How to Become a Speech Therapist in New York

Written by Sarah Keller, Last Updated: November 20, 2025

There are plenty of reasons why becoming a speech-language pathologist in New York just makes good sense. New York has the third-highest employment level for speech-language pathologists, the highest concentration of speech-language pathology jobs, and average salaries that rank among the highest in the nation. If you’re looking to become an SLP in New York, you’ve got a lot to look forward to.

Even beyond incentives like job security and a comfortable salary, the many innovative speech-therapy practices in New York create an inspiring environment full of opportunities to improve patients’ quality of life. For example, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Western New York Healthcare System offers a full range of speech pathology services. In addition to audiological services, the VA provides SLP services for veterans with a wide range of communication and swallowing disorders. Speech-language pathologists here provide screening, evaluation, and treatment for speech, swallowing, language, voice, and cognitive-communication disorders.

If you want to become a speech-language pathologist in New York, you’ll need to become licensed through the New York State Education Department Office of the Professions.

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

To be eligible for SLP licensure in New York, you’ll need to earn an SLP master’s degree that’s accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA), part of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). There are currently 27 CAA-accredited master’s programs in speech-language pathology in New York.

If you’re interested in pursuing a flexible program that may be completed while you work, a CAA-accredited online program is well worth considering. Online programs may offer you a greater variety of specializations, and you’ll be able to complete coursework while maintaining your professional responsibilities.

Admissions Requirements

You won’t need an undergraduate degree in communication sciences and disorders to qualify for an SLP master’s degree, but if your degree is unrelated, you will have to complete fundamental prerequisites and prove your dedication to the field. Undergraduate prerequisites would typically consist of courses in:

• Sound and Auditory Mechanisms
• Anatomy & Physiology of the Speech Mechanism
• Phonetics
• Clinical Audiology
• Introduction to Communication Disorders

School admissions offices may require you to provide a statement of purpose, academic references, and a resume that shows you’ve put volunteer hours into the field or worked in a speech-language pathology clinic in a non-clinical role. You’ll also need to submit GRE scores.

Core Courses and Electives

Core coursework covers topics such as:

• Development of Speech & Language
• Survey of Speech Disorders
• Acquired Neurogenic Speech Disorders
• Speech & Hearing Science
• Language Disorders in Children
• Audiological Assessment and Rehabilitation for SLPs
• Advanced Anatomy, Physiology, Neurology of the Speech Mechanism

Electives will give you the opportunity to study topics you’re interested in learning more about:

• Acquired Language Disorders
• Diagnostic Procedures
• Oral Motor Function
• Autism Spectrum Disorders
• Bilingual Speech Pathology
• Health Preparation for SLPs

Clinical Practicum

You’ll also need to complete at least 400 clock hours of a practicum during your graduate program to be eligible for licensure in the state. A practicum is your first opportunity to work directly with patients suffering from speech disorders. You’ll learn to evaluate patients, diagnose their impairments, and develop treatment plans under the supervision of a New York-licensed SLP.

Step 2. Pass the SLP Praxis Exam

To become a licensed SLP in New York, you’ll need to take and pass the Praxis Speech-Language Pathology Exam (Praxis exam 5331). You’ll register for this exam through Praxis and choose a date, time, and location that’s convenient for you.

In New York, you can take the exam at any one of the following testing center sites:

• Albany
• Brooklyn
• Buffalo
• East Syracuse
• Melville
• New York City
• Plattsburgh
• Poughkeepsie
• Purchase
• Queens
• Rochester
• Tonawanda
• Utica
• Vestal
• Watertown
• Westbury

The Praxis study companion includes practice questions and a breakdown of the topics you can expect to encounter on the test:

• Evaluating factors that can affect treatment
• Initiating and prioritizing treatment and developing goals
• Determining appropriate treatment details
• Generating a prognosis
• Communicating recommendations
• General treatment principles and procedures
• Speech sound production
• Voice, resonance, and motor speech
• Receptive and expressive language
• Social aspects of communication
• Communication impairments related to cognition
• Swallowing and feeding

You’ll need to score a 162 on a 100-200 scale in order to meet New York Board requirements for licensure and ASHA requirements for the CCC-SLP credential. Praxis scores are valid for 5 years in New York.

Step 3. Apply for a Limited License and Complete a 36-Week Supervised Clinical Fellowship

After you graduate from your SLP master’s degree, you must complete a minimum of 36 weeks of supervised experience in a speech-language pathology clinical fellowship that includes direct clinical work with patients or students, consultations, record keeping, and other duties relevant to clinical practice.

At least two-thirds of the fellowship should involve direct clinical contact with patients with communication disorders. You must complete your fellowship within a four-year period on a part-time or full-time basis. Full-time is considered 36 weeks, while part-time is at least 12 hours per week, in continuous employment of no less than six months.

Your post-graduate fellowship will build on the skills you learned during your practicum and allow you to gain supervised experience in completing the day-to-day tasks of an SLP. Supervised activities will include assessing, diagnosing, evaluating, screening, and treating patients. You’ll work with your supervisor to develop treatment plans and implement them with their guidance. You’ll also meet with patients’ families to provide consultations and direction on how the family can continue and support treatment with activities at home. You’ll be expected to complete case histories and other administrative documentation required by your position.

Before you begin your fellowship, you may apply for a Limited License as a Speech-Language Pathologist (form 1LL) through the online system of the Office of the Professions. This is OPTIONAL. It was created for settings that require direct billing to Medicare programs. Not all settings require direct billing.

Before you begin your fellowship, you and your supervisor must complete and submit the Identification of Supervisor and Setting form to the Office of Professions. Your supervisor must also complete and submit the Certification of Supervisor for Limited License.

