Speech Therapy Salaries in West Virginia - WV

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

In 2001, the West Virginia Department of Health reported that there were 5,783 hospitalizations due to stroke. Statistically, the incidence of stroke in West Virginia was about 15.5% higher than the rest of the nation, creating cause for concern among West Virginia residents. As a prospective speech language pathologist, you may be wondering how these statistics affect you. Well, people who are lucky enough to survive a stroke are typically left in a somewhat debilitated condition in which they may not be able to speak and communicate as they had previously. Speech therapists are called upon to help these patients re-learn the skills of speech and communication.

As recently as 2009, the median speech therapy salaries in West Virginia were found to be between $47,850 and $49,370. However, what was more interesting was the fact that professionals with a moderate amount of experience were making substantially more. In fact, the highest reported average salary in West Virginia among professionals in this field was $69,410. While experience can certainly impact your salary potential, you should also understand how location can impact your income as well, as seen in the list below:

• Charleston: $46,940
• Huntington: $58,650
• Parkersburg: $56,760
• Wheeling: $53,190
• Morgantown: $40,570

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