How to Become a Speech Therapist in Utah

The communicative sciences and disorders community in Utah emphasizes bridging research and treatment to produce the best outcomes. From audiologists to SLPs and their assistants, Utah’s community of communicative sciences and disorders professionals continues to expand amid the growing demand for therapeutic services that address speech, fluency and swallowing disorder.

SLP jobs in Utah are projected to increase by 37% over the decade leading up to 2032. That’s the 7th-highest rate of growth among all states in the nation.

The Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Licensing Board is responsible for issuing licenses to qualified SLP candidates in Utah. Licensing requirements include earning a master’s degree in speech-language pathology, completing a clinical fellowship, and passing the national SLP exam.

Follow these steps to become a licensed speech therapist in Utah:

	Complete a Qualifying Master’s Degree Program in Speech-Language Pathology
	Complete a Nine-Month Clinical Fellowship Program
	Pass the National SLP Examination
	Become Licensed 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

To satisfy requirements set by the Utah Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Licensing Board, you must complete a master’s degree at minimum in speech-language pathology from an accredited college or university. The major accrediting agency for SLP programs is the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Council on Academic Accreditation (CAA).

CAA-accredited SLP programs can be traditional, campus-based programs or online programs. Online programs offer a greater level of flexibility for those with busy professional schedules while offering all the rigor and opportunities for experience found in conventional campus-based programs.

Undergraduate Requirements

You can enter an SLP master’s degree program with a bachelor’s degree in communication sciences and disorders or an unrelated program of study.

If you have a bachelor’s degree in this field, you would be well positioned to advance directly to graduate-level coursework. Otherwise, you may need to complete specific prerequisite courses or complete a pre-professional program through your university before you can begin your graduate work.

Typical prerequisite course requirements include:

• Speech Development and Disorders
• Language Acquisition
• Phonetics
• Introduction to Communication Disorders

Graduate Courses and Practicum

Master’s degree programs in speech-language pathology consist of 5-6 semesters and cover at least 48 credit hours.

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

• Phonological Assessments and Intervention
• Introduction to Research in Communicative Disorders
• Neural Bases of Communication and Motor Speech Disorders
• Adult Language Disorders
• Professional Practice in Speech-Language Pathology

Your graduate program will also include a clinical practicum, or externship, that will prepare you for your clinical fellowship and national exam. This 400-hour professional experience is required for graduation, licensure through the Board, and national certification (CCC-SLP) through ASHA, should you elect to pursue it. Online students would work with practicum advisors to be placed with a supervising SLP who would facilitate experiential learning in a variety of settings close to home.

There are three CAA-accredited graduate programs housed in universities in Utah that offer master’s degrees in speech-language pathology for those who would be more interested in learning on-campus than online:

• Master of Science in Communicative Disorders at Brigham Young University
• Master of Arts or Science in Speech-Language Pathology at University of Utah
• Master of Arts or Science in Speech-Language Pathology at Utah State University

Step 2. Complete a Nine-Month Clinical Fellowship Program

Upon graduation from an accredited SLP master’s degree program, you must complete a clinical fellowship of 9 months (one academic year), at 30 hours per week.

The fellowship is a paid opportunity to get real-world exposure to the practice environment you’re most interested in working in, whether the school system, rehabilitation, neonatal intensive care or other acute care settings. You would be responsible for finding an employer interested in taking on a fellow. In many cases, this would lead to full-time employment after you become licensed.

Just a few of the employers of SLPs in Utah that may facilitate a clinical fellowship include:

• Utah’s Communication Connection: Payson
• Utah Behavior Services: Salt Lake City, Riverdale, Lehi, Cedar City, and St. George
• University of Utah HealthCare, Therapy Services: Salt Lake City
• Wasatch Speech and Language Center: Holladay
• VST Online Therapy: Lehi

During your clinical fellowship, you’ll be working with your supervisor to get unique, hands-on experience. The work you do will be different in each location and scenario, but you will find ASHA’s Scope of Practice for SLPs will give you an idea of the general skills an SLP must possess, including leadership, research, advocacy, assessment, and treatment.

A licensed speech-language pathologist who has had their license for at least two years must supervise your clinical fellowship.

You must apply for a Temporary License before beginning your clinical fellowship.

Step 3. Pass the National SLP Examination

You must pass the national SLP examination before you can become licensed. Register for the exam on the Praxis website any time during or after your clinical fellowship. You’ll be able to take the exam at test centers located in:

• Cedar City
• Lindon
• Logan
• Ogden
• Price
• Provo
• Salt Lake City
• George
• Taylorsville
• Tooele

You will have 150 minutes to answer 132 multiple-choice questions. The exam is divided into three different categories, which you can study using the preparation materials:

• Foundations and Professional Practice – 1/3 of the exam
  • Factors that influence communication, feeding, and swallowing
  • Wellness and prevention
  • Counseling, collaboration, and teaming
  • Research methodology and evidence-based practice
• Screening, Assessment, Evaluation, and Diagnosis – 1/3 of the exam
  • Causes of genetic and developmental diseases
  • Assessment of fluency, hearing, feeding, and swallowing issues
  • Assessing factors that influence communication and swallowing disorders
  • Developing case histories
• Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation of Treatment – 1/3 of the exam
  • Treatment of fluency, hearing, feeding, and swallowing disorders
  • Communication impairments related to cognition
  • Generating a prognosis
  • Developing treatment plans and recommendations

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

Optional CCC-SLP Certification

Passing the SLP exam also qualifies you to apply for the Certificate of Clinical Competency in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP).

