How to Become a Speech Therapist in Delaware

In Delaware, the field of speech-language pathology is experiencing robust growth. The SLP job market is projected to expand by 29% over the ten-year period leading up to 2030, providing more opportunities for licensed SLPs in the state than ever before.

Part of this bump comes from an unprecedented move to increase the number of licensed SLPs in the state by the Delaware Department of Education. The department introduced an SLP incentive program for graduate students to help cover the cost of tuition, mandatory fees, and other direct education expenses.

Your decision to get into the game in speech-language pathology is something that will be rewarded at least twice. First, there are the generously compensated positions that await in a variety of interesting settings. But the bigger benefit for most SLPs is the satisfaction that comes with helping patients overcome speech disorders.

As a licensed SLP, you can work with specialized groups such as autistic children, children or adults who have suffered brain injuries, or those with hearing impairments. They all need, and benefit from, the special skillset you can bring to bear on their problems.

To get that skillset, and prove you have it, you’ll need to earn an SLP license through the State of Delaware Board of Speech Pathologists, Audiologists, and Hearing Aid Dispensers. It’s a long path, but one you’ll be glad to have taken.

	Complete a Master’s Degree Program in Speech Therapy (Speech-Language Pathology)
	Gain Required Professional Experience (RPE) Through a Clinical Fellowship Program
	Pass the National Examination and Earn the CCC-SLP Credential
	Apply for Licensing through the Delaware Board of Speech Pathologists, Audiologists, and Hearing Aid Dispensers
	Maintain SLP Licensure and Complete Continuing Education Courses

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

The Delaware State Board requires candidates for SLP licensure to earn the nationally recognized CCC-SLP (Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology) certification through the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).

Qualifying for the credential first requires a master’s degree with an emphasis in speech-language pathology, communication disorders, or speech-language and hearing science. The degree must be awarded by a program that has been accredited by ASHA’s Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA).

As of 2025, only the University of Delaware has a CAA-accredited programs with a campus location in Delaware. However, many aspiring SLPs elect to study through online programs as opposed to attending school out of state. CAA accredits several online programs throughout the country that have garnered the respect of employers and the professional community.

Students in online SLP programs complete traditional coursework online and complete clinical hours in hospitals and clinics in their area.

Admissions and Undergraduate Requirements

Graduate-level SLP programs are designed to build on the competencies developed during an undergraduate program in communicative sciences and disorders. However, even with a bachelor’s degree in an unrelated major, you may be considered for admission after completing certain prerequisite courses that are fundamental to the field:

• Phonetics and Phonology
• Psycholinguistics
• Speech Science
• Speech-Language Development
• Clinical Principles for Management of CSD
• Intro to Audiology

Most graduate programs give you an opportunity to complete foundational courses through the school before transitioning to graduate-level coursework.

To apply to a graduate program, you’ll usually be required to submit a resume, GRE scores, and at least two letters of recommendation from academic references. SLP graduate programs are selective, and most will require you to have a GPA of 3.5 or above in undergraduate coursework. Required GRE scores vary, but most admissions departments will look for no less than 153 in the verbal section and 144 in the quantitative section.

Graduate Courses and Clinical Practicum

Along with classroom study, the curriculum will also involve supervised clinical experiences through a practicum that will put you in direct contact with patients. In Delaware, you’ll be required to complete at least 400 clock hours of practicum work to be eligible for licensure and the CCC-SLP credential.

Core courses included in your graduate program would typically include:

• Foundations of Clinical Practice
• Language Disorders in Children
• Neurogenic, Phonological, and Fluency Disorders
• Dysphagia
• Voice and Resonance Disorders
• Augmentative and Alternative Communication
• Communication in Autism Disorders

Electives can be used to expand your skillset and focus your expertise  can include:

• Methods of Communication
• Dysphasia Management
• Craniofacial Anomalies
• Neurogenic Speech Disorders
• Autism Spectrum Communication Disorders
• Communicative Science and Disorders Research
• Natural Language Approaches

The ultimate goal of an SLP graduate program is to produce a confident, knowledgeable practitioner who has a firm understanding of the biological processes of communication as well as the clinical process involved in providing speech therapy. Through classroom study and clinical experiences, you’ll gain experience with diverse patient populations with different communicative disorders, preparing you to serve the needs of virtually any patient.

