Vermont’s speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are hard at work, providing life-changing services to people of all ages with a range of speech, language, communication, and swallowing difficulties and disorders stemming from injury, neurological conditions, developmental delays, and medical conditions.
- Emerson College - Master's in Speech-Language Pathology online - Prepare to become an SLP in as few as 20 months. No GRE required. Scholarships available.
- Arizona State University - Online - Online Bachelor of Science in Speech and Hearing Science - Designed to prepare graduates to work in behavioral health settings or transition to graduate programs in speech-language pathology and audiology.
- NYU Steinhardt - NYU Steinhardt's Master of Science in Communicative Sciences and Disorders online - ASHA-accredited. Bachelor's degree required. Graduate prepared to pursue licensure.
- Pepperdine University - Embark on a transformative professional and personal journey in the online Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology program from Pepperdine University. Our program brings together rigorous academics, research-driven faculty teaching, and robust clinical experiences, all wrapped within our Christian mission to serve our communities and improve the lives of others.
They work in preschools and in K-12 schools, evaluating students’ speech, language and communication skills; developing and implementing plans that address these challenges; and working closely with teachers, parents, and other professionals to ensure comprehensive support services.
They’re part of major medical centers like the Central Vermont Medical Center in Berlin, which offers assessments, diagnoses, and treatments to patients of all ages. Their outpatient services are focused on helping patients with concussions, brain injuries, neurological disorders, strokes, and more. They also offer inpatient services for patients following a stroke, acute illness, or recurring pneumonia.
And they’re the backbone of private clinics like the Center for Communication, Cognition and Swallowing in Rutland, which offers both in-person and telehealth SLP services that are aimed at the assessment and treatment of communication, cognition, and swallowing disorders.
Wherever a career in speech-language pathology may take you, you’ll feel good knowing you’re part of a growing community of professionals that aims to improve the lives of those they treat. In Vermont, becoming an SLP means earning licensure through the Vermont Office of Professional Regulation (OPR).
Follow these steps to become a licensed speech-language pathologist in Vermont:
Step 1. Earn a Speech Therapist Degree: Complete an Accredited Master’s Degree Program in Speech-Language Pathology
To become a licensed SLP in Vermont, you must earn a master’s degree in speech-language pathology that’s accredited by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Council on Academic Accreditation (CAA).
The CAA accredits both online and traditional, campus-based master’s degrees in speech-language therapy. Thanks to the large number of online SLP programs available throughout the nation, students have more options than ever for completing their graduate studies in the field of communication sciences and disorders.
This is particularly ideal for students in a state like Vermont, where there is just one campus-based option: the Master of Science in Communicative Sciences and Disorders at the University of Vermont.
Undergraduate Requirements
If you hold a bachelor’s degree in speech-language pathology, you can easily transition to an SLP master’s program and immediately begin taking graduate-level courses. If you possess a bachelor’s degree in another area, you may be required to complete several prerequisite courses or a pre-professional program through your university before transitioning to graduate-level coursework. Prerequisite courses often include:
- Speech Science
- Phonetics
- Language Acquisition
- Introduction to Communication Disorders
Graduate Course Requirements
SLP master’s degrees require two-three years of full-time study and the completion of 48-60 credits.
Just some of the core coursework you can expect to complete includes:
- Introduction to Audiology
- Hearing Rehabilitation
- Speech Sound Disorders
- Language Disorders
- Swallowing Disorders
- Voice Disorders
Your graduate program will also include a clinical practicum designed to prepare you for your clinical fellowship by providing you with valuable experience in the field.
Step 2. Complete a 36-Week Clinical Fellowship Program
Clinical fellowships in Vermont must include at least 36 weeks of full-time work, supervised by a licensed speech-language pathologist. You must apply for a provisional SLP license (Provisional Licensure by Registration) before you can begin your clinical fellowship period.
You must apply through OPR’s Online Services Platform. (OPR no longer accepts paper applications.)
The application process includes providing the OPR with the name and license number of your supervisor and a copy of your master’s degree transcripts (sent directly from your school).
It is your responsibility to find a qualified supervisor who will provide you with the necessary guidance and mentorship during your paid clinical fellowship. The fellowship provides you the opportunity to enter the field in a specialty area or practice setting of your choice, so you should give careful consideration to the employer you choose to work with.
Just a few of the employers of SLPs in Vermont that may be interested in taking on a fellow include:
- Vermont Speech Language Pathology: South Burlington
- Central Vermont Medical Center: Berlin
- Southwestern Vermont Health Care: Bennington
- Green Mountain Speech & Hearing Services: Montpelier
Fellowships often lead to full time employment after completing the licensing process
Step 3. Pass the National SLP Examination
Before you apply for licensure in Vermont, you must take and pass the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s (ASHA) National Examination in Speech Language Pathology, administered by Praxis. This can be done at any time during or after your clinical fellowship.
To take the exam, you must first register using the instructions on the Praxis registration page. You can take the exam at any one of the hundreds of Praxis testing centers in the U.S. In Vermont, there is a test center located in Williston.
You will have 150 minutes to answer 132 multiple-choice questions. The test is divided up into three different categories. You can study for the exam using study materials from Praxis. The exam contents include:
- Foundations and Professional Practice – 1/3 of the exam
- Characteristics of common communication and swallowing disorders
- Culturally and linguistically appropriate service delivery
- Documentation
- Professional Ethics
- Screening, Assessment, Evaluation, and Diagnosis – 1/3 of the exam
- Communication Disorders
- Feeding and Swallowing Disorders
- Developing Case Histories
- Assessing factors that influence communication and swallowing disorders
- Assessment of anatomy and physiology
- Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation of Treatment – 1/3 of the exam
- Evaluating factors that can affect treatment
- Initiating and prioritizing treatment and development goals
- Determining appropriate treatment details
- Communicating recommendations
- Following up on referrals and treatment recommendations
The passing score on the exam is 162 on a scale of 100-200.
