How to Become a Speech Therapist in New York

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 found in New York create an inspiring environment full of opportunities to improve the quality of life for patients.

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. Both audiology and speech pathology services are offered at the VA’s Buffalo and Batavia locations. They also have telehealth services through their VA Community-Based Outpatient Clincs in Dunkirk, Olean, Niagara Falls, and Jamestown.

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. 

Follow the steps in this guide to learn how to become a speech therapist in New York:

	Earn a Master’s Degree in Speech-Language Pathology from a CAA-Accredited Program
	Pass the SLP Praxis Exam
	Apply for a Limited License and Complete a 36-Week Supervised Clinical Fellowship
	Apply for your SLP License and Begin Practicing as a Speech-Language Pathologist in New York
	Renew Your License Every Three Years and Complete Continuing Education Requirements

Step 1. Earn a Master’s Degree in Speech-Language Pathology from an 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 32 CAA-accredited programs 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

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 cover such topics 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 that 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 how to evaluate patients, diagnose their handicaps, 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.

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 speech-language pathology 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- or full-time basis. Full-time is considered 36 weeks, while part-time is considered at least 12 hours per week in continuous periods of employment of no less than six months.

Your post-graduate fellowship will build off of 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 on developing treatment plans with your supervisor and implementing the plans with supervisor 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 that your position requires.

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

You are not required to obtain the CCC-SLP in order to become licensed in New York, but it can be used as one way of meeting state licensing requirements.

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-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
• Manhattan Behavioral Center

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

You’ll need to renew your license every three years and complete 30 continuing education hours during that period, or 10 continuing education hours 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 of the CE hours must be related to clinical practice, such as the study of speech disorders and the treatment of those disorders. 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 $98,240, or $47.23 an hour, ranking it among the top ten states in the nation for SLP salaries.

New York SLPs at the high end of the salary spectrum (90^th percentile) earn about $147,570, or $70.95 per hour. That’s nearly $20,000 above the national average at the top end of the salary scale.

Within the state, metro Manhattan offers the highest salaries, followed by rural Central East New York, Utica, Kingston, and Albany.

You can compare SLP salaries by area below. They’re ranked by highest average salary, and include the range between entry-level (10^th percentile) and high-end (90^th percentile):

Metro Manhattan:

• Average: $104,190 annually, $50.09 hourly
• Range from entry-level to high-end: $46,480 – $159,400 annually, $22.34 – $76.64 hourly

Rural Central East New York:

• Average: $87,400 annually, $42.02 hourly
• $59,370 – $119,030 annually, $28.54 – $57.23 hourly

Utica:

• Average: $87,370 annually, $42.01 hourly
• $60,460 – $118,210 annually, $29.07 – $56.83 hourly

Kingston:

• Average: $85,980 annually, $41.34 hourly
• $60,980 – $122,240 annually, $29.32 – $58.77 hourly

Albany:

• Average: $85,630 annually, $41.17 hourly
• $56,950 – $120,140 annually, $27.38 – $57.76 hourly

Syracuse:

• Average: $85,380 annually, $41.05 hourly
• $47,870 – $119,780 annually, $23.02 – $57.59 hourly

Buffalo:

• Average: $83,450 annually, $40.12 hourly
• $49,260 – $115,930 annually, $23.68 – $55.74 hourly

Glens Falls:

• Average: $82,570 annually, $39.70 hourly
• $52,570 – $118,560 annually, $25.27 – $57.00 hourly

Binghamton:

• Average: $81,490 annually, $39.18 hourly
• $59,430 – $105,550 annually, $28.57 – $50.75 hourly

Rural Southwest New York:

• Average: $81,330 annually, $39.10 hourly
• $51,040 – $109,800 annually, $24.54 – $52.79 hourly

Ithaca:

• Average: $80,190 annually, $38.55 hourly
• $58,860 – $119,450 annually, $28.30 – $57.43 hourly

Watertown:

• Average: $78,940 annually, $37.95 hourly
• $57,200 – $104,920 annually, $27.50 – $50.44 hourly

Rural Northern New York:

• Average: $77,910 annually, $37.46 hourly
• $50,900 – $102,430 annually, $24.47 – $49.25 hourly

Elmira:

• Average: $77,750 annually, $37.38 hourly
• $51,170 – $102,180 annually, $24.60 – $49.13 hourly

Rochester:

• Average: $77,360 annually, $37.19 hourly
• $51,340 – $106,770 annually, $24.68 – $51.33 hourly

A Growing Number of Opportunities in a High-Demand Field

Statewide, New York is home to the 3rd highest number of speech-language pathologists in the country. 16,610 SLPs call New York proper home.

Here’s how SLP employment levels play out:

• 16,780 SLPs work in the metro Manhattan area, the highest employment level of all urban regions in the nation
• 910 SLPs work in Buffalo
• 840 SLPs work in Rochester
• 620 SLPs work in Albany
• 480 SLPs work in Syracuse
• 170 SLPs work in Utica
• 120 SLPs work in Binghamton
• 100 SLPs work in Kingston

The number of SLP jobs in New York is projected to increase by 40% over the decade leading up to 2030. That’s more than double the national average and third among all states for future growth.

During this ten-year period, the state should see about 1,550 annual SLP job openings due to new job growth, retirements, and natural job 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, Wantagh and Farmingville, among other locations
• Long Island Stuttering and Speech Pathology in East Northport
• North Shore Center for Speech 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

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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