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

ASHA and Delaware require more than just a classroom education and practicum to qualify as an SLP: you also need at least 9 months, or a part-time equivalent, of carefully supervised on-the-job experience through a clinical fellowship.

Delaware doesn’t allow anyone to practice SLP, even under supervision, without a license. That means that if you will need to apply for a temporary license before even beginning your clinical fellowship. The temporary license will expire after one year.

However, counter-intuitively, you’re unable to apply for a temporary license until you have already applied for a full license.

For both applications, you’ll manage the application process online through the DELPROS system.

Along with your application, you’ll also need to include:

• An official graduate transcript
• A letter from your clinical practicum supervisor showing that you have completed at least 400 clock hours of supervised clinical experiences during your practicum
• A clinical fellowship plan form signed by your clinical supervisor (included in the application)

You can’t begin your clinical fellowship until your temporary license is issued. It will usually take about two weeks for your application to be processed.

If you choose a part-time 18-month clinical fellowship, you will need to get permission from the board to extend your temporary license.

During your fellowship you will be supervised in at least 36 defined activities, including 18 one-hour on-site observations and 18 other monitored activities. These activities could include:

• Assessing, diagnosing, and treating patients
• Working with the patients’ families to devise treatment plans
• Completing administrative work relating to patients.

You will also complete feedback sessions with your supervisor throughout the clinical fellowship. This is an important part of the mentorship, allowing you to draw on their wealth of field expertise to help build your own skills.

Your supervisor will need to document proof of completion of a clinical fellowship to apply for the CCC-SLP credential.

Future SLPs are responsible for lining up their own CF placements, although many colleges will get you pointed in the right direction. It’s also common for fellowships to be listed in with other regular SLP jobs on state and national listing sites.

Step 3. Pass the National Examination and Earn the CCC-SLP Credential

Your next step is to pass The National Speech-Language Pathology Exam.

You can register for the exam online through Praxis, an independent third-party provider that handles many educational testing services for state and independent credentialing bodies.

When registering online for the national exam, you’ll be required to furnish an official graduate transcript sent directly from your university and provide proof of completion of a clinical fellowship.

The 132 questions on the exam fall into the following categories:

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

The questions are meant to test knowledge in the areas of speech and production, voice and resonance, motor speech, receptive and expressive language, social and cognitive aspects of communication, augmentative and alternative communication, hearing, and feeding and swallowing.

You must score a 162 or higher on the national exam to pass out of a possible score of 200.

You will probably want to prepare by reviewing the speech-language pathology exam’s study companion.

Delaware has relatively few cities with Praxis test centers, but you’re not required to take the test in the same state as you are applying for licensure—an exam center in any nearby state will work just as well. Online testing from home is also an option these days, but you’ll need to be observed by a remote proctor through the process.

Step 4. Apply for Licensing through the Delaware Board of Speech Pathologists, Audiologists, and Hearing Aid Dispensers

After passing the national exam, you will apply for your Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP). The CCC-SLP credential is awarded through ASHA and is required to gain your full, unrestricted SLP license in Delaware.

Within six weeks, provided you meet all requirements, you should receive your CCC-SLP credential.

After receiving your certificate from ASHA, you’ll be eligible to complete your application with the Delaware Board of Speech Pathologists, Audiologists, and Hearing Aid Dispensers.

A copy of your certification card is all you need if you are applying by certification. Most of the other details are already confirmed and handled during the temporary licensing process when completing your RPE.

However, it’s also possible to apply for licensure by reciprocity. Delaware recognizes licenses issued in 20 other states as being similar enough to grant credentials even if you don’t hold CCC-SLP certification.

The Board is willing to consider other jurisdictions for reciprocal licensure even if they aren’t on the current list. However, you will need to submit a notarized letter from supervisors of your employers verifying you have practiced in that location for at least five years of experience. Failing five years of experience, you’ll need to submit copies of the laws and regulations of that jurisdiction for consideration.

