How to Become a Speech Therapist in Maine

All the way up in the corner of the country, Maine doesn’t land on a lot of short lists when people are thinking about breakthroughs and services in speech therapy.

Yet the fact that we aren’t exactly center stage is behind some significant advances in treatment that happen up here in the Pine Tree State. Out there in the woods, there are young kids and old folks who have trouble with some of the basics—stuttering and cluttering, swallowing issues, or fluency disorders.

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All of them need and deserve assistance, and they get it through breakthroughs in teletherapy and other innovations driven by an increasing number of expert SLPs based in the state.

In fact, the number of SLP jobs in Maine is projected to increase by 18% of the decade leading up to 2030.

To become a speech therapist in Maine, you will need to earn a license through the Board of Speech, Audiology, and Hearing. That requires a tough, years-long sequence of completing a master’s degree in speech-language pathology, a 36-week clinical fellowship, and passing the national SLP exam.

You’ll need to follow these steps to become a licensed speech-language pathologist in Maine:

 

Complete a Qualifying Master’s Degree Program in Speech-Language Pathology
Complete a 36-Week Clinical Fellowship Program
Pass the Speech-Language Pathologist Praxis Examination
Become Licensed and Begin Your Career as a Speech-Language Pathologist
Maintain SLP Licensure and Complete Continuing Education Requirements

 

 

Step 1. Complete a Qualifying Master’s Degree Program in Speech-Language Pathology

To earn SLP licensure in Maine, you must complete a master’s or higher degree in speech-language pathology through a program that is accredited by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Council on Academic Accreditation (CAA).

CAA-accredited online speech-language pathology graduate programs are a popular option for students in Maine. The many online SLP programs across the country have allowed more students than ever to pursue their graduate education in the communicative sciences and disorders, thanks to their flexible scheduling options and web-based delivery methods.

Online CAA-accredited SLP programs are particularly beneficial for students in Maine, considering the rural nature of the state and the great distances required to attend on-campus programs.

Undergraduate Requirements to Enter Master’s Programs in Speech-Language Pathology

While a bachelor’s degree in the field of communication sciences and disorders will make for the quickest path into an SLP master’s program, you can still pursue a master’s degree if your undergraduate degree is in another field.

Most SLP master’s programs will actually help you with the completion of prerequisite and foundational courses online before you begin your graduate studies.

These courses typically include:

  • Speech and Language Development
  • Speech Science
  • Diagnostic Audiology
  • Anatomy and Physiology of the Speech Mechanism
  • Phonetics

Graduate Level Curriculum

Whether through a bachelor’s degree or a quick package of prerequisites, once you get the basics out of the way, you can start in on the advanced classes that truly make an SLP. Master’s degree programs consist of approximately 48 credits and take between 2 to 3 years to complete. Some of the core courses in a master’s degree in SLP include:

  • Articulation and Phonology Disorders
  • Voice Disorders
  • Language Disorders in Children
  • Seminar in Clinical Procedures
  • Diagnostic Process in Speech-Language Pathology
  • Neurocognitive Disorders in Adults

Your graduate program will include a clinical practicum of at least 400 hours—25 of which must be spent in client observation and 375 of which must be spent in direct client contact in order to meet Maine’s licensing requirements.

 

 

Step 2. Complete a 36-Week Clinical Fellowship Program

After completing your master’s degree, you’ll transition to the practical portion of your training. That means going on to a clinical fellowship program that consists of 36 weeks of supervised professional experience. It will happen under the guidance and mentorship of currently licensed speech-language pathologists in the state.

Maine doesn’t allow anyone, even under supervision, to practice SLP without a license, however. For your clinical fellowship experience, you’ll need a temporary SLP license.

To apply for a temporary license, you will need to fill out an application and pay a $71 license fee.

