How to Become a Speech Therapist in California

The state of California has been a big proponent of speech-language therapy since at least 2013. That year, thousands of families in California gained access to affordable speech therapy services through an agreement created between the Department of Managed Health Care and United Healthcare.

The demand for licensed SLPs in the state has been increasing rapidly ever since. This is part of a wider trend that is seeing these vital services being made more accessible through early intervention at the Pre-K level and in the state’s public schools.

In fact, the State of California Employment Development Department expects to see a 17% increase in the number of SLPs in the state during the ten-year period leading up to 2024, a rate of growth that will create 470 new SLP careers each year.

SLP licensing in California is handled through the Department of Consumer Affairs Speech-Language Pathology & Audiology & Hearing Aid Dispensers Board. Follow these steps to earn your SLP license and become a speech therapist in California:

	Earn a Master’s Degree in Speech Therapy (Speech-Language Pathology)
	Gain 36 Weeks of Post-Graduate Experience Through a Clinical Fellowship Program
	Pass the Praxis Speech-Language Pathology Examination
	Apply for Licensing and Begin Your Career as a Speech-Language Pathologist in California
	Keep your License Current and Complete Continuing Education Requirements

Step 1. Earn a Master’s Degree in Speech Therapy (Speech-Language Pathology)

To meet California Board requirements, your master’s program in speech-language pathology must be through an accredited school and consist of no less than 60 semester units and a practicum involving 300 hours of supervised clinical practice in at least three different settings.

As of 2025, there are twenty-one accredited SLP graduate programs available at campus locations in California. Any of these will check all the boxes you need to fulfill state SLP licensing requirements. But you have far more options today than just local or regional schools.

ASHA-accredited online programs offer a convenient and flexible alternative to campus-based study for working students. These programs are highly respected by employers and licensing authorities nationwide. They offer the same level of academic rigor as campus-based programs, while including the ability to complete practicum hours in approved clinics and hospitals located near you.

Prerequisites and Admissions Requirements

Clearly, before you start in on a master’s degree, you’ll first need to complete your undergraduate education. If the undergraduate degree you hold is a bachelor’s in communicative sciences and disorders, you’ll be able to start your graduate coursework directly. But not everyone plans that far ahead, or even knows about SLP as a career early on. If you have an unrelated bachelor’s degree, you’ll first need to complete prerequisite courses foundational to SLP graduate coursework.

Standard prerequisite courses include:

• Neuroanatomy and Physiology of Communication
• Phonetics and Phonemics of American English
• Introduction to Audiology
• Speech and Language Development in Children
• Anatomy and Physiology of Speech and Hearing Mechanism
• Audiology: Intervention Strategies across the Lifespan
• Science of Language

Admissions departments may ask you to submit a resume, GRE scores, and two letters of academic reference when applying. SLP graduate programs can be competitive, and admissions departments look for undergraduate GPAs of 3.5 or higher. Admissions departments also like to see experience in an SLP clinic or volunteer hours with SLP patients, plus specific preparatory coursework in fundamentals of physiology and health sciences.

Coursework and Practicum

A master’s degree in communicative sciences and disorders will involve studying linguistics, psychology, physiology, and physical science.

Core courses typically include:

• Speech-Language Screening of Children
• Clinical Processes
• Clinical Issues in Aural Rehabilitation
• Dysphagia
• Research Methods in Communication Sciences and Disorders
• Voice, Resonance, and Fluency Disorders
• Phonology and Phonological Disorders
• Acquired Neuromotor Speech Disorders
• Augmentative Communication
• Language, Cognition and the Brain
• Physics and Chemistry

This all includes the necessary coursework required to become eligible for ASHA’s CCC-SLP certification.

You can also boost your knowledge in specific therapies or disorders through a generous slate of elective coursework. Those electives can include:

• Augmentative and Alternative Communication
• Craniofacial Anomalies
• Neurogenic Speech Disorders in Children
• Language and Communication in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders
• Interdisciplinary Case-Based Dysphagia Management
• Approaches to Natural Language
• Communicative Science and Disorders Research Colloquium

Your master’s program also involves supervised clinical experiences through a practicum. The practicum must be completed during your graduate studies and will allow you to gain experience in assessing and treating patients. In California, you’ll need to complete a 300-hours supervised clinical practicum in three different clinical settings to qualify for licensure. Any ASHA-accredited program will easily clear that bar, with 400 required hours as part of the accreditation standards

Step 2. Gain 36 Weeks of Post-Graduate Experience Through a Clinical Fellowship Program

In California, you’ll need to complete 36 weeks of full-time (or 72 weeks of part-time) supervised professional experience under a temporary license issued by the Board.

This is your clinical fellowship, a period of intensive real-world practice under a currently-licensed SLP mentor. Your fellowship experience will involve working with the full range of patients and problems SLPs deal with every day.