Once licensed, you may begin your career as an independent SLP. Three traditional ways to get started are listed below:

Join the Clinic that Provided Your Fellowship Experience

You might choose to pursue employment with the clinic that provided your required professional experience. There are many benefits to this route, including the ability to maintain the relationships you’ve built with patients and staff.

Many clinics prefer to hire SLPs who have completed fellowships with them; some even advertise clinical fellowships as steppingstones to a full-time SLP position. If you’re interested in this route, be on your toes during your fellowship placement and a job offer is likely to follow.

Start an Independent Practice or Partnership

You also have the option to start your own independent practice and take on clients.

Starting your own practice can be very rewarding. You may choose this route if you feel that you already have clients that you’d like to work with independently, or if you want to focus on a specific patient population. Of course, you have to balance this with the challenges of being the boss, too. Taxes, paperwork, and employment issues all fall into your lap.

Pursue Job Openings With Other Treatment Centers and Healthcare Organizations

Like the great majority of SLPs, you may also choose to pursue employment with another healthcare provider in Delaware. There are hundreds of clinics, hospitals, rehab centers, and private practices in the state who need SLPs to fill vital roles. You may also consider working in public schools, private schools, or university programs.

Once you’ve become certified and licensed, you may also choose to seek specialty certifications through ASHA. These can boost your shot at jobs in certain specialist treatment facilities or with those who need a particular kind of expert on staff, such as someone skill in treating child language disorders.

Step 5. Maintain SLP Licensure and Complete Continuing Education Courses

In order to keep your SLP license current in Delaware, you’ll need to renew it every two years. Licenses expire on July 31 of every odd-numbered year.

Several weeks before the expiration date of your license, a renewal notice will be mailed to the address you have on record. The notice should explain how to access the online renewal application.

You’ll have to pay a renewal fee and state that you’ve complete 30 approved continuing education hours during the two-year licensing period.

Although the CCC-SLP is a requirement for Delaware licensure, the continuing education requirements for that credential differ from the Delaware license requirements.

During the two-year cycle, you’ll need to complete 30 continuing education hours that are approved by the Delaware board.

You will not be required to furnish proof of the CEs each renewal period, but licensees will be randomly selected each renewal period for CE audits, so you should be sure to keep documentation of all CE courses completed.

You have plenty of options for finding CE classes and events. DPR posts approved courses.

The Delaware Speech-Language-Hearing Association (DSHA) also supports the professional community in the state, often holding annual conventions and monthly events that can qualify for CE. These also allow the state’s licensed SLPs and students to network with each other and explore new therapeutic techniques and educational technologies. DSHA events have involved the exploration of such topics as intervention for individuals with behavior challenges and severe communication disorders, and the dynamic assessment and multi-tiered systems of support for language.

Speech-Language Pathology Salary in Delaware

Now we’re back to those generously compensated SLP jobs. The average salary for SLPs in Delaware is $92,070 annually or $44.27 an hour. Statewide, SLPs at the top of the salary spectrum can earn upwards of $122,680 a year, which works out to around $60 an hour or more.

SLPs in the metro Philadelphia area earn the highest average salary at $94,170 annually or $45.27 hourly. The average SLP salary in the metro Salisbury area is $93,020 annually or $44.72 hourly. The average SLP salary in Dover is $90,780 annually or $43.64 hourly.

Between 2020 and 2030 the US Department of Labor projects Delaware will see 70 SLP job openings every year, a job opening percentage that’s 10 points above the national average.

Salaries for Speech-Language Pathologists in Delaware’s Counties

Although it’s not a huge state, there are still differences in salary for Delaware SLPs that is based on location, as well. The range of salaries and hourly wages in Delaware regions is shown below for comparison (10th to 90th percentile):

Statewide:

• Annual: $65,040 – $122,680
• Hourly: $31.27 – $58.98

Dover:

• Annual: $62,090 – $129,360
• Hourly: $29.85 – $62.19

Metro Salisbury:

• Annual: $62,900 – $135,620
• Hourly: $30.24 – $65.20

Metro Philadelphia:

• Annual: $63,590 – $122,700
• Hourly: $30.57 – $58.99

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 202.

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