How to Become a Speech Therapist in Colorado

Colorado is a state for people who take care of themselves and others. That’s an attitude and perspective that’s just part of being a Coloradan.

That extends to a sizable and growing population of speech-language pathologists (SLPs). Speech-language pathologists enjoy the unique rewards that come with a career dedicated to helping diverse patient populations overcome communicative disorders. They have mastered a tough kind of therapeutic treatment, and have the empathy to use it to provide services that people need across the lifespan… from kids who stutter to stroke patients who need to learn to swallow again.

Find out how you can become a speech therapist here by earning your speech-language pathologist license through the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies Office of Speech-Language Pathology Certification:

	Earn a Speech Therapy Degree: Complete an ASHA-Accredited Graduate Program in Speech-Language Pathology
	Gain Required Professional Experience (RPE) Through a Clinical Fellowship
	Pass the National SLP Examination
	Earn Your License and Begin Your Career as a Speech-Language Pathologist in Colorado
	Maintain SLP Licensure and Complete Continuing Education

Step 1. Earn a Speech Therapist Degree: Complete an ASHA-Accredited Graduate Program in Speech-Language Pathology

Master’s programs in communicative sciences and disorders generally do not require applicants to have a bachelor’s in a closely related major, but it definitely makes your path easier. If you hold a bachelor’s degree in an unrelated major, you are usually allowed to complete foundational courses as part of the graduate program before beginning graduate-level coursework, however.

Standard prerequisite courses include:

• Physiology of Communication
• Phonetics and Phonemics
• Fundamentals of Audiology
• Development of Speech and Language
• Anatomy and Physiology of Speech and Hearing Mechanism
• Language Science

To apply to a graduate program, you’ll typically need to submit:

• A resume of your experience
• A statement of purpose
• Two letters of recommendation from academic references
• An official transcript from your undergraduate program
• GRE scores

Online programs are an ideal option for students seeking an SLP master’s degree from far-flung Colorado outposts. These programs consist of traditional coursework such as problem modules, tests and quizzes online, coupled with clinical practicum hours that are completed in clinics or hospitals nearby.

In addition to the accredited online programs that are now widely available, the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) also accredits three SLP graduate programs in Colorado.

The graduate program coursework will cover linguistics, psychology, physiology, and physical science.

Core courses typically include:

• Communication and Neuroscience
• Articulation and Phonological Disorders
• Language Learning Disabilities
• Advanced Topics in Social Communication
• Motor Speech Disorders
• Disorders of Language & Literacy
• Assistive Technology for Communications Disorders

Electives may include the following courses:

• Voice and Resonance Disorders
• Advanced Diagnostic Procedures
• Acquired Disorders of Language & Cognition
• Voices and Listeners
• Management
• Approaches to Natural Language
• Current Research on Communicative Science and Disorders

You’ll also undergo a number of practicum placements, coming to 400 hours total that see you taking part in real therapy efforts under careful supervision in the community.

Step 2. Gain Required Professional Experience (RPE) Through a Clinical Fellowship

You can look at your practicum as a preview for the next and most intensive step of the license process: gaining required professional experience in an active therapy practice. The Colorado DORA requires that SLP program graduates complete a 36-week (1,260 hours) clinical fellowship before becoming licensed in the state.

Oftentimes, SLP graduates find clinical fellowships through sponsors in their graduate program. You may also look for clinical fellowship opportunities on other job boards where SLP openings pop up.

During your clinical fellowship you must meet several requirements:

• 36 weeks of full-time experience (or the equivalent part-time experience), for a total of 1260 hours at minimum.
• Receive mentoring from an ASHA-certified speech-language pathologist
• Passing an evaluation of core skills in the final segment of the experience
• 80% of your fellowship must be spent in direct clinical contact with patients

These mentored activities will include assessing and diagnosing patients, performing administrative work related to clients, and meeting with clients’ family to discuss progress. It’s an opportunity to put your theoretical classroom knowledge into practice and build skills and competencies you can rely on.

Step 3. Pass the National SLP Examination

A passing score of 162 on the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s (ASHA) Speech-Language Pathology Exam is one of the primary qualifications required for licensure in Colorado. The test is offered through Praxis, a third party exam administrator.

A passing score on the national exam also makes you eligible to apply for the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP) credential through ASHA. The CCC-SLP acts as an alternate path to fulfilling some licensure qualifications in Colorado, and many employers prefer to hire SLPs who hold the CCC-SLP.

When registering for the national exam, you’ll be required to send an official graduate transcript and provide proof of completion of a clinical fellowship by submitting the speech-language pathology clinical fellowship report and rating form.

The Praxis SLP test is scored on a 100-200 point scale, with the required minimum score being 162.

For preparation, you may purchase Praxis study guides, take practice tests, or review the speech-language pathology exam’s study companion.

The test is made up of 132 questions covering the methods of practice, screening, assessment, diagnosis, and evaluation of treatment, among other topics.

In Colorado, the exam can be taken at a Praxis test center in any one of several locations across the state. There’s no requirement you take the test in the same state as you are applying for licensure, however, so you can also find an out-of-state option if that’s more convenient. There are also new online options, using a remote proctor that can allow you to finish your test in the comfort of your own home.

