Annual Salary
£28,000 to £50,000
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
Swap to Medical or Social care or go back to all job sectors
Swap to Medical or Social care or go back to all job sectors
Speech and language therapists help people with speaking and communication problems and those with eating and swallowing difficulties.
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
You could work: between 8am and 6pm;
There will be
3.8% more Speech and language therapist jobs in 2027.
As a speech and language therapist, you could:
You could work at a school, in an NHS or private hospital, at a health centre, in a nursery or at a client's home.
Your working environment may be emotionally demanding.
You can get into this job through:
You'll need a degree in speech and language therapy approved by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT).
If you've got a relevant degree, you could do a 2-year fast-track postgraduate course in speech and language therapy.
You may be able to get extra student financial support through the NHS Learning Support Fund.
You'll usually need:
You may be able to do a Speech and Language Therapist Level 6 Degree Apprenticeship.
The apprenticeship will take around 4 years to complete.
If you already have a relevant degree it may be shorter and you may be able to get a master's qualification as part of the apprenticeship.
If you are working as a speech and language therapy assistant you might be able to apply to do the degree apprenticeship with your current employer. You would need to meet all their entry requirements for the apprenticeship.
The Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT) has more information on this apprenticeship.
You'll usually need:
You'll find it helpful to get some paid or voluntary experience in a healthcare setting before you apply for a course.
You can also find volunteering opportunities through The National Council for Voluntary Organisations and Do IT.
You'll need to:
You'll be expected to show an understanding of the NHS values when applying for degree courses and apprenticeships.
You can find out more about becoming a speech and language therapist from:Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT); Health Careers
With experience, you could specialise in working with:children with special educational needs; people who have eating, drinking and swallowing disorders (dysphagia)
After further training, you could move into teaching and research. You could also become self-employed and run your own business.
You'll need: