You’re spending your career helping people communicate better. Now you need to communicate to a potential employer just how valuable a speech-language pathologist you are with an SLP resume that speaks to your successes.
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The more informed you are about what recruiters want, the more likely you are to win an interview. The resources at Resume.io, including resume guides and resume examples for 350+ professions, and resume builder will take you through the resume creation process from brainstorming to professional products.
Get started with this resume guide, along with the corresponding speech pathologist resume example. In it, we will cover the following topics:
- What does an SLP do?
- Tips for writing a standout SLP resume
- The best format for a speech-language pathologist resume
- Advice on your summary, work history, education, and skills sections
- Professional resume layout and design hints
What does an SLP do?
Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) work with patients who struggle with some form of language deficit. They may be children with developmental speech delays, stroke patients, or anyone with a speech disorder.
SLPs work to improve diction, understanding of language (receptive skills), communication with others, word usage, and socially appropriate language use. They assess, diagnose, set patient goals, and develop treatment plans for individual patients. SLPs work in schools, hospitals, residential treatment facilities, and private practices.
SLP job market and outlook
Like many other healthcare professionals, SLPs are in demand. One reason is the aging population. As people age, more people have health problems that result in speech deficits. Another is the awareness of speech and language disorders in preschool-age children and the benefits of early intervention.
Rural areas are hardest hit by the shortage of SLPs, but overall, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a 19% jump in the number of speech pathologists needed by 2032.
How much do SLPs earn?
The median income for a speech-language pathologist is $84,140. Those in the bottom 10 percent of earners bring in $56,370, while SLPs in the top 10% have median salaries of $126,680.
School SLPs earn about $80,000, while those in home health care or nursing facilities command wages above six figures.
How to write an SLP resume
The very first step in writing an SLP resume is understanding what sections to include. These are the same sections you will find in our SLP resume example. Your CV should contain the following elements:
- The resume header
- The resume summary (aka profile or personal statement)
- The employment history section
- The resume skills section
- The education section
Although these sections will remain the same, the best speech-language pathologist resumes
personalize the content to target the needs of each employer and job situation.
Choosing the best resume format for an SLP resume
The best speech-language pathologist resumes take into account that a standard format makes life easier for HR; if life is easier for HR, they are more likely to spend time reading your resume. That means using reverse chronological order unless you have a compelling reason not to.
Begin your work history and education section with your most recent job or degree and work your way backward. If speech pathology is your second career, or you are looking for your first position, you may consider an alternate format that allows you to expand on your skills and profile and minimizes your employment history.
Resume header
The point of any resume for a speech-language pathologist is to be offered an interview. For that, you need a clear, eye-catching header that includes your name, address, best phone number and email, and any professional social media URLs.
You do not need to include your street address, your city and state is fine unless your full address is relevant to the position.
The secondary function of a header is to draw visual attention to your SLP resume. It is the one spot within this document where you have the opportunity to add a little punch to your design. Our expertly-designed resume templates will give you a good jumping-off point.
SLP resume summary example
Why did you become a speech pathologist? How do you approach patient care? What type of disorders and demographic of patients do you prefer to work with? What will you bring to this practice? These are among the questions you should answer in your SLP resume summary.
The summary, or profile, consists of about four lines of text, but they serve the purpose of differentiating you from other candidates by allowing for an argument for your employment. Keep the tone professional and avoid exaggeration, but do make sure you tell your prospective employer what makes you an excellent candidate.
Licensed Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) with more than six years of experience in treating pediatric and adult patients in clinical settings. Adept at conducting in-depth assessments to accurately diagnose and treat a range of speech and language issues. Committed to utilizing evidence-based practices to facilitate communication and enhance patient outcomes. Talent for building rapport and trust with patients and family members, providing ongoing education and support.
The speech-language pathologist resume example below offers one starting point, but if you want to look over other summaries, here are a few related options:
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Employment history sample
The employment history section of an SLP resume shines a light not just on what you have done, but the successes you have achieved during your career. Each bullet item should be a well-crafted illustration of a skill you have honed and how you used it to help a patient.
Recruiters are looking for a pattern of growth from your first position to now, so make sure you highlight your senior-level accomplishments.
Speech-Language Pathologist at Big Apple Speech Therapy, Phoenix, IL
January 2017 - Present
- Developed and implemented personalized therapy plans to address organic and nonorganic speech, language, and communication problems.
- Utilized word games, reading, tongue and mouth exercises, and other therapeutic techniques.
- Administered and interpreted results of specialized hearing and speech evaluations and tests.
- Collaborated with multidisciplinary team to provide comprehensive care and support for patients.
Clinical Fellow Speech-Language Pathologist at Affiliated Speech Pathology, Phoenix, IL
June 2016 - December 2016
- Gained experience in treating pediatric clients with a wide range of speech and language disorders.
- Conducted assessments and drafted detailed reports to track client progress and adjust therapy plans as necessary.
- Communicated with colleagues and parents to ensure treatment plans achieved desired outcomes.
- Start with a strong action word and use appropriate description words
- Target your bullet items to each job
- Illustrate your achievements with data and details
- Use space-wasting phrases such as “Responsible for”
- Send out an application without personalizing
- Neglect to name programs you have used to treat patients
CV skills example
Speech pathology requires a specific set of knowledge, but it also requires certain interpersonal traits or soft skills. The job listing will give you a good idea of what skills you should include on your SLP resume given that they are attributes for which you are proficient or expert.
Speech pathologists must understand fluency, articulation, voice and resonance, and receptive and expressive language among other language knowledge. Along with that professional knowledge, great SLPs have the following traits, according to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association: teachability, strong ethics, excellent communication, curiousity, empathy, social consciousness, objectivity, and patience.
Choose your strongest skills to include in your skills section, doing your best to match them to the job listing.
- Individualized Therapy Plans
- Assessment & Diagnosis
- Case Management
- Hearing & Speech Tests
- Early Language Skills
- Fluency & Comprehension
- Patient Education
- Multidisciplinary Collaboration
- Technology Utilization
SLP resume education example
The education section of your SLP resume is a listing of your academic achievements. SLPs need at least a master’s degree in their field. They also need to complete a fellowship, although requirements vary by state. Finally, to obtain their license, they need to pass the PRAXIS exam.
You may list all these elements within this section, or, if you are new to the field, you may consider your fellowship as part of your employment history. Make sure you include your license number.
Master of Science in Communicative Sciences and Disorders, NYU Steinhardt, New York, NY
June 2014 - July 2016
Bachelor of Science in Speech and Hearing Science, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
July 2010 - June 2014
Resume layout and design
A basic necessity in your field is to present yourself professionally to each patient. The layout and design of a speech-language pathologist's resume must project this image. To do so, keep your fonts legible and your use of color to a minimum.
Other helpful hints for your layout:
- Maintain margins of at least ¾-inch all around
- Use one serif font and one sans serif font—one for headings and one for text
- Break up blocks of text by varying your line length; in other words, don’t run the type to the edges of the margin for each bullet item
- Use a resume template to avoid formatting errors
Key takeaways for an SLP resume
- Speech-language pathologists are in high demand for several reasons.
- The main opportunity to differentiate yourself comes in your summary, where you should clearly state to your prospective employer what you will add to the job.
- Great SLPs have a depth of language knowledge but also possess personal attributes they should highlight in their skills section.
- A professional image starts with a clean, legible design.
