Speech-language pathologist job description template: setting, caseload, CCC-SLP, clinical fellows and school credentials
On this page
- Name the setting and the caseload
- License, certification and credential lines
- The speech-language pathologist job description template
- Pay and EEO
- From must-haves to screening questions and scorecard rows
- Common mistakes in speech-language pathologist job descriptions
- Before you publish
- Questions people ask
"Speech therapist wanted, school or clinic, CCC preferred." That covers jobs that have almost nothing in common: a school SLP with 55 students and IEP deadlines, a hospital SLP doing swallow studies, a pediatric clinic with articulation and language sessions, a skilled nursing role built on dysphagia and cognition, and a telepractice caseload across a state. It also leaves open the question many applicants ask first: will you take a clinical fellow? A useful speech-language pathologist job description names the setting and population, the caseload or workload, the procedures, the state license and any education credential in exact terms, whether clinical fellows are welcome and who supervises them, and how pay works. Below are the seat types, the credential lines with sources, a copy-ready template, screening and scorecard rows, and common mistakes. For the call itself, use the speech-language pathologist screening questions.
Not legal advice. The credential and licensing points below were checked against the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, ASHA, the Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Interstate Compact, the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing and California's Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology and Hearing Aid Dispensers Board as of October 2026. Rules differ by state; confirm with your licensing board and education agency.
Name the setting and the caseload
| Seat | What the week looks like | Must-have that separates it |
|---|---|---|
| School-based | Evaluations, IEP meetings, group and individual sessions, school calendar, one or several buildings | The state's school credential; IEP experience; managing a caseload across buildings |
| Acute care hospital | Bedside swallow evaluations, instrumental studies, aphasia and cognitive screens, fast turnover | Dysphagia experience, including modified barium swallow or FEES where the hospital does them |
| Inpatient rehab or skilled nursing | Dysphagia, cognition and communication treatment, family training, productivity tracking | Adult neuro and dysphagia treatment; working to a productivity standard |
| Pediatric outpatient or early intervention | Articulation, language, AAC, feeding, sessions with caregivers, sometimes in homes | Pediatric experience; AAC or feeding skills if the clinic offers them |
| Telepractice | Remote sessions, often with students or patients in several states, platform-based documentation | Licenses in each state served; comfort running sessions remotely |
Then settle the numbers: caseload or visits per day, the age range and disorder mix, evaluation load, documentation time, number of buildings or sites, and whether SLP assistants work under the SLP's supervision. For schools, say whether the district uses a caseload cap or a workload model.
License, certification and credential lines
Education and licensure. The BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile for speech-language pathologists (last modified August 27, 2026) says SLPs typically need at least a master's degree, that all states require licensure, and that SLPs in schools may need a teaching certification set by the state or district.
The CCC-SLP. Under ASHA's 2020 certification standards, the Certificate of Clinical Competence requires a graduate degree from a program accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation, at least 400 clock hours of supervised clinical experience (25 of guided observation and 375 of direct client contact), a passing score on the Praxis exam, and a clinical fellowship of at least 36 weeks of full-time experience, a minimum of 1,260 hours. Certificate holders must earn 30 professional development hours every three years, including one hour in ethics. ASHA offers an online certification verification that shows whether the CCC is current.
Clinical fellows. A new graduate completes the fellowship under a certified SLP, and states handle licensure during that period in different ways. California, for example, issues a Required Professional Experience temporary license for the fellowship (California Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology and Hearing Aid Dispensers Board). If you welcome fellows, say so and name the supervising SLP's role.
School credentials. In California, school SLPs hold a Speech-Language Pathology Services Credential from the Commission on Teacher Credentialing; routes to the clear credential include a valid California SLP license or a valid ASHA CCC. Other states use their own titles. Write the credential by its state name.
The interstate compact. The Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Interstate Compact is opening in stages: its status page lists Louisiana and West Virginia (October 2025), Ohio (February 2026) and Tennessee (May 2026) as states where licensed practitioners can begin the privilege to practice process. The compact requires an active, unencumbered home-state license, and its FAQ says people in roles that require supervision, such as clinical fellows, are not eligible. For telepractice roles, plan on state licenses unless both states are live.
The speech-language pathologist job description template
Speech-Language Pathologist — [School-Based / Acute Care / Rehab-SNF
/ Pediatric Outpatient / Telepractice] [Clinical fellows welcome]
[Organization or district], [city, state]
Pay: $[min]–$[max] per [year on the (N)-day calendar / hour /
visit], plus [stipend for CCC, CE allowance $N, mileage].
[Benefits summary, if required.] [Exempt / Nonexempt, after review.]
SUMMARY
You will serve [population and ages] in [setting], with a caseload
of about [N] [students / patients a day] (an estimate) and a mix of
[disorder areas]. You will work across [N] [buildings / sites] and
report to [special education director / rehab manager]. [Clinical
fellows are supervised by (role), with (N) hours of supervision a
month.]
