How to Become a Speech Therapist in Oklahoma

Whether you’re interested in working with children, special needs patients, or adults with speech disorders, Oklahoma has many opportunities to habilitate and rehabilitate speech therapy patients.

You’ll need to earn a master’s degree in order to become licensed, and you might choose from accredited online options or six programs in-state that are accredited by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).

If you choose to earn your degree through a traditional in-state program, you may be eligible for speech pathology scholarships or reduced tuition. For example, The Oklahoma Speech-Language-Hearing Association (OSHA) offers scholarships to students of SLP graduate programs in the state. Getting connected with the OSHA is also an excellent way to complete continuing education requirements. Continuing education topics might include treating childhood apraxia of speech, multi-sensory language-based classroom approaches, and how to use academic language therapy curriculum.

As a practicing SLP in Oklahoma, you’ll follow in the footsteps of SLPs in the state who have been conducting critical research and providing excellent clinical services. Notable SLPs in Oklahoma include Wendy Stacy, who directs the ReadWrite Center in Oklahoma City and has developed ground-breaking programs to help children suffering from dyslexia; Wendy Lawson, the director of the Allied Health of Oklahoma Heart Hospital, who oversees the SLP practice at the hospital; and Monica Benear, who has supervised and trained many SLP graduate students through the University of Central Oklahoma’s Speech and Hearing Clinic.

Follow the steps in this guide to learn how to become a speech therapist by earning your SLP license through the Oklahoma Board of Examiners for Speech-Language Pathology & Audiology:

	Earn a Speech Therapy Degree: Complete a Master’s Degree Program in Speech-Language Pathology
	Complete a Nine-Month 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 and Complete Continuing Education Requirements

Step 1. Earn a Speech Therapist Degree: Complete a Master’s Degree Program in Speech-Language Pathology

The first step towards earning your SLP license is pursuing a master’s degree in speech-language pathology from an accredited institution. Your program must be accredited by the American Speech-Language-Pathology Association. You’ll have two types of master’s programs to choose from: online or traditional.

There are many ASHA-accredited online programs hosted by universities nationwide. Benefits to online programs include flexibility and the ability to choose different specialties.

Traditional programs, on the other hand, offer quality education close to home. There are five accredited programs located in Oklahoma.

You’ll need to have a bachelor’s degree in order to apply to a master’s program. If your bachelor’s degree isn’t in speech-language pathology, you’ll need to complete fundamental prerequisites before beginning the graduate program. These usually include:

• Science of Language
• Anatomy and Physiology of Speech and Language
• Introduction to Audiology
• Topics Within Communication Disorders
• Phonetics
• Development of Language Across the Lifespan

You’ll also need to have an excellent undergraduate GPA and GRE scores in the 30^th percentile in order to be accepted into a graduate program.

After completing prerequisites, you’ll begin core courses. Core coursework will usually include the following topics:

• Diagnostics in Speech-Language Pathology
• Phonological Disorders
• Fluency Disorders
• Voice & Resonance Disorders
• Aphasia Treatment
• Cognitive & Other Neurological Communication Disorders
• Motor Speech Disorders
• Assistive Technology
• Trends & Issues in Communication Disorders
• Advanced Audiology

You’ll also be able to choose a number of electives, which focus on more specialized areas of SLP. These courses might include:

• Professional Issues in SLP
• Research and Evidence Based Practice
• Articulation Disorders
• Treating Patients with Brain Injuries
• Culturally Appropriate Service Delivery

You’ll also need to complete a 400 clock hour practicum in order to graduate. Through the practicum, you’ll learn to screen, evaluate, assess, and diagnose patients and well as develop treatment plans and administer therapy. You’ll be supervised in all of your activities by a licensed SLP.

Step 2. Complete a Nine-Month Clinical Fellowship

After graduating, you’ll enter into a clinical fellowship. The clinical fellowship is a nine-month-long, paid period of clinical employment. You’ll need to apply for a temporary license in order to practice during your clinical fellowship. Along with your application, you’ll submit a CEY year plan to the Oklahoma SLP board detailing the activities you’ll complete during the period. You’ll need to consult with your clinical fellowship supervisor to complete this form.