To apply for a temporary license, you’ll have to fill out the Temporary License Application from the Board. Together with the license application form, you’ll need to include:

• A $35 fee
• A criminal background check requiring fingerprinting
• Transcripts from your graduate program
• Proof of completion of clinical practicum hours during your graduate program
• National exam score
• Professional experience verification detailing who you will work for

That last part is often the toughest. Schools may help you make connections to start your fellowship, but it’s ultimately your responsibility to line up a placement. Fortunately, many of the standard SLP job listings also include fellowship opportunities. Networking through professional organizations like the California Speech Language Hearing Association (CSHA) can also be a great way to locate placements.

Step 3. Pass the Praxis Speech-Language Pathology Examination

Next, you’ll register online through Praxis for the Speech-Language Pathology Exam. You’ll need to score a 162 to meet the requirement for licensure in California, and to qualify as a CCC-SLP credential through ASHA.

For preparation, you may want to review practice questions in the Speech-Language Pathology Study Companion.

The computer-based test consists of 132 questions that are to be completed over 150 minutes. The questions fall into the following categories:

• Foundation and professional practice—44 questions
• Screening, assessment, evaluation, and diagnosis—44 questions
• Planning, implementation, and evaluation of treatment—44 questions

The questions test knowledge in the areas of:

• Speech and production
• Fluency
• Voice
• Resonance
• Motor speech
• Receptive and expressive language
• Social aspects of communication, including pragmatics
• Cognitive aspects of communication
• Augmentative and alternative communication
• Hearing
• Feeding and swallowing

You won’t have trouble finding a Praxis exam center in California, which has dozens of options, often located at universities or other educational facilities. Online tests are also an option these days, with remote proctors monitoring you as you take the exam at home.

Voluntary CCC-SLP Credentialing Through ASHA

Once you’ve passed the national exam, you are eligible to apply for the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP) through the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). The credential is NOT a requirement for state licensure, but as the national standard and the most conventional path into the profession, the state of California does recognize those that hold the credential as meeting all state licensing requirements.

It’s worth noting that the ASHA CCC-SLP requirements included 100 more hours of practicum work than the California state license requirements.

It usually takes about six weeks for the application to be processed and to receive your credential. CCC-SLP certification is a national standard that can also have a real impact on your desirability to employers.

Step 4. Apply for Licensing and Begin Your Career as a Speech-Language Pathologist in California

Once you’ve received your results from the national exam, you’ll be eligible to apply for licensure through the California Board.

You’ll need to fill out the online application and provide an RPE Experience Validation form as well as pay a $115 application fee.

As a licensed SLP in California, you’ll typically begin your career in one of three ways:

Join the Clinic that Provided Your Supervised Professional Experience

As a newly-licensed SLP, you may want to continue working for the clinic that provided your required professional experience.

Chances are, you’ll have a good idea if this is your path long before you actually complete the fellowship. It’s like an extended nine-month job interview.

Clinics often choose to hire SLPs who have worked under them through a clinical fellowship because they’ve likely already established relationships with patients and their families, as well as other staff members.

Start an Independent Practice or Partnership

In California, you may also begin an independent practice once you’re licensed as an SLP. Independent practitioners enjoy a high degree of flexibility and the ability to work with specific patient population groups like children or the elderly.

That comes with the overhead of marketing, managing, and owning your own business. It’s a lot of plates to keep spinning, but well worth the reward to many independent SLPs.

Pursuing Job Openings

Joining the clinic that facilitated your supervised professional experience or starting your own practice aren’t your only options—you may also pursue jobs through hundreds of other employers throughout the state. Hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare facilities often employ SLPs, as well as dedicated speech therapy practices.

If you plan on working in the educational system as an SLP in California, you’ll need to earn your Speech Language Pathology Services Credential from the Commission on Teacher Credentialing. This requires attending an approved specialized preparation program on top of your master’s-level SLP training.

Step 5. Keep Your License Current and Complete Continuing Education Requirements

You must renew your California SLP license every two years by completing a renewal form and submitting it to the Board. You can also pay for renewals online.

To renew, you must complete at least 24 hours of continuing education completed through approved providers, with the exception of your first renewal, during which you will only have to complete 12 hours of CE. You’re not required to provide proof of CE completion to renew, but you must keep records in case they are requested.

The following restrictions apply to CE hours:

• Minimum of 20 hours must be directly relevant to the scope of practice of speech-language pathology or audiology.
• Maximum of 6 hours may be in self-study courses.
• Maximum of 4 hours may be taken from related courses and/or indirect client care courses.
• No more than 8 hours may be combined between self-study and related/client care courses

The California Board has approved the following CE providers:

• American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)
• American Academy of Audiology (AAA)
• California Medical Association – Institute for Medical Quality (CMA)
• Accredited Universities
• Board approved Professional Development Providers

California is home to some of the nation’s most innovative clinics and practitioners, many of which are members of the CSHA as well. Through the Association, SLPs enjoy networking opportunities and the ability to share research and strategies for the assessment and treatment of patients with communicative disorders.