WHAT YOU WILL DO
- Screen, evaluate and diagnose [communication / swallowing]
disorders; write reports within [timeframe].
- Write [IEPs / plans of care] and treat [articulation, language,
fluency, voice, cognition, dysphagia, AAC].
- [Perform modified barium swallow studies / FEES], if trained and
credentialed here.
- Train families, teachers or nursing staff.
- [Supervise SLP assistants per state rules.]
- Document in [system] and meet [IEP / billing] deadlines.
YOU MUST HAVE
- Master's degree from a CAA-accredited speech-language pathology
program.
- Active [state] SLP license [or the state's temporary license for
clinical fellows].
- [CCC-SLP / CCC-SLP or completing the clinical fellowship.]
- [State school credential, by name, for school roles.]
- [N] [months / years] in [setting], or fellows welcome.
NICE TO HAVE
- Experience with [AAC devices, instrumental swallow studies,
specific programs].
- [Language] for students or patients who speak it.
If you meet the must-haves and none of these, please apply.
[EEO STATEMENT]
To request an adjustment to apply or interview, contact [contact].Pay and EEO
Post the range and the basis. School postings should say how many contract days the salary covers; per-visit postings should say what counts as a visit and whether evaluations and travel are paid. The BLS profile linked above publishes pay data; this page does not quote figures. Close with a short EEO statement and an accommodation contact.
From must-haves to screening questions and scorecard rows
| Must-have | Screening question | Scorecard competency | Evidence of a strong answer |
|---|---|---|---|
| License, CCC and credential | "Which state licenses do you hold, is your CCC current, and do you hold a school credential?" | Not scored: verified with the board, ASHA and the education agency | Each license, certificate and credential named with dates |
| Evaluation | "Tell me about an evaluation where test scores and your observations disagreed. What did you report?" | Clinical reasoning | Uses multiple data sources, explains the discrepancy, writes a defensible recommendation |
| Dysphagia (medical seats) | "A patient passes your bedside screen but coughs on thin liquids at lunch. What next?" | Patient safety | Recommends an instrumental study, adjusts diet per protocol, communicates with nursing |
| Caseload management (schools) | "How did you keep 50 or more IEPs on schedule, and what slipped first?" | Organization | A tracking system, honest about trade-offs, asks for help before deadlines pass |
| Working with families and teams | "A parent disagrees with your recommendation to exit services. How do you handle the meeting?" | Communication | Shares data plainly, listens, follows the team process, documents |
For sourcing, the boolean search strings for speech-language pathologists cover CCC-SLP and setting terms. If you hire OTs for the same team, the occupational therapist screening questions follow the same pattern. For panel rounds, see the interview guide for healthcare roles.
Common mistakes in speech-language pathologist job descriptions
Silence on clinical fellows
New graduates need to know whether you will supervise a fellowship. Say yes or no, and who supervises.
"Speech therapist" with no setting
A school SLP and a hospital dysphagia specialist are rarely interchangeable. Name the setting in the title.
Forgetting the school credential
A licensed SLP may still need a state education credential to work in a school. Name it.
Assuming the compact covers telepractice
Only a few states are live, and fellows are excluded. Plan on licenses in each state served.
Before you publish
- Setting, population, caseload and disorder mix are in the summary.
- License, CCC and school credential lines use exact terms.
- The clinical fellow decision and supervisor are stated.
- Pay basis, contract days or visit definition are clear.
- EEO statement and accommodation contact close the posting.
Questions people ask
Should a speech-language pathologist posting require the CCC-SLP?
Many employers do, but the state license is what makes practice legal. ASHA's Certificate of Clinical Competence requires a graduate degree from a CAA-accredited program, at least 400 supervised clinical hours, a passing Praxis score and a clinical fellowship of at least 36 weeks and 1,260 hours. If you hire clinical fellows, write 'CCC-SLP or completing the clinical fellowship' and say who supervises them.
Can a clinical fellow work through the speech-language pathology compact?
No. The Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Interstate Compact says that if a role requires supervision, such as a clinical fellowship, the person is not eligible to practice through the compact, and compact practitioners need a license to practice independently in their home state. A clinical fellow needs whatever license or temporary license your state issues.
Do school SLPs need a separate credential?
Often. BLS notes that SLPs who work in schools may need a teaching or education credential set by the state department of education or district. California, for example, issues a Speech-Language Pathology Services Credential through the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, and one route to the clear credential is a valid ASHA CCC. Check your state's education agency before posting.
How should the posting describe caseload?
Give a number and its context: the number of students or patients, the age range, the mix of disorders, and whether you use a caseload cap or a workload model. For medical settings, give visits per day and how much dysphagia work is involved. Candidates compare these first.