How to Become a Speech Therapist in Ohio

Speech-language pathology (SLP) continues to reveal itself as a highly rewarding field, rich with opportunities to make a difference in the lives of people with speech, language, and swallowing challenges and disorders.

In Ohio, providers of speech-language pathology services are growing by size and scope nearly every day. Whether your plans include working with infants, school-aged children, or adults, the opportunities to make your mark are plentiful in the Buckeye State.

For example, the Baldwin Wallace Speech Clinic, located on the campus of Baldwin Wallace University (BW) in Berea, provides SLP services, free of charge, to Ohio residents. This clinic, operating for nearly 50 years, is the only free clinic of its kind in Northeast Ohio. The Clinic sees about 200 patients each week, along with 900 more patients in community locations.

Along with nine full-time faculty members, the Clinic is staffed with 70 undergraduate and graduate students who are enrolled in the university’s undergraduate and graduate speech-language pathology programs. Licensed SLPs serve as supervisors here. They serve patients with articulation disorders, stuttering disorders, vocal nodules, language disorders, ADD/ADHD, Parkinson’s, and more.

Becoming an SLP in Ohio means preparing for a rewarding career that changes lives. But before you can begin making your mark in speech-language pathology, you’ll need to earn state licensure through the Ohio Board of Speech Language Pathology and Audiology.

Follow the steps in this guide to learn how:

	Earn a Master’s Degree in Speech-Language Pathology from an CAA-Accredited Program
	Pass the National SLP Exam
	Begin a Clinical Fellowship Program
	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 an CAA-Accredited Program

Your first step towards becoming licensed as an SLP in Ohio involves earning a master’s degree in speech-language pathology that’s accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA), which is part of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)

CAA accredits many SLP master’s degrees throughout the nation, including 14 programs in Ohio. Online programs are often a smart choice for students who value the convenience and flexibility of studying from home.

Because of the rigorous nature of these programs, you’ll need to present excellent credentials to be accepted. These usually include an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0, GRE scores in the 30^th percentile, and academic references.

If don’t have an undergraduate degree in speech-language pathology, you’ll still be eligible to apply to most programs. However, you’ll need to complete prerequisites before beginning graduate coursework. These may include:

• Science of Language
• Audiology
• Anatomy and Physiology of Speech
• Early Intervention for Young Patients
• Clinical & Diagnostic Procedures in SLP

Core coursework includes topics such as:

• Language Assessment & Intervention in Early Childhood
• Disorders of Articulation and Phonology
• Fluency Disorders
• Normal Language Processes
• Aphasia
• Language Assessment and Intervention with School-Age Populations
• Maxillofacial Anomalies
• Autism Spectrum Disorders
• Research Methods in SLP

Elective topics might cover:

• Aural Rehabilitation
• Motor Speech Disorders in Children & Adults
• Voice Disorders
• Advanced Speech and Voice Science
• Acquired Cognitive Communicative Impairments
• Communication Modalities and Assistive Technology

You’ll also need to complete a practicum before graduating. The Board requires graduate practicums to be at least 375 hours long, and you’ll complete a 25-hour period of shadowing before you perform any procedures by yourself. Your practicum is designed to help you learn the clinical and diagnostic procedures of speech-language pathology and give you hands-on experience with speech patients.

Step 2. Pass the National SLP Exam

Upon graduation from an SLP master’s degree, you’ll be eligible to register for the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s (ASHA) National Examination in Speech Language Pathology.

The exam is administered by Praxis (Praxis exam 5331). You must register with Praxis for this exam. You’ll be able to choose an exam date, time, and location when registering. There are Praxis testing centers located throughout the U.S. In Ohio, you may choose to take the exam at one of the following testing locations:

• Athens
• Beavercreek
• Cincinnati
• Cleveland
• Columbus
• Dayton
• Fairborn
• Fairfield
• Mansfield
• Maumee
• Mentor
• Middleburg Heights
• Niles
• Portsmouth
• Stow
• Strongsville
• Toledo
• Wooster
• Worthington
• Youngstown

The SLP Praxis exam covers knowledge you learned in your graduate program, as well as the assessment, diagnosis and treatment procedures you learned during your practicum.