Speech-Language Pathology Salary in California

Between the United HealthCare of California deal and other new coverage and recognition of speech therapy benefits, there’s a real surge in demand across the Golden State for qualified SLPs.

In fact, California is projected to see a 28% increase in the number of SLPs in the state during the ten-year period leading up to 2030, a rate of growth that will create 1,440 new SLP careers each year.

Speech-Language Pathology Salary in California

Those new SLPs have plenty of reasons to pick California as their place to practice. California ranks first in the nation with the highest average SLP salary, coming in at $112,030 annually as of 2023. That’s nearly $54 an hour.

As you get toward the higher end of the salary spectrum, SLPs earn north of $149,680 annually, or nearly $72 an hour. This often comes later in your career, when you have more experience and expertise.

In addition, seven of the state’s cities were among the top ten metro areas in the country in terms of highest average SLP salaries:

• #1 – San Jose
• #2 – San Francisco
• #3 – Napa
• #4 – Santa Maria
• #5 – Santa Rosa
• #6 – Modesto
• #8 – Los Angeles

High Employment Levels and Job Growth are Standard in California’s SLP Professional Community

California is already home to more than 17,200 SLPs. That places California in the number two spot with the highest employment level for SLPs in the nation. The Los Angeles area alone is home to 4,750 SLPs, the 4th highest number of any metropolitan area in the country.

Salaries For Speech-Language Pathologists Throughout California’s Major Cities

Of course, LA isn’t the only major metro with demand for SLPs. And there are plenty of reasons to want to live in other major California cities, too. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics provides the salaries of speech-language pathologists in the major cities throughout the state (10th to 90th percentiles) for your consideration:

Bakersfield:

• Annual: $75,680 – $131,020
• Hourly: $36.39 – $62.99

Chico:

• Annual: $76,640 – $132,020
• Hourly: $36.85 – $63.47

El Centro:

• Annual: $58,220 – $126,590
• Hourly: $27.99 – $60.86

Fresno:

• Annual: $76,010 – $145,980
• Hourly: $36.54 – $70.18

Hanford:

• Annual: $59,630 – $125,150
• Hourly: $28.67 – $60.17

Los Angeles:

• Annual: $74,500 – $142,250
• Hourly: $35.82 – $68.39

Madera:

• Annual: $63,010 – $146,150
• Hourly: $30.29 – $70.27

Merced:

• Annual: $75,060 – $135,130
• Hourly: $36.09 – $64.97

Modesto:

• Annual: $78,310 – $157,530
• Hourly: $37.65 – $75.73

Napa:

• Annual: $67,770 – $151,460
• Hourly: $32.58 – $72.82

Oxnard-Thousand Oaks Metro:

• Annual: $62,390 – $147,460
• Hourly: $30.00 – $70.89

Redding:

• Annual: $58,410 – $161,810
• Hourly: $28.08 – $77.79

Riverside-San Bernardino Metro:

• Annual: $62,320 – $145,610
• Hourly: $29.96 – $70.01

Sacramento:

• Annual: $62,730 – $135,710
• Hourly: $30.16 – $65.24

Salinas:

• Annual: $81,230 – $131,590
• Hourly: $39.06 – $63.26

San Diego:

• Annual: $70,420 – $135,840
• Hourly: $33.86 – $65.31

San Francisco:

• Annual: $82,430 – $156,410
• Hourly: $39.63 – $75.20

San Jose:

• Annual: $77,610 – $185,690
• Hourly: $37.31 – $89.27

San Luis Obispo:

• Annual: $71,820 – $155,500
• Hourly: $34.53 – $74.76

Santa Barbara:

• Annual: $76,530 – $157,430
• Hourly: $36.79 – $75.69

Santa Cruz:

• Annual: $75,990 – $129,360
• Hourly: $36.54 – $62.19

Santa Rosa:

• Annual: $78,120 – $163,010
• Hourly: $37.56 – $78.37

Stockton:

• Annual: $78,110 – $146,670
• Hourly: $37.55 – $70.51

Vallejo:

• Annual: $77,640 – $145,950
• Hourly: $37.33 – $70.17

Visalia:

• Annual: $65,580 – $176,480
• Hourly: $31.53 – $84.85

Yuba City:

• Annual: $70,850 – $164,930
• Hourly: $34.06 – $79.30

2023 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary figures shown here for Speech-Language Pathologists. Job growth projections are from the US Department of Labor-sponsored resource, CareerOneStop. Figures are based on state data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed March 2025.

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