You’ll be supervised by a licensed SLP, who will be directly involved in all activities you perform during your clinical fellowship. These activities may include screening, evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment procedures.

There must be at least 36 supervisory visits that occur during the nine-month period.

You may choose to work thirty or more hours a week for nine months, or you may fulfill a part-time commitment by working at least 15 hours per week for 18 months.

After completing the clinical fellowship, you’ll complete the Clinical Fellowship Report and Rating Form, and you and your supervisor will list and describe the activities you performed and how they were supervised. You may mail the CF rating and report form to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association at:

2200 Research Boulevard #313
Rockville, Maryland 20850

Your university SLP director may be able to connect you with clinical fellowship opportunities, or you can seek opportunities online.

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

You’ll need to pass the American Speech Language Hearing Association’s National Examination in Speech Language Pathology in order to become licensed.

Hosted through third-party Praxis, you may register for the exam online.

You’ll need to score a 162 on a 100-200 scale in order to pass the exam.

Praxis offers a study companion which is very helpful in test preparation. In the study companion, you’ll find practice questions, a breakdown of the topics on the exam, and more detailed information about the test.

The test is split into three sections:

• Foundations and Professional Practice
• Screening, Assessment, Evaluation, and Diagnosis
• Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation of Treatment

Within these three sections, you’ll answer questions relating to proper diagnostic procedures, therapeutic methods, and how to develop case histories and treatment plans.

You may take the exam in a Praxis test center located in:

• Oklahoma City
• Stillwater
• Tulsa

You may also choose to apply for Certification of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP) credential once you’ve passed the national exam. Offered through the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, the CCC-SLP is not required for licensure in Oklahoma, but may help add credibility to your resume. You may apply through ASHA directly, furnishing proof that you completed a graduate program and clinical fellowship as well as passing scores on the national examination.

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

You’re now eligible to apply for licensure in the state of Oklahoma.

Through the Oklahoma Board of Examiners for Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, you’ll be able to apply for your license online.

Through the online renewal process, you’ll need to provide the board with proof of completion of a clinical fellowship and completion of a practicum during your graduate study. You’ll also need to have your university send your official transcript to the board and request that Praxis send your test scores directly to the board.

It usually takes two-three weeks to hear back from the board, at which time you may launch your career in whichever way you prefer:

Join the Clinic that Provided Your Clinical Fellowship

If you’d like to pursue a full-time position at the clinic where you completed your clinical fellowship, you may contact your clinical fellowship supervisor to inquire about opportunities. This is a good way to launch your career, as you’re already familiar with the clinic’s practices, staff, and patients.

Open an Independent Practice

You may consider opening an independent practice if you’d like to reach a specific patient population and set your own schedule.

Pursue Job Openings in Oklahoma

There are many employers in Oklahoma which have a need for qualified SLPs. A few of these include:

• Es Speech
• Excel Home Care & Hospice
• Rehab Care
• The Children’s Center Rehabilitation Hospital
• Comfort Keepers
• Brookdale
• Oklahoma City Public Schools
• Parcway
• Norman Regional Hospital
• Soliant Health
• Therapitas
• Norman Public Schools
• Therapy Management Corporation

Step 5. Renew Your License and Complete Continuing Education Requirements

You’ll need to renew your license, which you can do online, every two years. You’ll receive an emailed reminder from the board at least a month before you’re due to renew.

You’ll also need to complete 20 continuing education credits during that period, or 10 credits per year. Continuing education courses can consist of conferences, workshops, webinars, or academic courses relating to the practice of speech-language pathology.

If you are supervising SLPs through their clinical fellowship period, you’ll need to complete six hours of training in clinical supervision through ASHA-approved providers.

After completing a continuing education course, you’ll need to document it using the board’s continuing education form.

