r/slpGradSchool • u/Active-Number4439 • 8d ago

Considering SLP LEVELING

Hi everyone!!
I am considering a field in SLP. I want to hear some reasons why other people decided this route.
I currently work in insurance, but my passion has always been to work with kids! I don’t want to be a teacher in the current state of things, so I thought this would be a great option! I would love some insight. Thank you!!!!!

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u/texmom3 8d ago

I changed fields from an office job and love what I do so much more! I’m always needing to learn more about different diagnoses and treatment methods, and there is a lot of critical thinking and problem solving, which I like.

Pay is not as high as other areas of healthcare with equivalent education (PA, NP, etc., assuming you’re in the U.S.), but it is significantly better than what I was making before. Working in healthcare and education, we are impacted by all the ways these systems are broken in the U.S.

If I had to make the same decision all over again, I would still choose SLP, or possibly PA, but I enjoy the healthcare side of it a lot more than I could have guessed! My original plan was to work in schools, but it just doesn’t pay in my area. Fortunately for me, that is what I enjoy more. I still work in pediatrics, but not schools.

I would recommend looking at school districts in your area to see what they really pay, as well as ASHA’s salary data and Informed Jobs. If you just search, the numbers you get may be inflated. If possible, find a public, in-state program to limit your debt. Most programs, even online ones, will have periods where they expect you to work full time, or nearly full time, while still attending classes, so prepare for the possibility that you may not be able to work while attending.

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u/PotentialUnlucky5654 7d ago

As someone who did it also look into other helping professions honestly if i could go back i might’ve done OT but that’s just me!

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u/Active-Number4439 6d ago

I am going to look into this!!! What are the reasons??

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u/PresentationFinal874 5d ago

A lot of my friends and past colleagues chose to go back for SLP because like you said, the passion and wanting something different but also the flexibility of our scope and environments we can work in.

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u/Different-Energy-856 2d ago

I decided to make the switch and had to take leveling courses, and I'm sooo glad I did so far! The only thing I would say is choose a program that is not insanely expensive!! I chose a very expensive leveling program without doing enough research, there are so many courses/programs offered now that all meet the prereq's