How to Become a Speech Therapist in Michigan

With eight institutions in Michigan that offer CAA-accredited graduate programs in speech-language pathology, and more offered online, the state is home to a thriving community of clinical practitioners, academics, researchers and policy advocates focused on communicative sciences and disorders.

At the center of this network is the Michigan Speech-Language-Hearing Association (MSHA). Formed in 1939, MSHA is the cornerstone of Michigan’s SLP professional community. In 2024, they honored Dr. Alice K. Silbergleit for developing the Dysphagia Handicap Index, a groundbreaking tool that practitioners around the country use to track the efficacy of treatment.

But MSHA doesn’t just shine on an individual level. Their members come together to offer speech pathology scholarships, hold advocacy events, and put on conferences and workshops that help practitioners learn new skills and help more people.

When you become a speech-language pathologist in Michigan, you’re entering a community that truly cares about its work and pushes it to new heights.

In this guide, we’ll walk through how you can earn your SLP license through the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs – Board of Speech-Language Pathology:

	Earn a Speech Therapy Degree: Complete a Master’s Degree Program in Communicative Sciences and Disorders
	Complete a Supervised Postgraduate Clinical Experience
	Pass the National SLP Praxis Exam
	Apply for Licensing and Begin Practicing as a Speech-Language Pathologist
	Keep your License Current and Complete Continuing Education Requirements

Step 1. Earn a Speech Therapist Degree: Complete a Master’s Degree Program in Communicative Sciences and Disorders

The Michigan Board of Speech-Language Pathology requires candidates for licensure to hold a Master of Speech-Language Pathology. The program must be accredited by ASHA’s Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA), or be housed in a school with basic institutional accreditation.

However, if your degree comes from a program not accredited by the CAA, you’ll have to submit a course-by-course summary of your education to ensure you’re prepared for licensure. Enrolling in a CAA-accredited program offers the assurance that your curriculum meets all requirements.

Graduating from a CAA-accredited program is also required to earn a Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech Language Pathology (CCC-SLP) from ASHA.

You don’t technically need a CCC-SLP to become a speech-language pathologist in Michigan. But as the most respected credential in the field, it’s the recognized standard in professional practice. You’ll find that most employers either require it or have a strong preference for candidates that hold it. The CCC-SLP will open up career opportunities in Michigan, and anywhere in the country.

Admissions Requirements and Foundational Courses

SLP graduate programs can be competitive. Admissions departments look for GPAs above 3.0. Having a Bachelor of Communicative Sciences and Disorders isn’t required, but it can be helpful. Fortunately, most programs today don’t require GRE or GMAT scores.

That being said, though, CAA-accredited programs require students to have taken prerequisite courses in four areas:

• Biology
• Statistics
• Chemistry or physics
• Social or behavioral sciences

Classes you took during undergrad and any AP classes that appear on your transcript count. If you still need to take classes in any of these areas, you can take them online through just about any accredited college or community college. Master-level SLP programs also typically offer online prerequisite classes to new students.

Graduate-Level Courses

You can earn a Master of Speech-Language Pathology in two years as a full-time student. In that time, you’ll cover the foundations of the field and take classes on more advanced, specialized topics, too. You’ll even get the chance to work with fully-licensed SLPs, serving clients under their guidance and supervision.

As far as foundational classes go, CAA-accredited programs build their curriculum around ASHA’s Scope of Practice in Speech-Language Pathology. This document fully fleshes out what services SLPs should be trained to offer, what issues they should be prepared to assist with, and what duties their jobs entail.

However, schools are allowed to approach these topics in any way they see fit. Exact courses vary by program, but core classes often include:

• Child Language Disorders/Preschool
• Child Language Disorders/ School Age
• Articulation & Phonological Issues
• Aphasia
• SLP Diagnostics
• Neurocognitive Disorders
• Voice & Velopharyngeal Disorders
• Motor Speech & Treatment
• Fluency & Resonance

Once you have a firm grasp of the basics, you’ll have room in your schedule to take more specialized classes. For example, you might learn how to assist patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder or dive deeper into fluency disorders.

Your Clinical Practicum

Along with classroom courses, your program will also require a practicum. A practicum is completed in a clinic under the direct supervision of a licensed SLP. According to ASHA, practicums should be at least 400 hours long.

375 of those hours will be dedicated to working directly with patients. This includes assessment, diagnosis, treatment planning, and providing therapy.

Up to 25 hours can be spent doing guided observation. This is an exercise in which you’ll watch your supervisor perform treatment then discuss what you observed in detail.

Step 2. Complete a Supervised Postgraduate Clinical Experience

You’ll need to complete 1,260 hours of a clinical fellowship program before moving on to licensing. The clinical fellowship is completed after you’ve earned your master’s degree but before becoming fully licensed to practice—the idea is to help you gain experience with a variety of populations and patients so that you’ll be fully prepared to serve patients with a range of communicative disorders once you’ve started your career.

Your supervisor—who must be a licensed SLP in the state of Michigan—will help you develop a plan for your clinical experience, breaking it down into sections and tasks to be completed. You’ll also participate in feedback sessions with your supervisor to be sure you’re meeting the expected outcomes.