Optional CCC-SLP Certification
After you complete your fellowship and pass the Praxis exam, you’ll also qualify for the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP) designation through the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), a nationally recognized credential denoting practice experience and a commitment to excellence among SLPs.
You will apply for the CCC-SLP through ASHA, which includes providing them with a completed SLP Clinical Fellowship Report and Rating Form, an official transcript from your graduate program, and your SLP exam score from Praxis.
If you earn the CCC-SLP before you apply for your Vermont SLP license, you’ll be able to facilitate the state license application process by submitting your CCC-SLP in lieu of other required documentation.
Step 4. Become Licensed and Begin Your Career as a Speech-Language Pathologist
After passing the SLP exam, you’ll apply for your Vermont SLP license through OPR’s Online Services Platform.
After receiving your Vermont SLP license, you can begin your career in earnest.
There are many opportunities in Vermont for licensed SLPs:
- Many newly licensed SLPs secure full-time employment with the employer through which they completed their clinical fellowship. This is a great option for maintaining continuity with patients.
- If you want to look through new job listings, you can start with the list of state and national resources for SLPs available through the Vermont Speech-Language-Hearing Association. This list includes professional resources across the state, including jobs in the public and private sectors.
- Many SLPs choose to provide speech-language pathology services as independent practitioners through telepractice, which allows them to live stream therapy sessions from the comfort of their home.
Many SLPs also earn Clinical Specialty Certification designed to complement the CCC-SLP. Specialty certifications are available through:
- American Board of Child Language and Language Disorders
- American Board of Fluency and Fluency Disorders
- American Board of Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders
Step 5. Maintain SLP Licensure and Complete Continuing Education Requirements
After you earn your Vermont SLP license, you’ll need to complete at least 30 hours of continuing education during every three-year renewal period. Learn more about renewal and continuing education requirements here.
If you hold an active CCC-SLP, the OPR recognizes that you have met the continuing education requirements, and you won’t be required to show proof of continuing education for renewal.
You can complete continuing education courses and programs through ASHA or the Vermont Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Members of the Vermont Association enjoy education opportunities, legislative support, and statewide professional connections.
Speech-Language Pathology Salary in Vermont
Vermont’s average SLP salary is $77,500, or $37.26 an hour. At the top end of the pay scale (90th percentile), SLPs here earn about $100,290, or $48.52 an hour.
Speech-Language Pathology Employment in Vermont
Vermont is home to a tight-knit community of SLPs. At 480-strong, Vermont has third-highest concentration of SLP jobs in the nation.
Over the decade leading up to 2030, the number of SLP jobs in Vermont is projected to increase by 23%, a rate that’s above the national average for this profession. The state should see an average of 30 SLP job openings every year during that period due to a blend of new job growth, retirements, and natural job turnover.
Schools remain the largest employer of speech-language pathologists in Vermont:
- Schools: 642
- Physical Therapists: 224
- Home Health Service: 54
- School Districts: 51
- Hospitals: 38
- Nursing and Convalescent Homes: 28
- Speech Pathologists: 26
A sampling of some of the companies in Vermont that are founded by SLPs or focus solely on this specialty include:
- Bennington: Tracy Locher
- Brattleboro: Shine Speech Therapy, LLC
- Burlington: Fletcher Allen Speech Therapy
- Burlington: Julia C Walberg
- Burlington: Rhonda Panucco
- Chittenden: Robin Smith Ogg
- Colchester: Maryellen Gallagher
- Hartford: Speak Vermont
- Jerciho: Steffani L Wilson
- Johnson: Mary B Asper
- Manchester Center: Beth McCoy
- Manchester Center: Jennifer L Breen
- Montpelier: Voice
- Newport: Corrine Rossignol
- Norwich: Amelia Wagner
- Pittsford: Wayne Flewelling
- Richmond: Susan Emple
- Rutland: Courtney Morrow
- Rutland: Elilzabeth Whitcomb
- Rutland: Speech & Language Therapy
- South Newfane: Erika A Connor
- South Burlington: Jenna Lewandowski
- South Burlington: Krista Shea
- Williston: Jessica Joblonski
Salaries for Speech-Language Pathologists in Vermont
Rural Southern Vermont is home to 220 SLPs, followed by Burlington with 150 SLPs and then rural Northern Vermont with 100 SLPs.
You can compare the following SLP salary statistics below. Data is provided for entry-level (10th percentile), average, and high-end (90th percentile) salaries:
Vermont Statewide:
- Average: $77,500 annually, $37.26 hourly
- Entry-level: $59,180 annually, $28.45 hourly
- High-end: $100,920 annually, $48.52 hourly
Rural Southern Vermont:
- Average: $80,170 annually, $38.54 hourly
- Entry-level: $59,720 annually, $28.71 hourly
- High-end: $107,660 annually, $51.76 hourly
Burlington:
- Average: $76,840 annually, $36.94 hourly
- Entry-level: $55,620 annually, $26.74 hourly
- High-end: $99,330 annually, $47.76 hourly
Rural Northern Vermont:
- Average: $72,630 annually, $34.92 hourly
- Entry-level: $59,340 annually, $28.53 hourly
- High-end: $87,790 annually, $42.21 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.