During your clinical fellowship, you’ll encounter a wide variety of real-world scenarios that demand different solutions. ASHA has drafted a Scope of Practice for SLPs that details some of the tasks you’ll become familiar with, such as how to assess and diagnose disorders, suggest treatment plans, and help clients with advocacy issues in the State Legislature.

You pursue and secure a fellowship opportunity much the same way you would any job. As you look for employers in speech rehab interested in taking on a fellow, consider your own career goals and interests, too. This is your first opportunity to gain real world experience in a practice setting that interests you, and your fellowship could lead to full time employment once you are licensed.

 

 

Step 3. Pass the Speech-Language Pathologist Praxis Examination

A passing score on the national SLP exam, administered by Praxis, is the final requirement for state licensure as an SLP in Maine. You’ll start by registering for the exam on the Praxis website at any time after your fellowship.

The exam consists of 132 questions that must be completed in 150 minutes. The exam is divided into three different categories, which you can study using the preparation materials direct from Praxis. The test content will cover subjects like:

  • Foundations and Professional Practice – 1/3 of the exam
    • Factors that influence communication, feeding, and swallowing
    • Wellness and prevention
    • Counseling, collaboration, and teaming
    • Research methodology and evidence-based practice
  • Screening, Assessment, Evaluation, and Diagnosis – 1/3 of the exam
    • Causes of genetic and developmental diseases
    • Assessment of fluency, hearing, feeding, and swallowing issues
    • Assessing factors that influence communication and swallowing disorders
    • Developing case histories
  • Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation of Treatment – 1/3 of the exam
    • Treatment of fluency, hearing, feeding, and swallowing disorders
    • Communication impairments related to cognition
    • Generating a prognosis
    • Developing treatment plans and recommendations

A passing score on the exam is 162 on a scale of 100-200.

Pursuing Optional CCC-SLP Certification

After passing the Praxis exam, you can also apply for CCC-SLP (Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology) certification through the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). Although CCC-SLP certification is not a requirement for state licensure, you may choose to earn this designation because of the professional opportunities it presents.

You can also submit proof of your CCC-SLP certification in lieu of providing other documents when applying for your Maine license if you have performed your fellowship and education outside the state. Since the requirements for the CCC-SLP are basically similar, though, you’ll already have provided the necessary proof to ASHA.

 

 

Step 4. Become Licensed and Begin Your Career as a Speech-Language Pathologist

You have a few different paths to completing your licensure process in Maine.

If you performed your clinical fellowship here, then you can save yourself some time simply by changing the status of your temporary license to a permanent one. This only costs $50 and requires providing documentation of your completed fellowship and a passing score on the Praxis exam.

If you went through the process out-of-state, you will start from scratch by filling out the Application for Licensure. You’ll submit it to the Board along with your graduate transcripts, fellowship documentation, and exam scores. Alternatively, if you hold a CCC-SLP you can simply submit that along with your graduate transcript.

Finally, if you are currently licensed in another jurisdiction and not under any investigation or disciplinary action, you can apply under reciprocity with proof of that licensure. You’ll also need to provide a copy of laws or rules from your current state to validate the standards are similar to Maine’s.

Either of those two methods requires paying a $71 license fee.

Pursuing Employment in Maine as a Licensed SLP

With a license in hand, a number of professional opportunities are available to you:

  • You may secure full time employment with the clinic, school, hospital, rehab center or long-term care facility where you completed your clinical fellowship to begin your career.
  • Many SLPs choose to be their own boss, starting their own independent practice and traveling to see their clients. Telepractice is also a common pursuit, allowing SLPs to work from home while providing distance-based speech and language services to their clients.

ASHA offers different specialty certifications that highlight your specific SLP skillset and complement the CCC-SLP you may now hold. These can boost your job prospects in specific types of clinics, and include:

Specialty certification is especially important if you are offering specialized services as an independent practitioner. Learn more about Clinical Specialty Certification through ASHA.

