How to Become a Speech Therapist in Minnesota

By helping people through issues with communication, speech, and language, speech-language pathologists are more than highly-specialized healthcare professionals. They’re advocates who empower people to live better lives. SLPs in Minnesota take that duty very seriously. A prime example of their commitment came in 2015.

Before then, SLP services provided through telehealth platforms weren’t eligible for Medicaid reimbursement. Considering that many of Minnesota’s rural communities are quite isolated, that posed a serious problem for much of the population.

But thanks to continued advocacy on behalf of Minnesota’s SLP community, there’s a new way of doing things that puts the needs of patients first. Now, Minnesotans everywhere can receive Medicaid-reimbursed telehealth services without ever having to leave home.

However, a decade after this massive win, things are far from perfect.

In 2023, Nancy A. Thul, President of the Minnesota Speech-Language-Hearing Association (MNSHA) called for state legislators to create a licensing option for speech-language pathologist assistants (SLPAs) because, in her words:

“There continues to be a severe shortage of speech language pathologists in Minnesota, causing an emergency shortage of professionals with expertise in the effective treatment of communication disorders. We believe passing a bill to provide licensure for speech language pathology assistants is a key component to addressing this need.”

SLPA licensure is set to go into law in the summer of 2025, but that’s only part of the solution to the problem President Thul identified. The other part is filling the state with fully-licensed, extensively-trained speech-language pathologists. You can be a part of that effort by earning your SLP license through the Minnesota Speech Language Pathology and Audiology Advisory Council. Here’s how to do just that:

	Earn a Master’s Degree in Speech-Language Pathology from a CAA-Accredited Program
	Apply for a Temporary License and Begin a 36-week Supervised Clinical Fellowship
	Pass the National SLP Exam and Consider Earning the CCC-SLP Credential
	Apply for Licensing and Begin Practicing as a Speech-Language Pathologist
	Renew Your License Every Two Years and Complete Continuing Education Requirements

Step 1. Earn a Master’s Degree in Speech-Language Pathology from a CAA-Accredited Program

Minnesota has three pathways to speech-language pathologist licensure. You can either:

1. Earn a Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP) from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).
2. Meet ASHA’s qualifications for CCC-SLP certification and not actually earn CCC-SLP certification.
3. Earn your license in another state and transfer it to Minnesota through their reciprocity program.

But no matter which path you choose, the first step to becoming an SLP in Minnesota is earning a Master of Speech-Language Pathology or Master of Science in Communicative Science and Disorders. SLP programs tend to be competitive and only accept a certain number of students per year. While requirements vary depending on the university, most programs will require:

• An undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or above
• GRE quantitative score of 144 or above
• Excellent academic references

You might also consider volunteering in an SLP clinic or working with speech patients to build credibility before applying to a program, especially if your bachelor’s degree is not in communicative sciences and disorders.

The Minnesota SLP board requires that you receive your master’s degree from a program that has received accreditation from the Council on Academic Accreditation (CAA). There are five CAA-accredited programs in the state in addition to the CAA-accredited programs available online.

Depending on what you have completed during your undergraduate studies, you might need to complete prerequisite classes. According to ASHA, SLP graduate students need to have taken classes in:

• Biological sciences
• Chemistry or physics
• Statistics
• Behavioral or social sciences

You can take a wide range of classes to fulfill this requirement. For example, classes on physiology, neurobiology and more count towards the biological science requirement. Likewise, anthropology, economics, and even archaeology classes all count towards the social/behavioral science requirement.

If you need to fulfill any of the prerequisite requirements, you can take classes through a community college, online college, or through the school you’re earning your master’s in SLP from. SLP programs often offer online prerequisite courses for new students.

Once you’re ready to take on the core speech-language pathology curriculum, your classes will be built around ASHA’s Scope of Practice in Speech-Language Pathology, one of the single most important documents in the field.

Basically, this document lists what services SLPs need to be able to provide, what they need to know, and what their professional responsibilities entail. Each school approaches these topics a little differently, but common core SLP classes include:

• Diagnosis of Communication Disorders
• Dysphagia and Pediatric Dysphagia
• Applications in Communication Modalities
• Seminars in Augmentative Communication
• Orofacial Disorders
• Disorders in Infants and Toddlers
• Disorders in School-Age Children
• Advanced Fluency Disorders
• Neurogenic Language & Speech Disorders
• Tracheostomy, Ventilator Dependency, & Laryngectomy
• Counseling Application

After learning the fundamentals, you’ll take electives on the more advanced and nuanced aspects of the field. Once again, these offerings vary by institution, but a few electives you might take include:

• Audiology in a School Setting
• Cleft Palate Disorders & Treatment
• Treatment within the Autistic Community
• Neurocognitive Disorders & Treatment

You’ll also complete a clinical practicum through your graduate program. The practicum will allow you to shadow a licensed SLP and learn how to complete clinical and diagnostic procedures that are essential to working in the field.

