How to Become a Speech Therapist in South Carolina

The speech-language pathology professional community in South Carolina has been growing steadily over the past decade, with the South Carolina Speech-Language-Hearing Association (SCSHA) serving as a touchpoint for all SLP professionals in the state.

SCSHA’s Sharonda Coleman-Singleton Memorial Scholarship Fund stands as an example of the strength and cohesion within the SLP community here. Coleman-Singleton worked as a speech-language pathologist and track-and-field coach. Though her life was tragically cut short, the SCSHA keeps her memory alive through the scholarship that bears her name as a way to offer opportunities to the next generation of SLPs here in South Carolina.

The scholarship is awarded to undergraduate and graduate students who exemplify Coleman-Singleton’s greatest qualities, from leadership to community involvement.

Beyond the Coleman-Singleton fund, the Association supports local professionals in a wide variety of ways through advocacy, continuing education, volunteer opportunities, and an annual convention.

If you want to become part of the tightknit community of SLP professionals in South Carolina and begin making a difference in the lives of children and adults with speech, language, and swallowing disorders, you’ll need to earn state licensure through the South Carolina Board of Examiners in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology.

Follow these steps to become a licensed speech-language pathologist in South Carolina:

	Earn a Speech Therapy Degree: Complete a Qualifying Master’s Degree Program in Speech-Language Pathology
	Complete a Clinical Fellowship Through Supervised Professional Employment (SPE)
	Pass the Praxis SLP Exam
	Become Licensed and Begin Your Career as a Speech-Language Pathologist in South Carolina
	Maintain SLP Licensure and Complete Continuing Education Requirements

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

The Board requires candidates for SLP licensure in South Carolina to earn a master’s degree in speech-language pathology that’s been accredited by the American Speech-Language Hearing Association Council on Academic Accreditation (CAA). South Carolina is home to five CAA-accredited SLP master’s degrees, but you may also choose from many online accredited programs.

Online SLP master’s degree programs are a great option for adults with family commitments, professional obligations, and geographical limitations.

Undergraduate Requirements

Many graduate programs do not require incoming students to have a bachelor’s degree in speech-language pathology or communicate sciences and disorders. If you hold a bachelor’s degree in another field, you can take prerequisite courses online at the beginning of your program to give you the proper foundation for graduate work in the SLP field of study.

Undergraduate requirements that must be met before going on to graduate courses often include 14-18 credits in:

• Phonetics
• Anatomy and Physiology of the Speech Mechanism
• Language Acquisition
• Introduction to Communication Disorders
• Diagnostic Audiology
• Aural Rehabilitation

Graduate Courses and Clinical Practicum

Some of the topics you can expect to cover in an SLP master’s degree program include:

• Articulation Disorders
• Child Language Disorders
• Disorders of Phonation
• Stuttering
• Speech and Hearing Science
• Communication Problems in Aging

Part of your master’s program will involve completing a clinical practicum of at least 375 hours under the supervision of a speech-language pathologist.

Step 2. Complete a Clinical Fellowship Through Supervised Professional Employment (SPE)

You must complete at least a period of supervised professional employment (SPE)—clinical fellowship—of at least nine months following graduation from a master’s degree program. During this time, you will work under a licensed speech-language pathologist, meeting one of the following work requirements:

• 30 hours a week for 9 months
• 25-29 hours a week for 12 months
• 20-24 hours a week for 15 months
• 15-19 hours a week for 18 months
• Working less than 15 hours a week will not count towards the total

A clinical fellowship is a paid period of study designed to provide you with an immersive clinical experience. Take your time finding a sponsor that best suits you, as this opportunity could lead to full-time employment after you become licensed.

Just a few of the many employers in South Carolina that may sponsor a clinical fellowship include:

• Carolina Speech and Language, Summerville
• Palmetto Speech and Language Services, Ridgeland
• Bright Start South Carolina, Greenville and Columbia
• Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic, South Carolina State University, Orangeburg

Before beginning your SPE, you must first apply for an intern license with the Board by filling out the Application for Speech Intern License , submitting proof of the completion of your graduate program (graduate transcripts), and paying the $100 application fee.

