Which state pays speech-language pathologists the most?

California has the highest median speech-language pathologist pay in the United States at $118,970 (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is the sticker figure. After state income tax and cost of living, the pay that goes furthest is Nevada at $104,532, then Colorado ($103,429) and New Mexico ($103,224).

Where does speech-language pathologist pay go furthest after cost of living?

Nevada, Colorado, and New Mexico. Real value starts from the BLS median speech-language pathologist wage, subtracts modeled state income tax, then divides by the state cost of living (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024). California ranks #5 of 51 on that measure despite paying the most on paper.

Which states pay speech-language pathologists the least after cost of living?

South Dakota ($74,143), Louisiana ($76,987), Alabama ($79,081). A state can pay well and still land here: high local prices and state income tax both come out of the same wage.

What is the median speech-language pathologist salary in the US?

$97,870 nationally, BLS OEWS May 2025 (SOC 29-1127). State medians run from $65,680 to $118,970 before any adjustment.

Do states with no income tax pay speech-language pathologists more?

Not automatically. No-income-tax states (Texas, Florida, Washington, Tennessee, and others) keep more of the nominal wage as take-home, but cost of living still decides the real value. The table below separates the two effects so you can see which one is moving a state up or down.

Where speech-language pathologists actually earn the most

California pays speech-language pathologists the most on paper, at $118,970. After state income tax and cost of living, Nevada goes furthest at $104,532, and California drops to #5 of 51.

Therapists

Physical therapy Occupational therapy Speech-language

Assistants

PTA COTA

After-tax pay adjusted for cost of living. Stacks state tax and local prices.

$74k$105k

Shading is scaled within speech-language pathologists only. US median for speech-language pathologists: $97,870.

Nevada

#1 of 51 · Real value

BLS reported median: $104,510
State income tax: none
After-tax: $104,510
Cost of living (US = 100): 100.0
Real value: $104,532

Pay varies inside Nevada too.

Compare 4 Nevada metros Or see what you should be getting paid

These are state medians

Your local number depends on your experience and practice setting.

See what you should be getting paid

All 51 states, ranked

Median speech-language pathologist pay by state, ranked by what it is worth after state income tax and cost of living.

#	State	Nominal	Take-home	Real value
1	Nevada	$104,510	$104,510	$104,532
2	Colorado	$110,750	$106,585	$103,429
3	New Mexico	$98,690	$95,185	$103,224
4	Texas	$99,910	$99,910	$102,940
5	California	$118,970	$112,135	$101,278
6	Alaska	$102,670	$102,670	$100,304
7	Ohio	$93,300	$91,517	$98,645
8	Washington	$105,550	$105,550	$98,633
9	Rhode Island	$104,000	$100,662	$98,418
10	Delaware	$102,760	$97,319	$97,506
11	Florida	$99,990	$99,990	$96,689
12	Georgia	$96,760	$92,361	$95,917
13	Arizona	$97,800	$95,564	$94,921
14	Missouri	$89,280	$86,021	$94,719
15	District of Columbia	$109,380	$103,051	$93,767
16	Arkansas	$83,580	$80,533	$92,634
17	Oklahoma	$84,470	$81,214	$92,454
18	Pennsylvania	$92,960	$90,106	$92,348
19	Tennessee	$84,630	$84,630	$92,119
20	Connecticut	$100,110	$95,353	$92,031
21	South Carolina	$90,530	$86,255	$92,007
22	Oregon	$102,660	$94,507	$91,434
23	Massachusetts	$101,310	$96,465	$91,213
24	Indiana	$87,360	$84,812	$90,875
25	Illinois	$95,080	$90,518	$90,556
26	Virginia	$96,250	$91,530	$90,530
27	Maryland	$99,190	$94,842	$90,361
28	Nebraska	$84,350	$81,392	$90,332
29	Iowa	$81,050	$78,622	$89,585
30	Kentucky	$83,550	$80,743	$89,557
31	New Jersey	$101,560	$97,279	$89,407
32	Michigan	$89,120	$85,583	$88,948
33	New York	$100,610	$95,714	$88,689
34	North Carolina	$86,460	$83,519	$88,543
35	Wyoming	$82,040	$82,040	$88,509
36	Utah	$91,560	$87,440	$88,445
37	West Virginia	$80,970	$78,002	$87,156
38	Mississippi	$78,130	$75,737	$87,101
39	Minnesota	$89,380	$84,826	$86,012
40	Wisconsin	$83,000	$79,982	$85,001
41	Kansas	$80,120	$76,449	$84,879
42	Idaho	$84,380	$81,016	$84,839
43	North Dakota	$75,240	$75,032	$84,345
44	Hawaii	$97,560	$91,676	$83,379
45	Vermont	$82,090	$79,132	$80,782
46	Maine	$82,660	$78,245	$80,624
47	Montana	$78,740	$75,652	$79,932
48	New Hampshire	$83,040	$83,040	$79,720
49	Alabama	$73,660	$70,242	$79,081
50	Louisiana	$69,610	$67,908	$76,987
51	South Dakota	$65,680	$65,680	$74,143

Ranked by real value (take-home pay adjusted for cost of living). Nominal = BLS median annual wage.

The same map for the other four professions

Each profession ranks states differently. Assistant pay sits in a narrower band, so cost of living moves it more.

How this is calculated

Nominal pay is the median annual wage from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program (May 2025 release) for speech-language pathologists, SOC 29-1127, in each state. Where BLS suppresses an estimate for confidentiality, that state is left out rather than filled in, and there is no gap for this profession.

Take-homesubtracts modeled state income tax for a single filer taking the standard deduction, at that state's median wage, using Tax Foundation brackets as of January 1, 2026. It does not include federal income tax or FICA (those don't vary by state, so they don't change the ranking), and it excludes local (city or county) income taxes.

Real valuedivides take-home by each state's cost of living, using the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (2024), where the US average is 100. Cost of living already captures sales tax and, through rents, some property tax; income tax is separate, which is why it is applied on its own.

Limits: single filer only; local income taxes (Maryland, New York, Ohio) are averaged out at the state grain; and cost of living is statewide, so a specific metro can run higher or lower. Typical pay, not personalized tax advice.

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