Speech-Language Pathology in San Francisco

San Francisco employs many speech-language pathologists (SLPs) to help its residents thrive. The city offers speech and swallowing services in schools,¹ hospitals, private practices, and other facilities.

As an SLP in San Francisco and the surrounding areas of Oakland and San Jose, you can help children, adults, and older adults live fuller lives. Here are a few opportunities for SLPs to help residents in these areas.

San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose have diverse populations – in fact, all three cities are ranked by WalletHub in the top 15 most culturally diverse cities in the United States. As of Fall 2018, 19.3% of California public school students were English language learners (ELL),⁴ and bilingual SLPs are needed to diagnose and treat stuttering, speech errors, and related issues that ELL students may have.

In San Francisco, instances of traumatic brain injury (TBI) have increased: in 2014, nearly 900 cases of TBI were reported in San Francisco, up from nearly 700 in 2010.⁵ SLPs help survivors of all ages through inpatient and outpatient therapy.

The practice of speech-language pathology is highly regulated. To practice in San Francisco or the nearby areas of Oakland or San Jose, an SLP must meet the licensure requirements established in California. Each SLP candidate is evaluated by the Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology and Hearing Aid Dispensers Board, which is part of the state’s Department of Consumer Affairs.

There are numerous requirements for licensure, including a master’s degree from an accredited speech-language pathology program. To see how our master’s program aligns with California requirements, visit our licensure website.

The NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development is an esteemed, accredited institution, and its online modality of the master’s program in Communicative Sciences and Disorders provides a rigorous education designed to meet the highest of standards to pursue licensure. Graduates of Speech@NYU develop the knowledge and skills needed to pursue employment as an SLP after obtaining licensure.

¹ SFUSD, Special Education (accessed October 24, 2019) arrow_upwardReturn to footnote reference

² CareerOneStop, Projected Employment for Speech Language Pathologists in California (accessed October 24, 2019) arrow_upwardReturn to footnote reference

³ CareerOneStop, Wages for Speech-Language Pathologists in San Francisco, CA (accessed June 18, 2020) arrow_upwardReturn to footnote reference

⁴ California Department of Education, Facts About English Learners in California (accessed October 24, 2019) arrow_upwardReturn to footnote reference

⁵ California Department of Public Health, EpiCenter California Injury Data Center Online, 2014 non-fatal hospitalizations in San Francisco County, all races, all ages, TBI as principal diagnosis or any secondary diagnosis, all injury types. arrow_upwardReturn to footnote reference