 

 

Step 5. Maintain SLP Licensure and Complete Continuing Education Requirements

To keep your license up to date, you’ll need to renew it each year. You can renew your license online upon receiving notification from the Board. The annual cost of renewal is $50.

You also need to keep your skills up to date through the completion of 10 continuing education hours each year. That’s right in line with ASHA requirements for the CCC-SLP as well, so you can keep up both credentials without duplicating effort.

The Maine Speech-Language-Hearing Association offers continuing education opportunities in the form of a yearly conference course, conventional courses, and other programs. They also offer a connection to a statewide professional network, career advancement assistance, and professional advocacy.

 

 

Speech-Language Pathology Salary in Maine

The average SLP salary in Maine is nothing to scoff at… most SLPs are looking at $79,310 annually or $38.13 per hour. But after you’ve spent some time building your expertise and experience, you may find yourself landing closer to the high-end salary for SLPs in the state (90th percentile salary): $100,250 yearly or $48.20 per hour.

As the demand grows in Maine for speech-language pathology services, projections show an average of 60 SLP job openings every year over the decade leading up to 2030.

Demonstrating the importance Maine places on the SLP profession, Maine’s regions have some of the highest concentrations of SLPs in the nation. From the state’s total of 780 SLPs:

  • Rural Southwest Maine is home to 260 SLPs
  • Portland is home to 230 SLPs
  • Bangor is home to 110 SLPs
  • Rural Northeast Maine is home to 100 SLPs

Salaries of Speech-Language Pathologists in Maine’s Counties

Where you work also has an influence on how much you earn. Maine’s larger cities offer higher average SLP salaries than its rural areas. Metro Portsmouth offers the highest average SLP salary and the highest top-end SLP salary.

When it comes to the high end of SLP salaries, metro Portsmouth, Bangor, metro Dover, and rural Southwest Maine all break six figures.

Here are regions in Maine listed in order of highest average salary, along with their low-to-high salary range (10th percentile to 90th percentile):

Metro Portsmouth:

  • Average: $90,280 annually, $43.40 hourly
  • Low to high range: $58,860 – $114,810 annually, $28.30 – $55.20 hourly

Portland:

  • Average: $83,030 annually, $39.92 hourly
  • $67,230 – $99,870 annually, $32.32 – $48.01 hourly

Bangor:

  • Average: $81,680 annually, $39.27 hourly
  • $63,320 – $102,150 annually, $30.44 – $49.11 hourly

Lewiston:

  • Average: $80,610 annually, $38.76 hourly
  • $57,680 – $97,950 annually, $27.73 – $47.09 hourly

Metro Dover:

  • Average: $78,440 annually, $37.71 hourly
  • $52,360 – $102,830 annually, $25.17 – $49.44 hourly

Rural Southwest Maine:

  • Average: $77,770 annually, $37.39 hourly
  • $49,130 – $102,310 annually, $23.62 – $49.19 hourly

Rural Northeast Maine:

  • Average: $72,020 annually, $34.62 hourly
  • $35,980 – $97,100 annually, $17.30 – $46.68 hourly

Videoconferencing Helps Seniors and Students Obtain Speech Therapy in Rural Maine

With the baby boomer population growing older, the number of people in need of speech therapy due to stroke and hearing loss increased dramatically in recent years. Obtaining such specialized help is a particular problem for the residents of rural Maine. In addition, providing specialized help to schoolchildren with conditions such as autism proves prohibitively expensive in rural parts of the state.

The Portland Press Herald described how professor Judy Walker helps to solve these problems with a videoconferencing program that she developed at the University of Maine. Speech-language pathologists use online video technology to provide help to people in distant parts of the state.

Walker funded the program with a $174,000 grant from the Next Generation Foundation of Maine and has since expanded it in a partnership with an international school in Fiji. Walker and her program continue to provide critical speech therapy to people who otherwise lack access to these services. You may be one of the next to pitch in to address those critical issues.

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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