Your application packet also includes the following forms that must be signed and completed:

• Summary of Clinical Clock Hour form, which is used to verify that you’ve completed 375 clinical clock hours.
• Supervisor Agreement/ Intern Plan for Supervised Professional Employment (SPE) form – your active agreement necessary to practice as an SLP intern.
• Passport Photo Affidavit (you’ll need to include a passport-style photo)

The intern license is valid for 12 months, and you can renew it once.

During your SPE, you’ll be getting hands-on experience as a speech-language pathologist. ASHA has written an SLP Scope of Practice that outlines the tasks of an SLP. You’ll be practicing administration and leadership skills, prevention and wellness recommendations, and treatment procedures.

At the end of your SPE, be sure to fill out the Report of Completed Internship form – you’ll need to submit it to the Board before applying for your permanent SLP license.

Step 3. Pass the Praxis SLP Exam

You can take the national SLP exam, administered by Praxis, at any time after graduating from your SLP master’s degree. You must register for this exam (Praxis exam 5331) directly through Praxis.

You’ll be able to choose the date, time, and location of your Praxis exam when registering. In South Carolina, you may take the exam at one of the Praxis testing centers located in:

• Beaufort
• Charleston
• Columbia
• Conway
• Florence
• Gaffney
• Greenville
• Rock Hill

The exam is 132 questions long, and there’s a 150-minute limit. You can review the study materials that Praxis has developed for this exam. Here are some of the topics covered on the exam:

• Foundations and Professional Practice – 1/3 of the exam
  • Typical development and performance across the lifespan
  • Factors that influence communication, feeding, and swallowing
  • Characteristics of common communication and swallowing disorders
  • Culturally and linguistically appropriate service delivery
• Screening, Assessment, Evaluation, and Diagnosis – 1/3 of the exam
  • Screening for communication, feeding, and swallowing disorders
  • Developing case histories
  • Assessing factors that influence communication and swallowing disorders
  • Assessing speech sound production and fluency issues
  • Social aspects of communication
• Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation of Treatment – 1/3 of the exam
  • Evaluating factors that can affect treatment
  • Determining appropriate treatment details
  • Establishing methods for monitoring treatment progress
  • Treatment of communication, feeding, and swallowing disorders

To pass the exam, you need to score 162 on a scale of 100-200.

Optional CCC-SLP National Certification

Once you’ve passed the Praxis and completed your clinical fellowship, you can also apply for the Certificate of Clinical Competency in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP), a voluntary national certification. You must apply with ASHA for the CCC-SLP.

Although the CCC-SLP designation is not required for state licensure, many SLPs in South Carolina find it helpful when applying for jobs or advancing in their careers.

You may also consider pursuing one of ASHA’s specialty certification options, designed to highlight your skills in a particular area of speech-language pathology. The certifications currently offered are:

• Child language and language disorders
• Fluency and fluency disorders
• Swallowing and swallowing disorders

You can read more about these certifications on ASHA’s Clinical Specialty Certification page.

Step 4. Become Licensed and Begin Your Career as a Speech-Language Pathologist in South Carolina

To earn your SLP license, you must complete and submit a Request to Upgrade to a Permanent Speech-Language Pathologist or Audiologist License Package. In addition to your application, you’ll need to provide the Board with a copy of your passing Praxis score (sent directly from ETS) and pay the $220 application fee.

Once you receive your license, you have several options for where you can take your career. Here are some of the most common options SLPs pursue.

• Many SLPs have a job waiting for them in the clinic or hospital where they completed their clinical fellowship. Returning to a familiar workplace is an ideal way to enter the profession as a licensed SLP. You can also begin your search beyond your clinical fellowship.

• Starting a speech-language therapy practice in South Carolina is the dream of many SLPs, as it allows you to take control of your schedule and be your own boss. A popular option for SLPs in South Carolina who want to pursue this path is telepractice, which allows them to provide speech and language services via the Internet. You can read more about starting a private practice through ASHA’s website.

