Speech and language therapist
Speech and language therapy is a varied and rewarding career that combines flexibility with excellent job prospects. You’ll work directly with patients to help improve their communication, support their care and make a real difference to their quality of life.
Introduction to the role
If you have an interest in science, education, languages, linguistics or medicine, speech and language therapy could be the career for you. This role offers the opportunity to transform lives by supporting children and adults who have difficulties with communication, eating, drinking or swallowing. These challenges may be caused by physical conditions, psychological factors, illness or injury.
You’ll work with a wide range of people, from children whose speech is slow to develop, to older adults whose ability to speak has been affected by a stroke, head injury or degenerative condition. You may also help people who have problems with eating or swallowing. Variety is at the heart of the role, with opportunities to work in hospitals, community clinics, schools and patients’ homes, often as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
About the role
What does a speech and language therapist do?
Speech and language therapists assess and treat a wide range of communication and swallowing difficulties. For children, this could include supporting those with mild to severe learning difficulties, speech sound disorders, hearing impairment, cleft lip and palate, stammering, voice disorders, selective mutism or developmental language disorder.
For adults, you may provide therapy for those with communication or swallowing problems caused by neurological conditions such as stroke, head injury, Parkinson’s disease or dementia. You could also help with voice problems, mental health issues, learning difficulties, physical disabilities, stammering or hearing impairment.
In this role, you will work closely with other professionals, such as teachers, doctors, nurses and psychologists, to deliver the best possible care. You may also supervise speech and language therapy assistants, ensuring patients receive consistent and effective support.
What are the pay and conditions like?
If you work as a speech and language therapist in the NHS, you’ll usually have a 37.5 hour working week, which may include some evenings or weekends.
Most speech and language therapists start at band 5 on the Agenda for Change pay scale. You’ll also receive at least 27 days of annual leave plus bank holidays, along with access to the NHS pension scheme and a range of staff discounts.
Where speech and language therapy can take you
Once you have qualified as a speech and language therapist, there are a range of opportunities to develop your career.
You could:
- specialise in areas such as cleft lip and palate, swallowing difficulties or learning disability
- move into teaching or research
- complete further training to become an advanced clinical practitioner
- take on a management role, leading a local speech and language therapy service and managing staff and budgets
You’ll have regular professional development reviews to support your goals and keep your skills up to date. You may also choose to join the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists to access further training, events and networking opportunities.
Meet Nadja, a speech and language therapist working in the community
Life as a speech and language therapist
Person specification
Is speech and language therapy right for you?
Speech and language therapists work with people of all ages, often helping them through challenging and emotional situations. You’ll need excellent communication skills to motivate and reassure patients, along with the ability to problem solve and adapt your approach to each individual.
Ask yourself:
- Can I inspire confidence and put people at ease?
- Am I able to adapt my approach to meet different needs?
Do you have the skills to succeed?
Strong organisational skills and the ability to lead are important, as is being comfortable working both independently and as part of a wider team. You’ll need to manage your time effectively and take responsibility for delivering safe, high-quality care.
Ask yourself:
- Can I work well on my own as well as with others?
- Am I confident organising my work and leading when needed?
Entry requirements and training
To become a speech and language therapist, you’ll need to successfully complete an approved undergraduate or master’s degree in speech and language therapy. Once qualified, you must register with the Health and Care Professions Council before you can begin working in the role.
Most universities ask for two or three A levels, along with five GCSEs at grades 4-9 (A-C), including English language, maths and science. Equivalent qualifications may also be accepted, such as a BTEC, HND or HNC that includes science, a relevant T Level or NVQ, a science-based access course, or equivalent Scottish or Irish qualifications.
If you already have a relevant first degree, you can apply for an accelerated postgraduate course in speech and language therapy, which typically takes two years to complete.
Entry requirements vary between universities, so it’s important to check with each one before applying.
Find out more about routes into the NHS with UCAS.
Work experience
Applying for a course or apprenticeship as a speech and language therapist is going to be competitive. If you're seriously considering it, it is a great idea to try and gain some prior work experience to strengthen your application. Visit NHS England to find out more about gaining work experience for careers in the NHS.