Speech-Language Pathologists · SOC 29-1127
Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Speech-Language Pathologistss
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025U.S. metropolitan areas
Metro areas ranked by published median annual wage for speech-language pathologists. Areas where BLS suppressed the median are not ranked. Higher medians often track higher living costs — this is a pay comparison, not a ranking of where the job is “best”.
Top 25 of 370 metro areas
| # | Metro area | Median annual | Employment | Per 1,000 jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | El Centro, CA | $133,760 | 70 | 1.1 |
| 2 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $132,720 | 890 | 0.8 |
| 3 | Boulder, CO | $131,620 | 320 | 1.7 |
| 4 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $130,850 | 1,760 | 0.7 |
| 5 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $127,470 | 160 | 0.8 |
| 6 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $126,850 | 200 | 1.0 |
| 7 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $126,360 | 1,030 | 1.0 |
| 8 | Vallejo, CA | $124,440 | 130 | 0.9 |
| 9 | Napa, CA | $123,870 | 50 | 0.7 |
| 10 | Salinas, CA | $122,770 | 200 | 1.1 |
| 11 | Hanford-Corcoran, CA | $120,550 | 50 | 1.0 |
| 12 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $119,690 | 1,590 | 1.0 |
| 13 | Pueblo, CO | $119,670 | 80 | 1.4 |
| 14 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $118,670 | 110 | 1.1 |
| 15 | Stockton-Lodi, CA | $118,660 | 310 | 1.1 |
| 16 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $118,560 | 2,120 | 1.2 |
| 17 | Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $117,350 | 310 | 0.9 |
| 18 | Modesto, CA | $116,770 | 220 | 1.2 |
| 19 | Sherman-Denison, TX | $115,940 | 110 | 2.1 |
| 20 | San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $115,560 | 100 | 0.8 |
| 21 | Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $115,060 | 530 | 1.6 |
| 22 | Merced, CA | $114,220 | 100 | 1.2 |
| 23 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $112,090 | 2,480 | 1.5 |
| 24 | Fresno, CA | $110,960 | 820 | 1.7 |
| 25 | Chico, CA | $110,720 | 130 | 1.6 |
Full state and metro tables, the national distribution, and the pay map are on the Speech-Language Pathologists overview.
About this data. Estimates are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 release, retrieved from bls.gov/oes/tables.htm on July 24, 2026. OEWS estimates describe metropolitan/nonmetropolitan areas and states — not city limits — and are not designed for year-over-year comparisons. See BLS methodology, our plain-English methodology, and sources. CitySalaryData is independent and not affiliated with BLS.