A speech-language specialist who assesses people who cannot rely on speech and fits them with communication boards, apps or speech-generating devices. BLS does not publish separate figures for speech-language pathologists; it counts them within speech-language pathologist (SOC 29-1127), whose median pay is $97,870 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: Master's degree.
- SOC 29-1127
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Augmentative and Alternative Communication Specialist in four numbers
- Median pay
- $97,870a year, or $47.05/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $63KTop 10% $134K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +16.6%Much faster than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+16.6%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +16.6% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 12,500193,400 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 2025193.4K
- Projected 2035225.5K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 193.4K Projected 2035 225.5K - Typical education
- Master'sneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Master's88.5%
- Post-master’s certificate11.5%
Highest education held by speech-language pathologists Segment Value Master's 88.5% Post-master’s certificate 11.5%
Also advertised as: AAC Specialist, AAC Speech-Language Pathologist, Assistive Technology Specialist, AAC Consultant, Communication Device Specialist.
Pay
How much do Speech-Language Pathologists make?
Every augmentative and alternative communication specialist in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$97,870
Middle half earn $77,730 to $114,570
- 10th
- $62,900
- 25th
- $77,730
- 75th
- $114,570
- 90th
- $134,160
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $62,900 |
| 25th | $77,730 |
| Median | $97,870 |
| 75th | $114,570 |
| 90th | $134,160 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $97,870
- Median hourly wage
- $47.05/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $98,170
- People employed
- 183,390
Versus all US occupations
At $97,870, Speech-Language Pathologists earn 92% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $46,890 a year.
Versus healthcare practitioners and technical occupations
Inside the Healthcare Practitioners and Technical group, where the middle occupation pays $102,760, this is 5% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $134,160 or more while the bottom 10% earn $62,900, a gap of 2.1×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 71% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
California posts the highest raw median ($118,970), but once local prices are taken into account Colorado leads at $107,470 in national-average dollars.
Pay by state
Which states pay Speech-Language Pathologists the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1California | $118,970 | $107,451 | 16,930 |
| 2Colorado | $110,750 | $107,470 | 4,420 |
| 3District of Columbia | $109,380 | $99,526 | 390 |
| 4Washington | $105,550 | $98,633 | 3,570 |
| 5Nevada | $104,510 | $104,532 | 1,270 |
| 6Rhode Island | $104,000 | $101,682 | 720 |
| 7Delaware | $102,760 | $102,958 | 690 |
| 8Alaska | $102,670 | $100,304 | 340 |
| 9Oregon | $102,660 | $99,322 | 1,600 |
| 10New Jersey | $101,560 | $93,341 | 6,840 |
Job outlook
Is Augmentative and Alternative Communication Specialist a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Much faster than average. +16.6% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Speech-Language Pathologists | +16.6% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Much faster than average
BLS projects employment of Speech-Language Pathologists to change 16.6% over 2025–2035, roughly 4.7× the 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 32,100 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 12,500 openings are projected each year, 6.5% of the 193,400 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become an Augmentative and Alternative Communication Specialist
Most AAC specialists are speech-language pathologists. That requires a master's degree from a program accredited by ASHA's Council on Academic Accreditation, a supervised clinical fellowship, a passing score on the Praxis exam in speech-language pathology, ASHA's Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC-SLP) and a state license.
AAC expertise is built after licensure through continuing education, mentoring and hands-on work with device manufacturers' training programs. Many specialists join ASHA's Special Interest Group 12 on augmentative and alternative communication and the International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication. Some occupational therapists and special education teachers with assistive technology training also work in this area, and RESNA offers the Assistive Technology Professional (ATP) credential.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Master's degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Internship/residency
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Considerable preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as speech-language pathologists.
- Master's Degree88.5%
- Post-Master's Certificate11.5%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | 88.5% |
| Post-Master's Certificate | 11.5% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does an Augmentative and Alternative Communication Specialist do?
AAC specialists work with children and adults who cannot meet their communication needs through speech, including people with autism, cerebral palsy, ALS, stroke, brain injury or Down syndrome. They assess how a person can best access a system, whether by touch, switch, head tracking or eye gaze, then trial and recommend tools ranging from picture boards to dedicated speech-generating devices and tablet apps.
Once a system is chosen, the real work begins. Specialists program vocabulary, train families, teachers and caregivers to model language on the device, and set goals for using it in daily routines. They also write the detailed evaluation reports and justifications that insurers and Medicaid require to fund devices, and they adjust systems as a person's needs change.
