AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 29-1127.00

Will AI replace Speech-Language Pathologists?

Speech-Language Pathologists: AI can already handle 5 of 23 tasks; the work mostly needs a frontier-tier model.

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Every task, scored

The 23 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Speech-Language Pathologists, from most to least exposed. 5 reach 60 or more, the level at which AI already handles a task.

Task AI exposure Evidence Model tier Importance
Write reports and maintain proper documentation of information, such as client Medicaid or billing records or caseload activities, including the initial evaluation, treatment, progress, and discharge of clients. 85 Estimated Efficient 4.9
Participate in and write reports for meetings regarding patients' progress, such as individualized educational planning (IEP) meetings, in-service meetings, or intervention assistance team meetings. 85 Estimated Efficient 4.6
Develop or implement treatment plans for problems such as stuttering, delayed language, swallowing disorders, or inappropriate pitch or harsh voice problems, based on own assessments and recommendations of physicians, psychologists, or social workers. 65 Estimated Frontier 4.8
Consult with and advise educators or medical staff on speech or hearing topics, such as communication strategies or speech and language stimulation. 60 Estimated Frontier 4.4
Consult with and refer clients to additional medical or educational services. 60 Estimated Standard 4.2
Administer hearing or speech and language evaluations, tests, or examinations to patients to collect information on type and degree of impairments, using written or oral tests or special instruments. 55 Estimated Standard 4.8
Educate patients and family members about various topics, such as communication techniques or strategies to cope with or to avoid personal misunderstandings. 55 Estimated Standard 4.7
Supervise or collaborate with therapy team. 55 Estimated Standard 4.7
Instruct clients in techniques for more effective communication, such as sign language, lip reading, or voice improvement. 55 Estimated Standard 4.5
Provide communication instruction to dialect speakers or students with limited English proficiency. 55 Estimated Standard 4.1
Supervise students or assistants. 55 Estimated Frontier 3.8
Communicate with students who use an alternative method of communications, using sign language or computer technology. 55 Estimated Frontier 3.8
Use computer applications to identify or assist with communication disabilities. 55 Estimated Frontier 3.6
Develop speech exercise programs to reduce disabilities. 50 Estimated Frontier 4.4
Develop individual or group activities or programs in schools to deal with behavior, speech, language, or swallowing problems. 50 Estimated Frontier 4.3
Complete administrative responsibilities, such as coordinating paperwork, scheduling case management activities, or writing lesson plans. 50 Estimated Efficient 4.3
Design, develop, or employ alternative diagnostic or communication devices or strategies. 50 Estimated Frontier 4.1
Conduct or direct research on speech or hearing topics and report findings for use in developing procedures, technologies, or treatments. 50 Estimated Efficient 3.4
Teach clients to control or strengthen tongue, jaw, face muscles, or breathing mechanisms. 35 Estimated Efficient 4.5
Conduct lessons or direct educational or therapeutic games to assist teachers dealing with speech problems. 35 Estimated Efficient 4.1
Participate in conferences, training, continuing education courses, or publish research results to share knowledge of new hearing or speech disorder treatment methods or technologies. 35 Estimated Efficient 4.0
Evaluate hearing or speech and language test results, barium swallow results, or medical or background information to diagnose and plan treatment for speech, language, fluency, voice, or swallowing disorders. 10 Estimated No tier 4.9
Monitor patients' progress and adjust treatments accordingly. 10 Estimated No tier 4.8

Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 0 of 23 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 23 of 23. Importance is O*NET's 1 to 5 rating of how central the task is. Model tier is the lowest tier that can do the task under the published rubric; "No tier" marks hands-on work.

The model tier this role needs

A frontier-tier model or lower covers 90% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 90% of the work is something AI can address at some tier, and 10% is hands-on.

Efficient, standard and frontier tiers come from the JobRoute model tier reference. The recommended tier is the lowest one that covers 80% of the work AI can address. How the method works.

Wages, employment and outlook

US employment
183,390
Median annual wage
$97,870
Middle half of earners
$77,730 to $114,570
Projected change, 2024 to 2034
+15.0%

Employment and wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national. Projection: BLS Employment Projections 2024 to 2034.

Adjacent roles

The occupations that reuse the most of this role's skills, with the usual time to move. These are the first places to look when you plan to redeploy or retrain people in this role.

Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.

Questions about Speech-Language Pathologists and AI

Will AI replace Speech-Language Pathologists?

AI already handles 5 of the 23 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, at a task exposure of 60 or more, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 51 out of 100. JobRoute scores tasks, not whole jobs, so the score shows how much of the work changes rather than whether the job disappears. BLS projects employment to change by +15.0% from 2024 to 2034.

What is the AI exposure of Speech-Language Pathologists?

51 out of 100 on JobRoute's task exposure measure, the importance-weighted average of the role's O*NET task scores. Higher means more of the work is AI-doable today. 0 of the 23 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 23 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.

Which Speech-Language Pathologists tasks can AI already do?

The tasks with the highest exposure are: Write reports and maintain proper documentation of information, such as client Medicaid or billing records or caseload activities, including the initial evaluation, treatment, progress, and discharge of clients; Participate in and write reports for meetings regarding patients' progress, such as individualized educational planning (IEP) meetings, in-service meetings, or intervention assistance team meetings; Develop or implement treatment plans for problems such as stuttering, delayed language, swallowing disorders, or inappropriate pitch or harsh voice problems, based on own assessments and recommendations of physicians, psychologists, or social workers. They are three of the 5 tasks that reach 60 or more.

What AI model tier does this role need?

A frontier-tier model or lower covers 90% of the role's importance-weighted task work. JobRoute assigns each task the lowest tier that can do it under a published rubric and recommends the lowest tier that covers 80% of the work AI can address.

How many people work as Speech-Language Pathologists, and what do they earn?

183,390 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $97,870 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of +15.0% from 2024 to 2034.

How to cite

Data version 2026-11-02, JobRoute method v1.0.0. Download all occupations or this occupation as JSON. Methodology.

JobRoute (2026). AI exposure: Speech-Language Pathologists. Data version 2026-11-02, method v1.0.0. Built on O*NET 30.3, BLS OEWS May 2025 and the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026). CC BY 4.0. https://www.jobroute.ai/jobs/speech-language-pathologists

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