Step 4. Earn Your License and Begin Your Career as a Speech-Language Pathologist

Once you’ve passed the national exam, you’ll be ready to apply for licensure online through the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies.

You’ll need to submit:

• A required license fee
• Official transcripts from graduate program
• Proof of successful completion of a clinical fellowship
• National Examination scores
• A patient medical record security plan
• Proof of professional liability insurance
• A healthcare professions profile
• Answers to a series of questions about your criminal background

It’s also possible to obtain licensure by endorsement in Colorado if you already have an active SLP license in good standing in another state.

A High Paying Career that Offers Diverse Opportunities and Job Satisfaction

SLPs don’t tend to wind up in their positions by accident. It’s a profession that can be as much a calling as a job. When you are giving the gift of communication, it’s a good bet that you get some warm fuzzy feelings along the way.

The data backs that up. Two different studies showed a high degree of job satisfaction for SLP professionals. US News & World Report rated the profession as the third-best health care job. In addition, the salary aggregator and job board site PayScale rated speech-language pathology among the 15 most meaningful jobs that pay well in a survey of 2 million workers.

It’s common to find start out in those positions along one of three paths:

Join the Clinic Where You Performed Your RPE

Clinics prefer to hire SLPs who have worked under their tutelage to gain required professional experience because they already have internal references and knowledge of the clinic’s clients. This is in some ways the easiest path because you will already have a good idea if you are on it by the time you complete your RPE. Since you are familiar with the clinic, you will know right away if you want to stay.

Start an Independent Practice or Partnership

Once licensed, you may also consider starting your own business in order to practice independently. This can be a high-risk, high-reward approach to SLP practice. If it goes well, you reap all the benefits. If it fails, you’re the only one to blame.

Some SLPs choose to work under a more experienced SLP for a period of time to gain experience and a work reference. Other SLPs use their clinical fellowship provider as a reference while they get started in a partnership or independent practice.

Pursue Job Openings With Other Providers

The Colorado school system and hospitals or clinics throughout the state are also major employers in the SLP market. Essentially, anywhere that has a strong need for screening or rehabilitation for speech disorders will be looking for SLPs in this job market.

Some of Colorado’s top SLP employers include dedicated therapy clinics such as Colorado Springs Therapy Center, major healthcare centers like Children’s Hospital Colorado, or contract solutions like Zoah Speech and Outreach.

Step 5. Maintain SLP Licensure and Complete Continuing Education

As a practicing SLP in Colorado, you’ll need to renew your license every year. You can renew online through DORA.

You’ll need to demonstrate continuing professional competency in order to maintain your license status, however. DORA offers three paths to check this box:

• Participate in the continuing Professional Development Program, involving:
  • Completion of a Reflective Self-Assessment Tool (RSAT)
  • Completion of Learning Goals based on your RSAT
  • Accumulate 10 professional development activities
• Qualify for deemed status as part of a continuing professional competency program through another entity; currently, the Colorado Department of Education is the only approved entity on the list—ASHA activities do not count
• Receive a military exemption

It’s always wise to look to local SLP organizations when it comes to opportunities for completing professional development activities. In Colorado, the Colorado Speech-Language-Hearing Association (CSLHA) has become highly active in this role.

The organization holds an annual conference through which SLPs explore the latest developments in the field. Past conferences have involved the exploration of such topics as treating oropharyngeal dysphagia, the surgical treatment of dysphagia and vocal cord dysfunction, and emerging education technology in speech-language pathology. It’s a way to stack up your continuing education while making valuable connections with fellow SLPs at the same time.

Speech-Language Pathology Salary in Colorado

When it comes to SLP salaries, Colorado has a lot to brag about. To start with, Colorado ranks second of all states in the nation for offering the highest average SLP salary: $107,780 annually or $51.82 per hour.

Statewide, SLPs on the high end of the salary spectrum take home an amount that starts at $141,490 annually or $68.02 per hour.

Moreover, the number of jobs for speech-language pathologists is projected to increase by 40% between 2020 and 2030—the third-highest rate in the nation, more than double the national average. This level of growth should generate an average of 420 job openings per year.

Nationally, Boulder and Denver both place on the top-10 list of the best-paying cities for average SLP salaries.

Detailed Salary Analysis for Speech-Language Pathologists in Colorado

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics provides hourly and annual salary data for speech-language pathologists throughout Colorado (10th to 90th percentile). This can be important data to help you narrow down where you would like to work—or not work—in the Centennial State.

Boulder:

• Annual: $75,780 – $145,330
• Hourly: $36.43 – $69.87

Colorado Springs:

• Annual: $71,470 – $149,060
• Hourly: $34.36 – $71.66

Denver:

• Annual: $79,880 – $141,490
• Hourly: $38.41 – $68.03

Fort Collins:

• Annual: $44,580 – $122,660
• Hourly: $21.43 – $58.97

Grand Junction:

• Annual: $84,640 – $155,230
• Hourly: $40.69 – $74.63

Greeley:

• Annual: $61,480 – $166,400
• Hourly: $29.56 – $80.00

Pueblo:

• Annual: $77,240 – $142,700
• Hourly: $37.13 – $68.61

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 September 2024.

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