Per ASHA regulations, you’ll complete a minimum of 400 practicum hours, but some programs require students to complete more. Most practicums are part-time meaning you’ll work and attend classes at the same time.

Step 2. Apply for a Temporary License and Begin a 36-week Supervised Clinical Fellowship

Now that you’ve graduated, you may apply for a temporary license and begin seeking a clinical fellowship sponsor. Your clinical fellowship will be regulated by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), and you must obtain a temporary license from the Minnesota SLP board in order to practice during your clinical fellowship, even under supervision.

To apply for your temporary license, you’ll need to mail the following documents to the board:

• Temporary license application, signed by your clinical fellowship supervisor
• Official graduate transcript

You can mail the documents to the Board at:

Minnesota Department of Health
Speech-Language Pathologist and Audiologist Licensing
P.O. Box 64882
St. Paul, Minnesota 55164

It usually takes one-two weeks for your application to be processed and to receive your temporary license. You won’t be able to begin your clinical fellowship until you hear back from the board.

Your clinical fellowship may be completed through full-time or part-time work, but it must be no less than 36 weeks or 1,260 hours of clinical experience.

Through your clinical fellowship, you’ll shadow a licensed SLP and gain experience:

• Assessing patients’ needs
• Diagnosing communicative disorders
• Developing written treatment plans with your supervisor
• Completing administrative tasks
• Working with varied populations

Per ASHA, 80% of your clinical fellowship hours should be spent working directly with patients. Your remaining time can be spent on administrative duties and other professional development activities.

Your supervisor will provide you with feedback as you move through the activities and can help you determine which skills you still need to complete.

At the end of the 36-week process, you’ll need to complete the Clinical Fellowship Report and Rating Form and submit it to ASHA through their online application portal.

Step 3. Pass the National SLP Exam and Consider Earning the CCC-SLP Credential

The next step is to pass ASHA’s National Examination on Speech-Language Pathology. The exam is hosted through Praxis, and you may register through their online portal. To register, you’ll need to provide proof of completion of an SLP master’s degree and a 36-week clinical fellowship.

The exam is scored on a 100-200 scale, and you’ll need a 162 to pass.

The questions are made up of topics that you’ll have covered in your core curriculum, such as common speech disorders, feeding and swallowing processes, and voice and resonance issues. You can find preparation materials on ASHA’s website.

When it comes time to take the exam, you can take it at home under the supervision of a proctor or at an exam center in:

• Bloomington
• Duluth
• Rochester
• Cloud
• Woodbury

You’ll receive your national exam scores back after about three weeks. Once you’ve received a passing score, you’re eligible to apply for licensure through the Minnesota SLP Board.

At this point, you’re also eligible for a Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology from ASHA. While you don’t legally need a CCC-SLP in Minnesota, this certification is the gold standard for speech-language pathologists nationwide. Holding it can broaden your job prospects and even help you get licensed in another state. If you choose to become certified, you can apply online.

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

You may now apply for licensing from the Minnesota SLP board. You’ll need to mail to the board:

• License Application
• Official graduate transcript
• Proof of completion of a supervised practicum
• Proof of completion of a supervised clinical fellowship
• Passing score on the National Examination in SLP

You’ll need to allow about six weeks for the board to process your application and to receive your license.

Upon becoming licensed as an SLP, you have several options of how to begin your career:

Work for Your Clinical Fellowship Provider

You might consider contacting your clinical fellowship provider about job opportunities at the clinic. Your supervisor can act as a reference for you, and you may already have established relationships with clients and clients’ families. This is often a good way to begin practicing in a familiar environment.

Consider Starting an Independent Practice

Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) help patients with communicative disorders meet their goals. In Minnesota, SLPs are particularly concerned with reaching students in the state’s rural school systems.

As a licensed SLP, you are able to start an independent practice or join a small partnership. If you’d like to focus on just a few clients or give attention to a specialty population, this is the route for you.

