Speech Therapy Salaries in South Dakota - SD

By Jennifer Williams, allied health world Contributing Writer
Published: December, 22 2010

A recent survey conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics found that employment opportunities for speech language pathologists in South Dakota were likely to grow by 19% or more between the years of 2008 and 2018. As of right now, there are just 290 qualified speech therapists throughout the entire state, which is shockingly low when looked at in comparison to the demand for speech therapy services.

Looking at a study released by the March of Dimes, nearly 12.6% of all infants born in South Dakota during 2007 were born prematurely; an estimated 1,541 babies. Yet, the rate of premature birth in South Dakota between 1997 and 2007 grew by an astounding 23%. The reason that statistics like these are important to speech therapists is that an estimated 30% of all children born prematurely will require some form of speech therapy before their second birthday; as premature birth has been statistically linked to developmental speech delays. While these figures may not be ideal, they are among the reasons that the need for speech therapists is growing in South Dakota.

Average salary figures for speech-language pathologists in South Dakota include:

• Sioux Falls: $58,040
• Rapid City: $53,010
• Aberdeen: $59,000
• Watertown: $61,000

Annual salary figures provided by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics