How to Become a Speech Therapist in Texas

In the decade leading up to 2030, the U.S. Department of Labor projects that jobs for Texas speech-language pathologists (SLPs) will increase by a truly impressive 37 percent – that’s nearly double the projected national growth rate for the profession during this time.

Still, it’s been a challenge satisfying the growing need for SLPs in the Lone Star State. More than 200,000 public school students from ages three to 21 are assessed and treated by SLPs, and about half of all districts throughout the state are experiencing a shortage of these professionals.

While organizations like the Texas Speech-Language Hearing Association (TSHA), which created the Texas Speech-Language-Hearing Foundation to support the SLP field through student scholarships, clinical research, and professional advocacy, work to keep the pipeline of new SLPs flowing, the state continues to struggle to supply schools with enough SLPs.

If you have a passion for improving the lives of children and adults, a career in speech-language pathology will provide you with a personally rewarding professional path that is ripe with opportunities. In healthcare facilities, schools, private practice, nonprofits, and beyond, SLPs provide articulation therapy, language intervention therapy, voice therapy, fluency therapy, and swallowing therapy services that help their patients improve their ability to communicate and enhance the overall quality of their lives.

To become a speech therapist in Texas, you must earn licensure through the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR). (Note: The Texas Board of Examiners for Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology was abolished in 2015 and the transfer of its functions transferred to the Department of Licensing and Regulation.)

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

	Complete a Qualifying Master’s Degree Program in Speech-Language Pathology
	Complete a Clinical Fellowship Program
	Pass the National SLP Examination
	Become Licensed in Texas and Begin Your Career as a Speech-Language Pathologist
	Maintain SLP Licensure and Complete Continuing Education Requirements

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

The first step to becoming licensed as an SLP in Texas involves earning a master’s degree or higher degree in speech-language pathology through a program that’s accredited by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Council on Academic Accreditation (CAA), part of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).

If you earned a degree that isn’t accredited by the CAA, you must provide the TDLR with an original signed letter from ASHA stating the CAA has accepted you program’s coursework and clinical experience.

The CAA accredits both campus-based and online master’s degree programs in speech-language pathology, which broadens your program options and allows you to complete your graduate work from home, or anywhere else in the world.

Undergraduate Requirements

The easiest transition to a graduate degree in speech-language pathology is through the completion of a bachelor’s degree in communication sciences and disorders. However, many graduate programs in speech-language pathology accept applicants without bachelor’s degrees in the same field.

If you don’t have a bachelor’s degree in speech-language pathology, you may be required to complete a pre-professional program through the university before your graduate work can begin. Some of the general prerequisite courses include:

• Introduction to Clinical Methods and Observation
• Phonetics
• Language Acquisition
• Introduction to Audiology

SLP Master’s Degree Components

SLP master’s degrees take about two to three years to complete and consist of between 40-60 credits.

Just a few of the classes completed through an SLP master’s degree program include:

• Ethics and Clinical Settings
• Neuronal Pathways of Communication
• Adult Dysphagia
• Counseling and Professional Communication
• Research in Communication Sciences
• Voice and Resonance Disorders

Your graduate program will also include a 400-hour clinical practicum, supervised by a licensed speech-language pathologist. You must first complete at least 25 clock hours of supervised observation before starting any clinical direct client contact.

Step 2. Complete a Clinical Fellowship Program

After earning your graduate degree, you must complete a clinical fellowship. In keeping with ASHA recommendations, the TDLR requires 1,260 hours of experience over a 36-week period, amounting to 35 hours a week. You can work part-time, provided you work no less than 5 hours a week.

A clinical fellowship is a paid, post-graduate period with an area employer that involves supervised practice in a clinical setting. Fellowships consist primarily of performing clinical activities such as assessment, diagnosis, evaluation, screening, treatment, report writing, family/client consultation, and/or counseling related to the management process of individuals who exhibit communication disabilities.

Just a small sampling of employers in Texas that may be interested in taking on a new fellow include:

• Kingwood Speech Pathology Services, Kingwood
• Central Texas Speech Pathology Services, Austin
• Austin Area Speech and Language Therapy Services, Austin
• Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston
• Health Bridge Children’s Hospital, Houston
• Capital Area Speech, Austin
• Texas Women’s University, Speech-Language and Hearing Clinic, Denton

Before starting you clinical fellowship program, you must apply for an Intern SLP license by completing an Intern in Speech-Language Pathology Application and submitting it to the TDLR, along with:

• A Coursework and Clinical Experience form that has been completed by the program director of your master’s degree program
• Your graduate transcripts showing the completion of a master’s degree program accredited by CAA
• A Certificate of Completion for the Texas Jurisprudence Exam
• An Intern Plan and Agreement of Supervision form

Upon the successful completion of your clinical fellowship, you and your supervising SLP will complete a Report of Completed Internship form, which will be submitted with your application for licensure.