At least 1,008 hours of the 1,260 hours must involve clinical contact, including direct client or client assessment, consultations, recordkeeping, and administrative duties.

You’ll also complete on-site observations, including screening, evaluation, assessment, and habilitation or rehabilitation activities.

Michigan also requires that you complete training in identifying victims of human trafficking before becoming licensed. The training is meant to help you:

• Understand the venues of human trafficking
• Identify victims in healthcare settings
• Identify the warning signs
• Have a knowledge of resources for reporting the suspected victims of human trafficking

The training must be completed through a nationally recognized or state-recognized health-related organization. This could include ASHA or MSHA. It’s usually completed during your clinical fellowship period.

Earning Your Temporary License

In Michigan, you need to have a temporary license before beginning your postgraduate clinical experience. You’re eligible once you earn your master’s. You’ll need to submit your transcripts and a plan for your clinical experience to the Board.

Many other states have this requirement as well, but temporary licenses in Michigan are only good for 12 months. It usually takes about nine months to earn your clinical experience hours. If you need a little more flexibility, you can reach out to the Board for guidance.

Step 3. Pass the National Examination in Speech-Language Pathology

The Michigan board requires that you receive a passing score of at least 162 on the National Speech-Language Pathology exam. The exam is developed by ASHA and offered through standardized testing company Praxis.

The test will cover topics such as:

• Feeding and Swallowing
• Therapeutic Measures
• Voice Resonance
• Speech and Production
• Motor Speech
• Variances in Language
• Social and Cognitive Aspects of Communication
• Hearing Processes

You can register for the exam online, but be prepared to provide transcripts and proof that you’ve completed a postgraduate clinical experience. ASHA has a number of resources on their website to help you prepare.

You can either take the exam at home with an online proctor or at a Praxis test center in:

• Ann Arbor
• Detroit
• East Lansing
• Grand Rapids
• Lansing
• Livonia
• Mount Pleasant
• Sault STE Marie
• Troy

When you have received your passing score on the national exam, you can choose whether you want to seek CCC-SLP certification through ASHA or not. Either way, at this point, you’re ready to apply for your SLP license in Michigan.

Step 4. Apply for Licensing and Begin Practicing as a Speech-Language Pathologist

It may take a few weeks to receive your scores from the national exam, but once you receive them you can apply for your license through the Michigan Professional Licensing User System (MiPlus).

You’ll need to submit:

• A $207.40 fee
• The Good Moral Character questionnaire
• Proof of completion of a human trafficking identification program
• A criminal background check
• Official transcripts from your graduate program
• Proof of completion of your postgraduate clinical experience
• Exam scores

If you’ve already earned the CCC-SLP credential, you can reduce necessary paperwork by submitting a verification from ASHA.

After a few weeks, your application will be processed and your license issued. Now you may begin seeking a career in SLP in Michigan.

Join the Clinic That Provided Postgraduate Clinical Experience

One option to begin your career is to join the clinic that provided you with your postgraduate clinical experience. You may already be familiar with the clinic’s procedures, staff, and patients, so this is often an easy way to transition into the career.

Consider Starting an Independent Practice

In Michigan, your SLP license allows you to practice independently. If you’d like the flexibility of setting your own schedule and taking on specific client populations, you may want to go this route. You can also start a partnership with another SLP.

Pursue Job Openings in Michigan

Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) in Michigan fill vital roles throughout the state in private practices, hospitals, and the school system.

Regardless of your career goals as an SLP, there are plenty of opportunities for you in Michigan. You might seek employment through the following providers or similar entities:

• Rehab Care
• Advantage Therapy Services
• Therapists Unlimited
• Education Support Services
• Detroit Premier Academy
• Botsford Hospital
• Encore Rehabilitation Services
• Peyton and Davenport
• Spectrum Health
• Beaumont Hospitals
• Mid-Michigan Health
• Samaritas
• Custom Home Health

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

You’ll have to renew your SLP license every two years with proof of 20 hours of continuing education. In Michigan, there are a lot of ways to meet this requirement.

The most common way to earn hours is by attending classes and seminars offered by ASHA or Michigan’s boards of medicine, audiology and SLP, or osteopathic medicine. Courses offered by similar boards in other states count, as well. You can also take classes through continuing education providers approved by any of these organizations.

On top of that, you can earn hours by reading articles, presenting at conferences, writing articles, and leading education courses yourself. However, the Board limits how many hours you can earn from each of these activities.

No matter what you do, though, you’ll have to complete at least one continuous professional development activity focused on pain and symptom management. When all of that’s complete, you can submit your hours through MiPlus along with a $165.40 fee.

Speech-Language Pathology Salary in Michigan

At $83,610 or $40.21 an hour, the average salary for SLPs in Michigan is pretty high. The state’s highest-earning speech-language pathologists make upwards of $104,430 or $50.21 an hour.

The cities offering the highest average SLP salaries in Michigan are Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids, Monroe, and Detroit. However, the highest of the highest-earners work in Ann Arbor, Saginaw, Bay City, and Lansing.