Step 5. Maintain SLP Licensure and Complete Continuing Education Requirements

After earning your SLP license, you must maintain it by renewing it every two years (April 30) upon the completion of 16 hours of continuing education. Contact the Board to renew your license. Learn more about renewing your SLP license here.

You can find continuing education opportunities through the South Carolina Speech-Language-Hearing Association. The Association also hosts an annual conference that counts towards continuing education.

Speech-Language Pathology Salary in South Carolina

The average SLP salary in South Carolina is $85,670, or $41.19 an hour. Salaries here have increased significantly in recent years —the average SLP salary is up 19% between 2019 and 2023 alone.

SLPs at the top end of the pay scale (90^th percentile) earn about $112,780, or $54.22 an hour in South Carolina.

Rapid Job Growth for South Carolina’s Speech-Language Pathologists

South Carolina should see an average of 180 SLP annual job openings in the decade leading up to 2030 due to a blend of new job growth, retirements, and natural job turnover.

South Carolina is home to 2,250 SLP jobs, of which:

• 1,150 SLPs work in metro Charlotte
• 450 SLPs work in Greenville
• 400 SLPs work in Charleston
• 370 SLPs work in Columbia
• 230 SLPs work in metro Augusta

While many SLPs work in schools and hospitals, private outpatient clinics offer additional employment opportunities. Some of the state’s many outpatient clinics that use speech-language pathologists include:

• Aiken: Hitchcock Healthcare
• Asheville: Carolina Pediatric Therapy
• Blufton: Lowcountry Therapy Center
• Charlotte: Speech Matters
• Charlotte: TerrificTalkers
• Charlotte: The Brain Trainer
• Goose Creek: aspire
• Greenville: John I Smith Scottish Rite Center
• Greenville: Kidnetics
• Greenville: Therapy360 – Speech, Occupational and Physical Therapy
• Lexington: Midlands Therapy Services, LLC
• Mauldin: Upstate Pediatric Speech Therapy Services, Inc.
• Spartanburg: Pediatrics Unlimited Inc.
• West Columbia: Columbia Speaks In-Home Speech Therapy & Clinic

Salaries for SLPs in South Carolina and Its Regions

The highest average SLP salaries in South Carolina are located in metro Charlotte, followed by Florence, Spartanburg, and Charleston.

The cities where you’ll find the best opportunities for high-end SLP salaries (90^th percentile) include Florence, metro Charlotte, Greenville, and Myrtle Beach.

You can compare the salaries across all of South Carolina’s major cities listed below. They’re sorted by highest average salary, and include data about the range between entry-level (10^th percentile) and high-end salaries:

Metro Charlotte:

• Average: $90,250 annually, $43.39 hourly
• Entry-level to high-end range: $62,470 – $119,410 annually, $30.04 – $57.41 hourly

Florence:

• Average: $89,380 annually, $42.97 hourly
• $50,300 – $121,620 annually, $24.19 – $58.47 hourly

Spartanburg:

• Average: $89,020 annually, $42.80 hourly
• $60,690 – $108,820 annually, $29.18 – $52.32 hourly

Charleston:

• Average: $87,060 annually, $41.85 hourly
• $53,600 – $112,780 annually, $25.77 – $54.22 hourly

Metro Hilton Head Island:

• Average: $87,000 annually, $41.83 hourly
• $62,850 – $114,460 annually, $30.22 – $55.03 hourly

Columbia:

• Average: $85,370 annually, $41.05 hourly
• $58,740 – $109,020 annually, $28.24 – $52.41 hourly

Greenville:

• Average: $83,730 annually, $40.26 hourly
• $34,040 – $118,520 annually, $16.37 – $56.98 hourly

Myrtle Beach:

• Average: $83,410 annually, $40.10 hourly
• $60,510 – $117,610 annually, $29.09 – $56.54 hourly

Augusta:

• Average: $82,870 annually, $39.84 hourly
• $56,680 – $106,780 annually, $27.25 – $51.34 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 March 2025.

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