Step 3. Pass the National SLP Examination

The final step to licensure requires passing the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s (ASHA) National Examination in Speech Language Pathology, administered by Praxis, which you can take at any time during or after your clinical fellowship

To take the exam, you must first register on the Praxis registration page and then take the SLP exam through a Praxis testing center. There are testing centers located in the following Texas cities:

• Abilene
• Amarillo
• Austin
• Beaumont
• Bedford
• Brownsville
• College Station
• Corpus Christi
• Dallas
• Denton
• Edinburg
• El Paso
• Houston
• Lubbock
• McAllen
• Nacogdoches
• Odessa
• San Antonio
• Tyler
• Waco
• Wichita Falls

The speech-language pathology exam includes 132 multiple-choice questions that must be answered in 150 minutes. Praxis offers study materials so you can properly study for the exam. The exam covers three basic categories:

• Foundations and Professional Practice – 1/3 of the exam
  • Characteristics of common communication and swallowing disorders
  • Counseling, collaboration, and teaming
  • Legislation and client advocacy
• Screening, Assessment, Evaluation, and Diagnosis – 1/3 of the exam
  • Feeding and swallowing disorders
  • Assessing factors that influence communication and swallowing disorders
  • Fluency
  • Social aspects of communication
  • Hearing
  • Disease processes
• Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation of Treatment – 1/3 of the exam
  • Creating development goals
  • Treatment principles and procedures
  • Treatment of fluency issues
  • Communication impairments related to cognition
  • Swallowing and feeding

The exam is graded on a scale of 100 to 200, and you need to score a minimum of 162 to pass.

Optional CCC-SLP Certification

Once you pass the SLP exam, you are eligible for the Certificate of Clinical Competency in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP) designation. Although not a requirement for licensure in Texas, many SLPs find this designation helpful when entering or advancing in the profession.

If you choose to earn the CCC-SLP before becoming licensed, you can facilitate the licensure process by choosing the ASHA Waiver. This allows you to submit your CCC-SLP designation in lieu of other documentation when applying for your SLP license in Texas.

To apply for the CCC-SLP, apply directly through ASHA and provide them with SLP Clinical Fellowship Report and Rating Form, official transcripts from your graduation program, and your passing SLP exam score.

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

After you’ve successfully completed your clinical fellowship and passed the Praxis exam, you’ll apply for SLP licensure by completing the Intern Upgrade to Speech-Language Pathologist application through TDLR Online Licensing Services and paying the application fee of $150.

Once you have your Texas SLP license in hand, you can dive into the profession by:

• Returning to the same clinic or practice where you completed your clinical fellowship; many newly licensed SLPs begin their careers in this way
• Checking out jobs through the Texas Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s Career Center
• Starting an independent practice and working from home by live streaming telepractice sessions

TSHA is a great resource for learning more about professional opportunities in speech-language pathology, including:

Work Setting Resources

• Public schools
• Medical practices
• Private practices
• Universities

Setting-Specific Resources

• Acute care hospitals
• Acute inpatient rehabilitation
• Homecare
• Long-term care
• Pediatric hospitals/NICU
• Early intervention services

ASHA offers several specialty certifications that complement the CCC-SLP. These certifications display your expertise in different areas of communicative disorders and sciences. ASHA currently recognizes and offers the following specialty certifications:

• American Board of Child Language and Language Disorders
• American Board of Fluency and Fluency Disorders
• American Board of Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders

Learn more these specialty certifications on ASHA’s specialty certification page.

Step 5. Maintain SLP Licensure and Complete Continuing Education Requirements

After earning your Texas SLP license, you need keep it up to date. This includes renewing it every two years through TDLR Online Licensing Services and completing at least 20 clock hours of continuing education, two of which must be in ethics.

All SLPs must also take a human trafficking prevention training course, approved by the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC), for renewal.

Approved providers like the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and the Texas Speech-Language-Hearing Association offer a wide array of continuing education opportunities.

The Texas Speech-Language-Hearing Association also offers a membership program, which provides members with access to online courses, publications, legislative advocacy, regional seminars, and grant opportunities.

Speech-Language Pathology Salary in Texas

The average salary for SLPs in Texas is $91,030, or $43.77 hourly. The highest earning SLPs (90^th percentile) in the Lone Star State earn about $125,890, or $60.52 hourly.

Exceptionally High Rates of Job Growth and Employment Levels for Texas SLPs

As the second-most populous state in the nation, it’s no surprise that Texas is home to the largest number of SLPs in the country: 16,050 professionals. If having a community of colleagues is important for you, you won’t have any problems in Texas; by numbers it’s even better than California.