Exam topics include:

• Development and performance across the lifespan
• Factors that influence communication, feeding, and swallowing,
• Epidemiology and characteristics of common communication disorders
• Counseling, collaboration, and teaming
• Documentation
• Ethics
• Legislation and client advocacy

The test will also test your knowledge on the assessment and diagnosis of:

• Speech sound production
• Fluency
• Voice, resonance and motor speech
• Receptive and expressive language
• Social aspects of communication, including pragmatics
• Cognitive aspects of communication
• Augmentative and alternative communication

You’ll need to score a 162 out of 200 possible points to pass the exam. The Praxis study companion is designed to help you prepare for the exam.

Step 3. Begin a Clinical Fellowship Program

Upon graduation from your SLP master’s degree, you’ll need to complete at least nine months of clinical experience.

But first you’ll need to apply for a Conditional Speech-Language Pathologist license. You will apply for this license online through the eLicense Ohio online portal. In addition to your application, you will also need to provide the Board with the following:

• $210 application/license fee
• Headshot photograph
• Background check (instructions will be sent to you by the Board upon review of your application)
• Praxis score (sent directly to the Board – use code 7938)
• Supervised Professional Experience form
• University transcripts (must be submitted within 90 days of receiving your conditional license)

Your university program’s director may be able to connect you to a clinic offering clinical fellowship opportunities, or you may look for opportunities here.

You may choose to work full time (at least 30 hours per week for 36 weeks) or part time (at least 15 hours per week for 72 weeks). During this time, you’ll be expected to work with a variety of patient populations.

Within 30 days of the completion of your clinical experience, you’ll need to upload the Supervised Professional Experience Report and Supervision Contacts Log form into the eLicense Ohio system.

CCC-SLP

Once you’ve completed your clinical experience, you may also choose to earn your Certification of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP) credential. Offered through the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, the CCC-SLP is not required for licensure in Ohio but may help add credibility to your resume. You must apply directly through ASHA for the CCC-SLP.

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

Once you’ve completed your clinical fellowship and passed the Praxis exam, it’s time to apply for your SLP license. You’ll apply through the eLicense Ohio online portal and pay the application/license fee of $200.

Once you’ve earned your Ohio SLP license, it’s time to start your career. You may consider:

Joining the Clinic that Provided Required Professional Experience

Your clinical fellowship supervisor may be interested in hiring you to fill a full-time SLP position. Often, pursuing a career at the clinic which provided your clinical fellowship experience is a good option because you’ve already built relationships with the staff and clients at the clinic.

Opening an Independent Practice or Partnership

You might consider opening your own independent practice or starting a partnership with another SLP. You might open an independent practice to combat a shortage of SLPs in your area, to reach rural clients who may not be able to travel to SLP clinics, or to pursue a specific patient population.

Pursuing Job Openings

You’ll also be able to pursue SLP positions within hospitals, clinics, or the school system. A few examples of Ohio’s many SLP employers include:

• Kettering Health Network
• Children’s Hospital Rehab
• Educational Service Center of Cuyahoga County
• Encouraging Words, LLC
• Kingston Healthcare
• Tri Health Rehabilitation Hospital
• Encore Rehabilitation Services
• Akron Children’s Hospital
• Mount Caramel Health
• Nationwide Children’s Hospital
• Select Specialty Hospital
• The Childhood League Center
• Absolute Rehabilitation, Inc.
• Avita Health System 

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

To maintain your SLP license, you’ll need to renew your license every two years (December 31) upon the completion of 20 hours of continuing education. Although you won’t be required to submit proof of your continuing education credits, you’ll need to sign a form certifying that you completed the required number of hours.

You’ll renew your license through the eLicense Ohio online portal and track your continuing education through CE Broker.

Learn more about continuing education requirements here.

CE credits can take the form of academic coursework, conferences, conventions, seminars, or webinars that are approved by a state licensing board or the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Learn more about ASHA’s continuing education opportunities here.

Speech-Language Pathology Salary in Ohio

Speech-language pathologists in Ohio earn an average salary of $90,830, or $43.67 an hour. The top-earning SLPs (90^th percentile) in Ohio earn about $125,600, or $60.38 hourly.