At the end of the fellowship, your supervisor must complete and submit the Record of Supervised Experience form to the Office of Professions.

Consider Applying for the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP)

Once you’ve passed the exam and completed your fellowship, you have the opportunity to apply for the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP) by applying to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. To apply, you’ll need:

• An official graduate transcript
• Proof of completion of a clinical fellowship
• A passing score on the National Examination in Speech-Language Pathology

The CCC-SLP is not required for New York licensure, but it may be used as one way to meet NY licensure requirements. New York has its own independent licensing criteria, which the CCC-SLP certification can help fulfill.

Step 4. Apply for Your SLP License and Begin Practicing as a Speech-Language Pathologist in New York

Now it’s time to apply for full licensure as an SLP in New York through the online system of the Office of the Professions. In addition to your completed application (Form 1), you’ll need to submit:

• Licensure fee of $294
• Form 2 (sent directly from the school) – Certification of Professional Education

You should hear back from the board in two to three weeks. Once you’ve been issued your license, you’ll be ready to begin your career in speech-language pathology by:

Working for Your Clinical Fellowship Provider

You may consider pursuing a full-time opportunity with your clinical fellowship provider. There are many benefits to working for a clinic that you’ve already had experience with, including familiarity with staff and clinic practices and the relationships that you’ve already built with clients.

Opening an Independent Practice

You also may consider opening an independent practice. As a licensed SLP, you may take on clients of your own. Opening your own practice would allow you to specialize and take on the type of clients you’re most interested in working with.

Pursuing Job Openings in New York State

If you’d rather pursue a different type of position, you are likely to find numerous opportunities in New York. Just a few of the many speech, language, and audiology clinics that employ licensed SLPs in New York include:

• Multilingual Therapy Associates
• The Shield Institute
• The Perfect Playground
• Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech
• Columbia University Medical Center
• Saint Francis Hospital
• Mount Sinai Medical Center
• HTA of NY
• Bayside Speech & Language
• Brookville Center for Children’s Services
• Manhattan Behavioral Center
• Speech Buddies
• Legendary Therapy

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

You’ll need to renew your license every 3 years and complete 30 continuing education hours during that period, or 10 per year.

Your continuing education credits must be made up of the following activities:

• Academic study
• CE courses
• Independent study
• Mentoring or being mentored
• Publication of a journal article in a peer-reviewed journal
• Presentations in a professional area at a professional conference
• Participation in a professional study group, as defined by regulation
• In-service training for teachers offered by a public school or BOCES to their employees as part of the school’s professional development plan

At least 20 CE hours must be related to clinical practice, such as the study of speech disorders and their treatment. The other ten may involve legislation that affects practice, business practices, or pedagogical methodologies.

The New York SLP board approves CE courses, workshops, and seminars offered by:

• The American Academy of Audiology
• The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
• The International Association of Continuing Education and Training (IACET)
• The New York State Speech-Language-Hearing Association (NYSSLHA)
• The NYS Education Department

You might consider joining the New York State Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Inc. (NYSSLHA). The NYSSLHA holds annual conventions for SLPs, creating networking opportunities and opportunities to explore new topics in speech-language pathology. It also hosts continuing education courses and connects students with scholarship opportunities in the state.

Learn more about continuing education requirements here.

Speech-Language Pathology Salary in New York

The average salary for New York speech-language pathologists is $111,640, or $53.67 an hour, ranking it among the top states in the nation for SLP salaries. New York SLPs at the high end of the salary spectrum (90th percentile) earn about $165,540 in the NYC metro area, or $79.59 per hour. That’s over $32,000 above the national average at the top end of the salary scale.

Within the state, metro areas like New York City offer the highest salaries, followed by Albany-Schenectady-Troy, Buffalo-Cheektowaga, and Rochester. You can compare SLP salaries by metropolitan area below.

A Growing Number of Opportunities in a High-Demand Field

Statewide, New York is home to the third-highest number of speech-language pathologists in the country. 15,940 SLPs call New York proper home. The New York-Newark-Jersey City metro area employs 16,820 SLPs, the highest number of SLPs of any urban region in the nation.

The number of SLP jobs in New York is projected to grow by 40% during the 2020-2030 period. That’s more than double the national average and third among all states for future growth. The state continues to see approximately 1,550 annual SLP job openings driven by new job growth, retirements, and natural turnover.

In addition to working in residential care facilities, nursing homes, hospitals, and schools, private clinics provide New York’s SLPs with a unique opportunity to serve diverse patient populations, from young children struggling with speech disorders to elderly stroke survivors dealing with dysphagia. Some of the top independent practices and clinics in the state include:

• Long Island Suffolk Center for Speech in Commack, Stony Brook, Wantag,h and Farmingville
• Long Island Stuttering and Speech Pathology in East Northport
• North Shore Center for Speec,h Language & Swallowing Disorders in Garden City
• Beth M. Levetown, MA in New York
• Christie Block, MA in New York
• Linda C. Bejoian, MS in New York
• Timberly Leite, MA CCC-SLP in New York
• Achieve Beyond Pediatric Therapy & Autism Services in Purchase
• Spot With Thera Talk in Whitestone

Frequently Asked Questions

2024 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary and job market figures for Speech-Language Pathologists reflect state and national data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed November 2025.

Sarah Keller

Sarah M. Keller, MS, CCC-SLP, is a licensed speech-language pathologist with 15 years of experience in pediatric clinics and university training programs. She earned her master’s in speech-language pathology from a CAHPS-accredited program in the Midwest and supervised clinical practicums for online and hybrid SLP cohorts. Sarah now advises students on graduate school applications, clinical fellowships, and state licensure. She lives in Colorado with her family and golden retriever.

See Full Bio