You can compare the following cities, listed in order of highest average SLP salary. Data is also provided for the entry-level (10th percentile) and high-end (90th percentile) salaries:

Ann Arbor:

• Average: $89,690 yearly, $43.12 hourly
• Entry-level: $61,330 yearly, $29.49 hourly
• High-end: $115,530 yearly, $55.54 hourly

Grand Rapids:

• Average: $87,990 yearly, $42.30 hourly
• Entry-level: $61,280 yearly, $29.46 hourly
• High-end: $102,870 yearly, $49.46 hourly

Monroe:

• Average: $86,720 yearly, $41.69 hourly
• Entry-level: $61,830 yearly, $29.73 hourly
• High-end: $102,650 yearly, $49.35 hourly

Detroit:

• Average: $84,080 yearly, $40.42 hourly
• Entry-level: $59,160 yearly, $28.44 hourly
• High-end: $104,560 yearly, $50.27 hourly

Lansing:

• Average: $83,760 yearly, $40.27 hourly
• Entry-level: $56,750 yearly, $27.28 hourly
• High-end: $107,360 yearly, $51.62 hourly

Saginaw:

• Average: $83,700 yearly, $40.24 hourly
• Entry-level: $55,680 yearly, $26.77 hourly
• High-end: $114,310 yearly, $54.96 hourly

Battle Creek:

• Average: $82,790 yearly, $39.80 hourly
• Entry-level: $56,130 yearly, $26.99 hourly
• High-end: $105,060 yearly, $50.51 hourly

Jackson:

• Average: $82,490 yearly, $39.66 hourly
• Entry-level: $59,330 yearly, $28.53 hourly
• High-end: $102,840 yearly, $49.44 hourly

Flint:

• Average: $82,370 yearly, $39.60 hourly
• Entry-level: $55,980 yearly, $26.91 hourly
• High-end: $103,070 yearly, $49.55 hourly

Midland:

• Average: $81,790 yearly, $39.32 hourly
• Entry-level: $56,390 yearly, $27.11 hourly
• High-end: $102,610 yearly, $49.33 hourly

Niles-Benton Harbor

• Average: $81,480 yearly, $39.17 hourly
• Entry-level: $62,080 yearly, $29.85 hourly
• High-end: $98,060 yearly, $47.15 hourly

Metro South Bend:

• Average: $81,310 yearly, $39.09 hourly
• Entry-level: $52,880 yearly, $25.42 hourly
• High-end: $106,750 yearly, $51.32 hourly

Bay City:

• Average: $80,120 yearly, $38.52 hourly
• Entry-level: $62,160 yearly, $29.88 hourly
• High-end: $108,350 yearly, $52.09 hourly

Kalamazoo:

• Average: $79,360 yearly, $38.16 hourly
• Entry-level: $60,830 yearly, $29.25 hourly
• High-end: $102,860 yearly, $49.45 hourly

Muskegon:

• Average: $77,680 yearly, $37.35 hourly
• Entry-level: $56,180 yearly, $27.01 hourly
• High-end: $97,480 yearly, $46.87 hourly

Strong Job Growth and Increasing Opportunities for Michigan’s SLPs

Michigan is home to a total of 4,420 SLP professionals. The top-five cities for employment are:

• Detroit, home to 1,940 SLPs
• Grand Rapids, home to 520 SLPs
• Ann Arbor, home to 220 SLPs
• Lansing, home to 190 SLPs
• Flint, home to 170 SLPs

Between 2020 and 2030 the number of SLPs in Michigan is projected to increase by 22%, higher than the national average. That’s equivalent to an average of 340 SLP job openings each year.

US News & World Report featured the profession as the 3rd best job in the healthcare field. The publication also noted that the salaries for speech-language pathologists have “seen a spike in recent years.” In Michigan the average SLP salary increased by 3.4% between 2019 and 2023.

While many SLPs practice in schools, hospitals, residential care facilities and in social services, private clinics also offer another avenue of employment. Michigan boasts a number of such clinics that specialize in speech therapy:

• Ann Arbor: Pediatric Speech-Language Pathology at Briarwood Milestones
• Dearborn: Dearborn Speech & Sensory Center
• Farmington: Listening and Language Connections, LLC
• Farmington Hills: Daly’s Stuttering Center
• Farmington Hills: More Than Words Speech Therapy
• Flint: Speech Language Learning Center
• Grand Rapids: Family Tree Therapies
• Jackson: Comprehensive Speech
• Kalamazoo: Kalamazoo Speech Associates
• Kalamazoo: Robin D. Pollens, MS
• Northville: Talking Point Speech Therapy, LLC
• Petoskey: Abby D Center
• Royal Oak: Pure KaiZen
• Trenton: Communication and Speech Services
• Troy: Associates Speech and Language Therapy
• Troy: Como Pediatric Communication Center, LLC
• Waterford Township: Integrate Speech Therapy Solutions
• West Bloomfield Township: Kaufman Children’s Center for Speech, Language, Sensory-Motor and Social Connect
• West Bloomfield Township: Milstein Pediatric Speech

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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