Quick answer: The Waterloo metro employs about 130 speech-language pathologists (BLS OEWS, May 2025), and licensing is set at the state level, through your state speech-language pathology licensing board.
Licensing is a state matter, not a city one. Speech-language pathologists are licensed by state boards, and school-based practice may additionally run through a state education agency credential. The national constants are a master’s degree from a CAA-accredited program, the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology, a supervised clinical fellowship, and the Praxis examination.
See the Iowa licensing and pay overview for the statewide picture, and confirm current requirements with your state speech-language pathology licensing board.
Schools Near You
Schools in our database near this area, ranked by BOC Score. The list favors schools with a related program on record, but program availability and delivery format change, so confirm directly with any school that it currently offers the program you want.
How we rank schools – graduation rate, graduate earnings, cost and retention.
Advertising plays no part.
This page lists 3 schools
within 112 miles, closest group first, then ordered by
BOC Score with the highest at the top.
3 of them carry a score.
LOCAL RANK
Location / proximity to this page
Defines the local group
Graduation rate how often students finish
30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry whether it paid off
25%
Average net price what students actually pay after aid; lower ranks higher
20%
Retention rate how many come back for year two
15%
Fully online availability whether you can study while working
10%
Scores come from IPEDS (2024) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Earnings are for all graduates of a school, not one program, so treat them as a signal
about the institution rather than about this subject.
Sponsored listings are paid placements and are labelled as such; they are separate from
this ranking and never change it. Read the full methodology.
What Speech-Language Pathologists Earn in Waterloo
Speech-Language Pathologists in the Waterloo area earn a median $81,050 per year, below the national median of $97,870 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Speech-Language Pathology Pay in Waterloo, IA
Metric
Waterloo metro
Iowa
National
Median annual wage
$81,050
$81,050
$97,870
10th percentile
$63,180
$63,270
$62,900
25th percentile
$67,530
$70,470
$77,730
75th percentile
$90,180
$95,970
$114,570
90th percentile
$103,080
$106,460
$134,160
Employment
130
1,540
183,390
Location quotient
1.27
-
1.00
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Metro figures cover the Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA metropolitan statistical area.
What the Numbers Say About This Market
The Waterloo median of $81,050 is below the national median of $97,870, and level with the Iowa statewide median of $81,050 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
The metro’s location quotient of 1.27 means speech-language pathologists are more concentrated here than in the average U.S. labor market (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Higher concentration generally means more employers competing for the same people, and an easier job change later.
School systems employ the largest share of speech-language pathologists, so local demand tracks school-age population and district staffing alongside the health system.
Wage and employment figures describe the occupation as measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, not the graduates of any particular program, and individual outcomes may vary. Licensing rules change; confirm current requirements with the responsible state board before enrolling.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do speech-language pathologists make in Waterloo?
The median annual wage for speech-language pathologists in the Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA metro area is $81,050, below the national median of $97,870 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
How many speech-language pathologists work in the Waterloo area?
The Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA metro area employs about 130 speech-language pathologists (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Do speech-language pathologists in Waterloo need a license?
Licensing is handled at state level rather than by city. Speech-language pathologists are licensed by state boards, and school-based practice may additionally run through a state education agency credential. The national constants are a master's degree from a CAA-accredited program, the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology, a supervised clinical fellowship, and the Praxis examination. Confirm current requirements with your state speech-language pathology licensing board.
Can I study speech-language pathology online from Waterloo?
The academic portion of these programs is widely available online for working adults, while labs, clinical hours or supervised field work are completed in person. Check that the program's accreditation satisfies your state speech-language pathology licensing board.
Is Waterloo a better market than the rest of Iowa?
The Waterloo metro median is $81,050 against a statewide median of $81,050 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Compare that gap with the difference in living costs before treating it as a raise.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 - Speech-Language Pathologists (SOC 29-1127), national, state and metropolitan estimates
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2024-34
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook - education and licensing requirements
About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.
