day by most who do it. | 12% | 50 min25 min to 1.7 h | 99%Half by now | |
| Develop individual or group activities or programs in schools to deal with behavior, speech, language, or swallowing problems.Done daily by most who do it. | 9% | 1.3 h38 min to 2.5 h | 97%Half by now | |
| Write reports and maintain proper documentation of information, such as client Medicaid or billing records or caseload activities, including the initial evaluation, treatment, progress, and discharge of clients.Done daily by most who do it. | 8% | 38 min13 min to 1.7 h | 95%Half by now | |
| Participate in and write reports for meetings regarding patients' progress, such as individualized educational planning (IEP) meetings, in-service meetings, or intervention assistance team meetings.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 7% | 1.1 h38 min to 2.1 h | 100%Half by now | |
| Monitor patients' progress and adjust treatments accordingly.Done daily by most who do it. | 7% | 25 min13 min to 50 min | 100%Half by now | |
| Complete administrative responsibilities, such as coordinating paperwork, scheduling case management activities, or writing lesson plans.Done daily by most who do it. | 6% | 42 min21 min to 1.7 h | 99%Half by now | |
| Evaluate hearing or speech and language test results, barium swallow results, or medical or background information to diagnose and plan treatment for speech, language, fluency, voice, or swallowing disorders.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 5% | 50 min25 min to 2.1 h | 98%Half by now | |
| Administer hearing or speech and language evaluations, tests, or examinations to patients to collect information on type and degree of impairments, using written or oral tests or special instruments.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 5% | 1.3 h38 min to 2.5 h | Stays with people | |
| Teach clients to control or strengthen tongue, jaw, face muscles, or breathing mechanisms.Done daily by most who do it. | 5% | 33 min17 min to 1.1 h | Stays with people | |
| Develop speech exercise programs to reduce disabilities.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 5% | 50 min25 min to 2.1 h | 98%Half by now | |
| Instruct clients in techniques for more effective communication, such as sign language, lip reading, or voice improvement.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 5% | 33 min17 min to 1.3 h | Stays with people | |
| Conduct lessons or direct educational or therapeutic games to assist teachers dealing with speech problems.Done yearly or less by most who do it. | 4% | 50 min25 min to 1.7 h | 99%Half by now |
Within reach, per task: the share of the task's time whose instances are short enough for a model to finish at the chosen date, pace and reliability. Half by: the date half of that time comes within reach.
Jobs that share skills with this one
From O*NET's related occupations. Within reach now and by the end of 2028, long-run pace, four in five.
Where this job works
The industry groups that employ the most of it (BLS, May 2025).
Where the most of these jobs are
The metro areas with the most people in it (BLS, May 2025).