Ohio is home to 6,610 SLPs jobs. Of these:

• 1,410 SLPs work in Cleveland
• 1,330 SLPs work in Columbus
• 1,240 SLPs work in Cincinnati
• 420 SLPs work in Dayton
• 370 SLPs work in Akron

Speech-Language Pathology Salaries in Ohio’s Major Cities

You can compare Ohio cities below, sorted by highest average SLP salary. Data is also provided for the salary range between entry-level (10^th percentile) and high-end (90^th percentile):

Cleveland:

• Average: $93,750 annually, $45.07 hourly
• $59,520 – $141,650 annually, $28.62 – $68.10 hourly

Dayton:

• Average: $93,580 annually, $44.99 hourly
• $68,560 – $124,800 annually, $32.96 – $60.00 hourly

Cincinnati:

• Average: $92,630 annually, $44.53 hourly
• $60,650 – $126,110 annually, $29.16 – $60.63 hourly

Akron:

• Average: $92,260 annually, $44.36 hourly
• $60,750 – $133,140 annually, $29.21 – $64.01 hourly

Columbus:

• Average: $91,890 annually, $44.18 hourly
• $60,780 – $122,230 annually, $29.22 – $58.77 hourly

Lima:

• Average: $89,800 annually, $43.17 hourly
• $62,020 – $116,420 annually, $29.82 – $55.97 hourly

Canton:

• Average: $89,030 annually, $42.80 hourly
• $60,470 – $123,010 annually, $29.07 – $59.14 hourly

Toledo:

• Average: $87,470 annually, $42.05 hourly
• $60,490 – $121,820 annually, $29.08 – $58.57

Springfield:

• Average: $84,090 annually, $40.43 hourly
• $58,880 – $118,190 annually, $28.31 – $56.82 hourly

Youngstown:

• Average: $82,250 annually, $39.55 hourly
• $49,170 – $114,090 annually, $23.64 – $54.85 hourly

Metro Huntington-Ashland:

• Average: $82,190 annually, $39.52 hourly
• $50,470 – $127,570 annually, $24.27 – $61.33 hourly

Mansfield:

• Average: $81,470 annually, $39.17 hourly
• $56,740 – $114,100 annually, $27.28 – $54.86 hourly

Steubenville:

• Average: $81,470 annually, $39.17 hourly
• $54,200 – $103,500 annually, $26.06 – $49.76 hourly

Metro Wheeling:

• Average: $76,460 annually, $36.76 hourly
• $56,010 – $102,630 annually, $26.93 – $49.34 hourly

An In-Demand Occupation that Promises Job Satisfaction

The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services identified speech-language pathology as an “in-demand occupation” based on the profession’s good pay and promising future.

Between 2020 and 2030, the number of SLP jobs in Ohio is forecasted to increase by 24%, a rate that’s higher than the national average. Over this period, Ohio should see an average of 580 SLP job openings every year due to a blend of new job growth, retirements, and natural job turnover.

While avenues for employment range from schools to skilled nursing-care facilities to private clinics, hospitals are also a major source of jobs. The U.S. Department of Labor lists a number of large hospitals in Ohio that employ speech-language pathologists:

• Akron: Summa St. Thomas Hospital
• Bryan: Community Hospitals & Wellness
• Cambridge: Southeastern Ohio Regional Center
• Cincinnati: Health Alliance
• Cleveland: Metrohealth Hospital
• Cleveland: University Hospitals Bedford Medical Center
• Cleveland: University Hospitals Conneaut
• Columbus: Mt. Carmel East Hospital
• Columbus: Ohio State University Medical Center
• Dayton: Health Centers—Greater Dayton
• Dayton: Kettering Medical Center
• Dayton: Miami Valley Hospital
• Greenville: Wayne Hospital
• Mansfield: Mansfield Hospital
• Middletown: Atrium Medical Center
• Steubenville: Trinity Medical Center West
• Toledo: Mercy Health-St. Vincent Medical
• Twinsburg: Hattie Larlham
• Westerville: Mt. Carmel St. Ann’s Hospital
• Youngstown: St. Elizabeth Hospital

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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