Although not a requirement for licensure as an SLP in Utah, many SLPs find the CCC-SLP designation beneficial when entering or advancing in the profession, as it is indicative of an advanced level of professionalism and a commitment to continuing education.

To apply for the CCC-SLP, first fill out the Application for the CCC-SLP. You must send your test scores from Praxis, an SLP Clinical Fellowship Report and Rating Form,and an official transcript from your graduate program.

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

Once you pass the SLP exam, you can then apply for your Utah SLP license. You can apply either online or with the paper application.

Along with your completed application, you would have your graduate program submit an official transcript, and have your fellowship sponsor submit proof of your clinical fellowship (using the Verification of Clinical Fellowship/Externship form included in the application packet). Praxis will furnish the Board with your exam score.

With your Utah SLP license in hand, you have several options for starting your career, including continuing to work with the employer that sponsored your fellowship.

You may consider pursuing other professional opportunities in:

• Hospitals
• Public schools
• Private practices
• Universities
• Long-term care institutions
• Homecare/telepractice

Holding one of ASHA’s Clinical Specialty Certifications displays your specific skillset in to your clients, colleagues, and employer, and is worth considering if you will be working in a specialized clinic or intend to establish a specialized practice independently. ASHA offers three different specialty certifications that complement the CCC-SLP:

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

You can read more about these certifications on.

Step 5. Maintain SLP Licensure and Complete Continuing Education Requirements

After you earn your permanent SLP license, you must keep it up to date by renewing it every two years. This can be done online or with a paper application.

You must also complete at least 20 hours of continuing education every two-year cycle.

You can satisfy your education requirements through ASHA or Utah Speech-Language-Hearing Association (USHA)-sponsored courses or events. The Association offers continuing education to its members, as well as legislative representation, networking opportunities, and recognition via awards at the yearly conference.

Speech-Language Pathology Salary in Utah

The average SLP salary is Utah –$83,650 annually or $40.22 hourly– is well above what’s considered a living wage. That’s according to MIT’s Living Wage Calculator, which computes that $36.79 an hour is enough to support a working parent, their stay-at-home partner, and their child.

And that’s to say nothing of the high-end salary for SLPs in Utah, which starts at $120,400 annually or $57.88 an hour!

Exceptional Growth Rates for a Highly Rated Profession

The speech-language pathology profession received a four-star ranking from Utah’s Department of Workforce Services—the second-highest possible rating. The Department bases this designation on both a strong employment outlook and high wages. In addition to a state wide four-star ranking, both the Salt Lake metro area and Ogden-Clearfield received this high rating.

Between 2014 and 2023, the number of SLP jobs in Utah increased by 32%. Going forward in the decade leading up to 2032, Utah should see an average of 130 SLP job openings every year.

A total of 1,250 SLP professionals work throughout the state:

• 390 in Ogden
• 380 in SLC
• 220 in Provo-Orem
• 140 in St. George
• 70 in rural Eastern Utah
• 50 in Logan

Types of Jobs for Speech-Language Pathologists in Utah

The top-paying industries for SLPs are civic and social organizations, followed by home health care services.

The US Department of Labor reports that 332 home health service providers in Utah employ speech-language pathologists. The greatest numbers of these employers are located in Salt Lake City:

• Salt Lake City: 74
• Ogden: 24
• Orem: 22
• Layton: 12
• Draper: 10
• Sandy: 10
• West Draper: 10

Additional employers include outpatient clinics such as the ones shown below:

• Bountiful: Summit Speech Therapy, Inc.
• Herriman: Browning Speech Therapy, LLC
• Highland: Timpanogos Speech Clinic
• Orem: CompleteSpeech
• Payson: Utah’s Communication Connection
• Pleasant Grove: Utah Pediatric Speech
• Salt Lake City: Marcia Stapley, MEd, CCC-SLP
• Salt Lake City: Wasatch Speech & Language Center

Salaries for Utah’s Speech-Language Pathologists

Within Utah, Salt Lake City takes the prize for having the highest average SLP salary. Next are St. George, Provo-Orem, and Logan.

The cities with the best potential for a high-end salary are SLC, Ogden, and Logan.

You can compare the areas throughout Utah listed below, sorted by highest average SLP salary. The range between entry-level (10^th percentile) and high-end (90^th percentile) salaries is also included:

Salt Lake City:

• Average: $91,210 annually, $43.85 hourly
• Entry-level to high-end range: $60,600 – $122,530 annually, $29.13 – $58.91 hourly

St. George:

• Average: $87,490 annually, $42.06 hourly
• $54,460 – $107,500 annually, $26.19 – $51.68 hourly

Provo-Orem:

• Average: $83,100 annually, $39.95 hourly
• $50,310 – $106,140 annually, $24.19 – $51.03 hourly

Logan:

• Average: $47,890 annually, $38.23 hourly
• $47,890 – $118,350 annually, $23.02 – $56.09 hourly

Ogden:

• Average: $77,240 annually, $37.14 hourly
• $48,900 – $120,120 annually, $23.51 – $57.75 hourly

Rural Eastern Utah:

• Average: $75,800 annually, $36.44 hourly
• $47,820 – $104,570 annually, $22.99 – $50.27 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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