Speech-Language Pathologists Salary
The median pay for a speech-language pathologists in El Centro, CA is $133,760/year ($64.31/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $94K at the entry level to $196K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 95.17), that's roughly $140,548 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,362/month, or 17.2% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $134K get you in El Centro?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by El Centro’s Regional Price Parity (95.17). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About speech-language pathologists
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in El Centro
El Centro sits well above the national pay line for speech-language pathologists, local pay runs about 37% higher than the U.S. median of $98K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,362/month, 17.5% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 95.17) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Combined with manageable housing costs, El Centro offers a genuinely strong financial position for speech-language pathologistss at the median.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for speech-language pathologists in metros near El Centro, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $110K | $97K |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $119K | $111K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $131K | $113K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $120K | $107K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, El Centro, CA
Entry-level speech-language pathologists (10th percentile) start around $94K. Mid-career wages sit at $134K. Top earners bring in $196K or more, a $103K spread from bottom to top.
Speech-Language Pathologists pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Speech-Language Pathologists salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $119K | +22% | 16,930 |
| Colorado | $111K | +13% | 4,420 |
| District of Columbia | $109K | +12% | 390 |
| Washington | $106K | +8% | 3,570 |
| Nevada | $105K | +7% | 1,270 |
| Rhode Island | $104K | +6% | 720 |
| Delaware | $103K | +5% | 690 |
| Alaska | $103K | +5% | 340 |
| Oregon | $103K | +5% | 1,600 |
| New Jersey | $102K | +4% | 6,840 |
| Massachusetts | $101K | +4% | 5,290 |
| New York | $101K | +3% | 15,310 |
| Connecticut | $100K | +2% | 2,390 |
| Florida | $100K | +2% | 10,080 |
| Texas | $100K | +2% | 19,120 |
| Maryland | $99K | +1% | 3,510 |
| New Mexico | $99K | +1% | 1,250 |
| Arizona | $98K | -0% | 3,390 |
| Hawaii | $98K | -0% | 270 |
| Georgia | $97K | -1% | 4,030 |
| Virginia | $96K | -2% | 4,460 |
| Illinois | $95K | -3% | 9,040 |
| Ohio | $93K | -5% | 7,270 |
| Pennsylvania | $93K | -5% | 6,570 |
| Utah | $92K | -6% | 1,460 |
| South Carolina | $91K | -7% | 2,190 |
| Minnesota | $89K | -9% | 3,890 |
| Missouri | $89K | -9% | 3,230 |
| Michigan | $89K | -9% | 4,730 |
| Indiana | $87K | -11% | 3,310 |
| North Carolina | $86K | -12% | 5,600 |
| Tennessee | $85K | -14% | 3,320 |
| Oklahoma | $84K | -14% | 1,870 |
| Idaho | $84K | -14% | 1,210 |
| Nebraska | $84K | -14% | 1,310 |
| Arkansas | $84K | -15% | 2,430 |
| Kentucky | $84K | -15% | 2,610 |
| New Hampshire | $83K | -15% | 720 |
| Wisconsin | $83K | -15% | 2,940 |
| Maine | $83K | -16% | 640 |
| Vermont | $82K | -16% | 430 |
| Wyoming | $82K | -16% | 240 |
| Iowa | $81K | -17% | 1,540 |
| West Virginia | $81K | -17% | 880 |
| Kansas | $80K | -18% | 1,690 |
| Montana | $79K | -20% | 490 |
| Mississippi | $78K | -20% | 1,790 |
| North Dakota | $75K | -23% | 630 |
| Alabama | $74K | -25% | 2,060 |
| Louisiana | $70K | -29% | 3,000 |
| South Dakota | $66K | -33% | 410 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track speech-language pathologists salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when El Centro numbers change.
Related careers in Healthcare
Frequently asked questions
Can a speech-language pathologist afford a 2BR apartment alone in El Centro?
Yes — at the median salary of $134K, rent takes 17.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,362/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for speech-language pathologists in El Centro?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new speech-language pathologists typically earn — is $94K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $5,615/month. At HUD’s $1,362/month FMR, rent would take 24% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is speech-language pathologist a high-paying job in El Centro?
Local pay is 37% above the national median — $134K here vs. $98K nationally.
How does El Centro compare to the national average for speech-language pathologists?
El Centro pays $134K median vs. the U.S. average of $98K — that’s +37%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 95.17), the purchasing-power equivalent is $141K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do speech-language pathologists make in El Centro, CA?
The median is $133,760 a year, that works out to about $64 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $93,580, and experienced speech-language pathologists can clear $196,370. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $134K enough to live in El Centro?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $7,800/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,362/month, which eats 17.5% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a speech-language pathologists salary go in El Centro?
El Centro has a Regional Price Parity of 95.17 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median speech-language pathologists salary is worth about $140,548 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do speech-language pathologists get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.