Day-to-day tasks
- Assess motor, vision, language and literacy skills to match a communication system
- Trial speech-generating devices, apps and access methods with clients
- Program vocabulary and page layouts on communication devices
- Write evaluation reports and funding requests for insurers and Medicaid
- Train families, teachers and aides to model language on the device
- Set and track communication goals in therapy or school plans
- Troubleshoot and update systems as a client's needs change
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
AAC specialists work in school districts, children's hospitals, rehabilitation centers, specialty clinics and for device manufacturers. School-based specialists often travel between campuses, and many make home visits. The job involves carrying and setting up devices, sitting at floor or table level with children, and a lot of report writing for funding approval.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayAlmost never works outdoors.
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantConstant contact with other people.
Face-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayMeeting strict deadlines at least weekly.
Conflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Reading Comprehension4.1
- Active Listening4.1
- Critical Thinking4.1
- Writing4.0
- Speaking4.0
- Learning Strategies4.0
- Active Learning3.9
- Monitoring3.9
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 4.1 |
| Active Listening | 4.1 |
| Critical Thinking | 4.1 |
| Writing | 4.0 |
| Speaking | 4.0 |
| Learning Strategies | 4.0 |
| Active Learning | 3.9 |
| Monitoring | 3.9 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Social Perceptiveness4.1
- Instructing3.9
- Complex Problem Solving3.9
- Service Orientation3.8
- Judgment and Decision Making3.8
- Coordination3.3
- Time Management3.3
- Systems Analysis3.1
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Social Perceptiveness | 4.1 |
| Instructing | 3.9 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.9 |
| Service Orientation | 3.8 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.8 |
| Coordination | 3.3 |
| Time Management | 3.3 |
| Systems Analysis | 3.1 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Medical software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Analytical or scientific software
- Cloud-based data access and sharing software
- Computer based training software
- Desktop communications software
- Electronic mail software
- Internet browser software
- Music or sound editing software
- Video creation and editing software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits an Augmentative and Alternative Communication Specialist?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code SIR) built on O*NET's Speech-Language Pathologist profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Augmentative and Alternative Communication Specialist |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 3 |
| Investigative | 6 |
| Artistic | 3 |
| Social | 6 |
| Enterprising | 1 |
| Conventional | 4 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around teaching, helping and working directly with other people, combined with investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data.
- Social6.1
- Investigative5.6
- Conventional4.0
- Realistic3.3
- Artistic3.0
- Enterprising1.4
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Augmentative and Alternative Communication Specialist
O*NET related occupations
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Healthcare Support
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Healthcare Support
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Healthcare Support
More healthcare practitioners and technical careers
Median annual pay, with speech-language pathologists highlighted
- Anesthesiologist$391,490
- Physician Assistant$135,880
- Nurse Practitioner$132,300
- Physical Therapist$102,760
- Dental Hygienist$98,100
- Augmentative and Alternative Communication Specialist$97,870
- Diagnostic Medical Sonographer$96,590
- Radiologic Technologist and Technician$80,110
- Surgical Technologist$64,650
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Anesthesiologist | $391,490 |
| Physician Assistant | $135,880 |
| Nurse Practitioner | $132,300 |
| Physical Therapist | $102,760 |
| Dental Hygienist | $98,100 |
| Augmentative and Alternative Communication Specialist | $97,870 |
| Diagnostic Medical Sonographer | $96,590 |
| Radiologic Technologist and Technician | $80,110 |
| Surgical Technologist | $64,650 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Augmentative and Alternative Communication Specialist appears on
Questions
Augmentative and Alternative Communication Specialist: frequently asked questions
How much do Speech-Language Pathologists make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for speech-language pathologists. It counts them within speech-language pathologist, whose median pay is $97,870 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $77,730 and $114,570, and the top 10% earn $134,160 or more.
Do you need a degree to become an Augmentative and Alternative Communication Specialist?
Yes. BLS reports a master's degree as the typical entry-level education for Speech-Language Pathologists, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as considerable preparation. BLS also lists internship/residency as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 88.5% hold master's degree.
Is Augmentative and Alternative Communication Specialist a growing career?
Yes, strongly. Employment is projected to grow 16.6% over 2025–2035, more than double the 3.5% projected for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 12,500 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does an Augmentative and Alternative Communication Specialist do?
AAC specialists work with children and adults who cannot meet their communication needs through speech, including people with autism, cerebral palsy, ALS, stroke, brain injury or Down syndrome. A typical task: assess motor, vision, language and literacy skills to match a communication system. Employers most often ask for Medical software, Office suite software, Spreadsheet software.
Which states pay Speech-Language Pathologists the most?
The highest state medians for Speech-Language Pathologists are California ($118,970), Colorado ($110,750), District of Columbia ($109,380) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, Colorado moves to the top at $107,470.
What personality type suits an Augmentative and Alternative Communication Specialist?
O*NET scores Speech-Language Pathologists highest on the Social, Investigative and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes teaching, helping and working directly with other people with investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are INFJ, ISFJ, ISFP. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.