The board pre-approves all ASHA-approved continuing education opportunities. If you’d like to participate in a continuing education opportunity that hasn’t been approved by the ASHA, you’ll need to contact the board to gain approval.

Speech-Language Pathology Salary in Oklahoma

The average SLP salary in Oklahoma is $82,280 a year, or $39.56 an hour, a very respectable income.

SLP salaries on the high end start at $121,090 annually in Oklahoma, breaking the six-figure mark and amounting to an impressive $58.22 an hour.

High Levels of Job Growth for Speech-Language Pathologists in Oklahoma

The number of SLP jobs in Oklahoma is projected to increase by 33% over the decade leading up to 2030. That’s the 10th-best job growth rate among all states. At that rate, Oklahoma should see an average of 170 SLP job openings every year over that period.

Private outpatient clinics including the ones shown here are among the top employers for SLPs in Oklahoma:

Oklahoma City:

• Baker Speech Clinic
• John W. Keys Speech and Hearing Center
• Therapitas

Tulsa:

• Faith Therapy Clinic
• Prohab Therapy Specialists
• Swallowing and Neurological Rehabilitation, LLC
• Tulsa Sunchine Center Pediatric Speech, OT, PT, and Counseling

Other Cities in Oklahoma:

• Guthrie: Guthrie Socttish Rite Clinic
• Jenks: Speech and Beyond, LLC
• McAlester: Rite Care Clinic

Salary Supplement for Nationally Certified SLPs in Oklahoma’s Schools

The state of Oklahoma makes having qualified speech-language pathologists and audiologists in its schools a top priority, and the Oklahoma Board of Examiners produced a strategic plan to address the issue.

The document notes that other states such as Arizona and Maryland offer bonuses to SLPs that have national certification. The Education Action Team of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association targeted Oklahoma as a state that would benefit from offering this type of bonus.

The national association worked in tandem with Oklahoma’s Speech-Language-Hearing Association to secure a salary supplement for school-based SLPs and audiologists who are nationally certified. Oklahoma’s Board of Examiners for SLPs and Audiologists supports these efforts, so the state can attract and retain qualified hearing specialists in its schools.

Salaries for Speech-Language Pathologists in Oklahoma by City and Region

When it comes to offering the highest average SLP salary statewide, Lawton takes the number one spot. Next are OKC, Tulsa, metro Fort Smith, and rural Southeast Oklahoma.

For high-end SLP salaries in Oklahoma, rural Southwest Oklahoma, rural Southeast Oklahoma, Tulsa, metro Fort Smith, and Oklahoma City hold the top spots.

Regions throughout Oklahoma are ranked below by highest average salary, and also show the range between the entry-level (10^th percentile) and high-end (90^th percentile):

Lawton:

• Average: $92,180 annually, $44.32 hourly
• Entry-level to high-end range: $59,470 – $108,330 annually, $28.59 – $52.08 hourly

Oklahoma City:

• Average: $83,730 annually, $40.26 hourly
• $51,350 – $118,040 annually, $24.69 – $56.75 hourly

Tulsa:

• Average: $83,700 annually, $40.24 hourly
• $50,390 – $124,800 annually, $24.23 – $60.00 hourly

Metro Fort Smith:

• Average: $82,550 annually, $39.69 hourly
• $58,100 – $119,580 annually, $27.93 – $57.49 hourly

Rural Southeast Oklahoma:

• Average: $78,830 annually, $37.90 hourly
• $41,590 – $133,800 annually, $19.99 – $64.33 hourly

Rural Southwest Oklahoma:

• Average: $77,830 annually, $37.42 hourly
• $43,350 – $138,070 annually, $20.84 – $66.38 hourly

Rural Northwest Oklahoma:

• Average: $76,990 annually, $37.02 hourly
• $46,670 – $118,040 annually, $22.44 – $56.75 hourly

Rural Northeast Oklahoma:

• Average: $75,330 annually, $36.22 hourly
• $43,950 – $107,120 annually, $21.13 – $51.50 hourly

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 September 2024.

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