Pursue Job Openings in Minnesota

There are many school systems, rehab clinics, and hospitals in Minnesota which hire SLPs to perform speech therapy services. A few of these employers include:

• Family Achievement Center
• Fraser
• Fairview Health Services
• Minnetonka Pediatric Therapy Center
• Hennepin County Medical Center
• Encore Rehabilitation Services
• Intrepid Health
• Allina Health
• Wayzata Public Schools
• Big Stone Therapies

Step 5. Renew Your License Every Two Years and Complete Continuing Education Requirements

The Minnesota SLP board requires that you renew your license every two years with proof of completion of 30 contact hours of continuing education.

To renew, you may use the online system.

You can participate in continuing education credits such as workshops, seminars, conferences and classes that are hosted by ASHA, the MSHA, or another state or nationally recognized association related to speech-language pathology.

You’ll need to keep track of your hours with the CE Reporting Form.

Speech-Language Pathology Salary in Minnesota

The average SLP salary in Minnesota is $83,990 per year, or $40.38 an hour. That’s higher than the average SLP wage in all neighboring states.

Minnesota SLPs at the higher end of the income spectrum break six figures with an annual salary starting at $101,650 or $48.87 an hour.

The Twin Cities offer the highest average SLP salary in the state. They’re also home to 63% (2,280 professionals) of the state’s total workforce of 3,640 SLPs. In fact, the St. Paul-Minneapolis area is home to more speech-language pathologists than most other metro areas in the country.

St. Cloud, Rochester, and La Crosse follow the Twin Cities for offering the highest average SLP salaries in the state.

As far as demand goes, between 2020 and 2030, the number of SLP jobs in Minnesota is forecast to increase by 26%, well above the national rate of 19%. That means an average of 280 SLP job openings every year over that period statewide.

Salaries for Speech-Language Pathologists in Minnesota’s Major Cities

Where you work affects how much you earn. You can compare the following locations throughout Minnesota, sorted with the highest average SLP salary first. Figures are listed as the range from average to high-end (90th percentile) salary:

Minneapolis-St. Paul:

• Annual: $85,590 – $102,100
• Hourly: $41.15 – $49.09

St. Cloud:

• Annual: $82,670 – $101,840
• Hourly: $39.75 – $48.96

Rochester:

• Annual: $82,490 – $95,710
• Hourly: $39.66 – $46.02

Metro La Crosse:

• Annual: $81,780 – $100,620
• Hourly: $39.32 – $48.38

Rural Southwest Minnesota:

• Annual: $81,090 – $100,510
• Hourly: $38.99 – $48.32

Rural Northeast Minnesota:

• Annual: $80,740 – $104,000
• Hourly: $38.82 – $50.00

Rural Northwest Minnesota:

• Annual: $80,590 – $98,510
• Hourly: $38.75 – $47.36

Mankato:

• Annual: $80,120 – $97,610
• Hourly: $38.52 – $46.93

Rural Southeast Minnesota:

• Annual: $79,150 – $98,510
• Hourly: $38.05 – $47.36

Duluth:

• Annual: $78,910 – $96,320
• Hourly: $37.94 – $46.31

Metro Grand Forks:

• Annual: $73,140 – $98,610
• Hourly: $35.16 – $47.41

Metro Fargo:

• Annual: $72,030 – $101,500
• Hourly: $34.63 – $48.80

Respected Clinics Offering SLP Services in Minnesota

In addition to employment in schools, hospitals, nursing homes and other residential care settings, private clinics offer job opportunities for speech-language pathologists. A number of these type of clinics operate across Minnesota:

• Andover: Family Speech & Therapy Services
• Duluth: Scottish Rite Language
• Edina: Family Speech & Therapy Services
• Edina: Minnesota Voice & Speech Clinic
• Faribault: Southern Minnesota Speech Pathology
• Hutchinson: Hutchinson Health Speech Pathology Clinic
• Inner Grove Heights: Therapy OPS
• Isanti: Therapy Associates, Inc.
• Maplewood: Associated Speech and Language Specialists
• Maplewood: Functional Kids Clinic
• Maple Grove: Kidspeak
• Minneapolis: Verbal Design Services, Inc.
• Minnetonka: Bertone Speech Language & Comm
• Oakdale: Center for Speech, Language and Learning, Inc.
• Osseo: Speech and Language Connections
• Otsego: Family Speech & Therapy Services
• Plymouth: Associated Speech & Language
• Plymouth: Minnetonka Pediatric Therapy
• Shoreview: Associated Speech & Language
• Paul: ACE Speech and Language Clinic, LLC
• Paul: Center for Speech, Language and Learning, Inc.
• Virginia: Essentia Health-Virginia Clinic: Speech & Language Therapy

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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