Many areas in Texas rank nationally for the number and concentration of speech-language pathologists:

• Dallas-Fort Worth – 3rd-highest number of SLPs of all cities
• Houston – 5th-highest number of SLPs of all cities
• Victoria – 5th-highest SLP concentration of all cities
• Abilene – 6th-highest SLP concentration of all cities
• Texarkana – 8th-highest SLP concentration of all cities
• Rural North Texas – 3rd-highest number of SLPs of all rural areas
• Coastal Plains – 4th-highest SLP concentration of all rural areas

Of Texas’ total SLP workforce, around half are employed in the Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston areas.

These are the top-ten cities for SLP employment in Texas:

• Dallas-Fort Worth – 5,080 SLPs
• Houston – 4,210 SLPs
• Austin – 2,260 SLPs
• San Antonio – 1,610 SLPs
• Metro McAllen – 570 SLPs
• El Paso – 480 SLPs
• Brownsville – 340 SLPs
• Corpus Christi – 290 SLPs
• Killeen – 250 SLPs
• Lubbock – 240 SLPs

In the decade leading up to 2030, it is expected that Texas will see about 1,650 SLP job openings every year due to a blend of new job creation, retirements, and natural job turnover.

Speech-Language Pathology Salaries in Texas

Where you work has an influence on how much you earn. There’s a difference of over $21k between the average annual SLP salary in Austin versus the average in rural West Texas.

You can compare salaries throughout Texas below. They’re ranked according to highest average salary, with the range provided representing the average to top 10%:

Austin:

• Annual: $98,290 – $129,360
• Hourly: $47.26 – $62.19

Odessa:

• Annual: $98,200 – $146,590
• Hourly: $47.21 – $70.48

Corpus Christi:

• Annual: $95,080 – $117,610
• Hourly: $45.71 – $56.54

Coastal Plains:

• Annual: $94,030 – $117,650
• Hourly: $45.21 – $56.56

Houston:

• Annual: $93,550 – $125,890
• Hourly: $44.98 – $60.52

Midland:

• Annual: $92,680 – $122,190
• Hourly: $44.56 – $58.74

Dallas-Fort Worth:

• Annual: $91,000 – $127,910
• Hourly: $43.75 – $61.50

Victoria:

• Annual: $90,990 – $116,860
• Hourly: $43.74 – $56.18

Border Region:

• Annual: $90,260 – $127,130
• Hourly: $43.39 – $61.12

Tyler:

• Annual: $90,060 – $116,270
• Hourly: $43.30 – $55.90

Hill Country:

• Annual: $90,010 – $126,980
• Hourly: $43.27 – $61.05

Texarkana:

• Annual: $89,230 – $146,590
• Hourly: $42.90 – $70.48

El Paso:

• Annual: $88,260 – $126,420
• Hourly: $42.44 – $60.78

Laredo:

• Annual: $87,980 – $145,600
• Hourly: $42.30 – $70.00

San Antonio:

• Annual: $87,400 – $123,740
• Hourly: $42.02 – $59.49

Wichita Falls:

• Annual: $86,910 – $124,150
• Hourly: $41.78 – $59.69

McAllen:

• Annual: $86,510 – $113,350
• Hourly: $41.59 – $54.49

College Station:

• Annual: $86,290 – $129,040
• Hourly: $41.49 – $62.04

Beaumont:

• Annual: $86,250 – $128,720
• Hourly: $41.47 – $61.89

Waco:

• Annual: $86,140 – $118,470
• Hourly: $41.41 – $56.96

Lubbock:

• Annual: $85,800 – $122,390
• Hourly: $41.25 – $58.84

Big Thicket:

• Annual: $85,470 – $127,080
• Hourly: $41.09 – $61.09

Rural North Texas:

• Annual: $85,330 – $127,140
• Hourly: $41.02 – $61.12

Brownsville:

• Annual: $84,540 – $106,210
• Hourly: $40.64 – $51.06

Longview:

• Annual: $83,700 – $125,430
• Hourly: $40.24 – $60.30

Killeen:

• Annual: $83,350 – $113,900
• Hourly: $40.07 – $54.76

Amarillo:

• Annual: $82,330 – $126,000
• Hourly: $39.58 – $60.58

San Angelo:

• Annual: $80,200 – $125,400
• Hourly: $38.56 – $60.29

Abilene:

• Annual: $78,260 – $105,760
• Hourly: $37.62 – $50.85

Sherman:

• Annual: $77,890 – $104,960
• Hourly: $37.45 – $50.46

Rural West Texas:

• Annual: $76,690 – $119,480
• Hourly: $36.87 – $57.44

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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