How much does a speech therapist earn per month in Russia?

A speech therapist (from the Greek logos - speech and paideia - education) is a specialist in correcting diction defects in adults and children. By the way, in 2021, the ProfGid career guidance center developed an accurate career guidance test. He himself will tell you which professions are suitable for you, and give an opinion about your personality type and intelligence.

Who are speech therapists?

These are specialists who correct speech defects using various correction techniques. They work with both children and adults. For example, very often elderly people who have suffered a stroke lose their speech abilities, in such cases one profession becomes indispensable - a speech therapist! It is he who draws up an individual treatment plan, according to which such speech defects as burr, stuttering or lisp are eliminated. Almost all young children experience similar problems; as they grow up, many go away on their own, but some need special help.

How much do speech therapists earn abroad?

Foreign speech therapists in European countries have a monthly income that greatly exceeds the income of their Russian colleagues. So in the UK, the salary of a speech therapist is 4.3 thousand euros (300 thousand rubles). German specialists earn 4 thousand euros (280 thousand rubles). In France, the salary level for speech therapists is 3.5 thousand euros (250 thousand rubles), in Italy – 3.1 thousand euros (220 thousand rubles), in Greece – 1.8 thousand euros (120 thousand rubles). rub.), in Poland – 0.9 thousand euros (72 thousand rubles).

in the United States have the highest incomes . The salary of a school speech therapist reaches 63 thousand dollars a year (3.8 million rubles), and a specialist in a preschool organization earns 56 thousand dollars (3.4 million rubles).

The profession of speech therapist-defectologist: features and social significance

It is necessary to figure out what type of profession this specialty belongs to. It is believed that a speech therapist is a person who combines a talented teacher and an experienced doctor. He must accurately determine the cause of a speech defect and competently create effective exercises and techniques to eliminate the problems. To do this, a professional speech therapist should thoroughly know how human physiology works, in particular the structure of the speech system and associated pathologies. In addition, a good specialist must have special skills, for example, the ability to do speech therapy massage to relax the muscles of the larynx and other organs of the pharynx.

It is no exaggeration to say that speech therapist is the profession of the future. After all, it is he who teaches people to speak correctly, and speech is the most important component of communications for all of humanity: thanks to it, we can communicate with others, share thoughts and transmit information.

Often, a person who has speech disorders feels inferior and may develop serious complexes that negatively affect his entire life. That is why the profession of “speech therapist” is irreplaceable; these specialists eliminate many speech defects, teach how to pronounce sounds correctly, and thereby practically change a person’s fate. In addition, they provide psychological assistance: they help to integrate into society, adapt a person to social life and contribute to his development in terms of self-improvement.

Features of the profession

With the help of specially selected exercises, massage and other techniques, a speech therapist teaches people how to articulate correctly, i.e. pronounce words without burring, without lisping, without stuttering, etc. A speech therapist helps to give the correct position of the tongue and lips when pronouncing sounds. To consolidate the skill, he asks the student to read texts and tongue twisters. A good speech therapist can work with most speech disorders, but the best results can be obtained by specializing in one particular area. For example, in the treatment of stuttering or in eliminating reading and writing problems (dyslexia and dysgraphia). Treatment takes at least five months. Sometimes, with complex patients, the process drags on for a year or even more.

A speech therapist can work not only with children. A person carries diction problems that were unresolved in childhood into adulthood. And he can also contact a speech therapist. Sometimes speech problems occur as a result of a stroke or head injury. In this case, the help of a speech therapist who knows special techniques is required.

What qualities should a speech therapist have?

Essentially, a speech therapist is a kind of teacher who must show great patience and understanding towards his students. The most important character traits are love for children, patience, emotional restraint, calmness, curiosity, perseverance, perseverance and endurance, because the results of the work done often make you wait a very long time. With some people, it takes more than 2-3 years to achieve visible improvements.

If it is easier to work with children, because they learn quickly, then with adults the situation is different. Few are able to admit their shortcomings and go to a specialist. For this reason, a professional speech therapist must be able to find an individual approach to everyone, be able to tactfully figure out the problem and, without hurting the patient’s feelings, provide primary consulting assistance. Therefore, it would not hurt for a specialist to know at least the basics of human psychology.

The speech therapist must be responsible, because he has no right to make a mistake in making a diagnosis. If he incorrectly identifies the problem and prescribes an ineffective treatment method, this can turn into a real tragedy for patients: speech defects tend to lose the ability to be corrected over time, so it is very important to eliminate the deficiencies in a timely manner. Over time, they will be much more difficult to get rid of, which is why the speech therapist has such a great responsibility.

What pension payment can a speech therapist expect?

Like all teaching staff, speech therapists have the right to a preferential pension, provided they have worked in an educational institution for at least 25 years. In order to apply for such a pension, you need to contact the pension fund branch at your place of residence.

The level of pension provision for speech therapists is low, it is about 10-12 thousand rubles.

Unfortunately, people in such a necessary and important profession as speech therapists have low incomes. Although there is hope that the Decrees of the President of the Russian Federation will be implemented and the level of salaries of specialists will increase by 30%.

Where to study to become a specialist?

There are many options where you can get a profession (speech therapist or defectologist) under various conditions. Usually this specialty is taught in higher educational institutions: these can be universities or institutes with a pedagogical or humanitarian direction. The education of a speech therapist must be special, i.e. Having a higher education diploma in a relevant or related profession is simply necessary.

Many students, after completing their first courses, begin to realize that they made a mistake in choosing a profession and want to change it. For such people, another option is possible to obtain an education in the specialty “speech therapy”. The easiest way is to take intensive training courses for speech therapists and speech pathologists. However, to get a job in the civil service, you will need a diploma of higher specialized education.

How much does a speech therapist earn in the USA?

In America, the activities of speech therapists are controlled by the ASHA organization, the so-called Speech and Hearing Association. In particular, it establishes qualification requirements and monitors the level of remuneration. According to statistics from the Association, a speech therapist’s income depends on his experience, place of work, region of residence, level of education, and whether the specialist works under a contract or receives a salary.

The average salary for a speech therapist is about $58,000 per year. But if a specialist confirms his high level and receives the CCC - Certificate of Clinical Competence, then his income may be higher. True, for this you need to have a certain amount of work experience, specifically in a clinical setting, and you also need to pass the appropriate exam, but then the salary of such a specialist will already be 75-88 thousand dollars a year.

The speech therapist’s place of work also matters. If such a specialist works with preschoolers, he receives 56 thousand dollars a year, in elementary school - already 59 thousand dollars, and in secondary schools the salaries are higher - 63 thousand dollars a year. The same applies to the region of residence. The highest salaries are in California and New York - 77 thousand and 74 thousand dollars, respectively, and the lowest in Florida and North Carolina (52 thousand and 47 thousand dollars).

All data given concerns those speech therapists who receive a salary. However, there are those who work under a contract and can count on hourly wages. In this case, if a speech therapist has extensive experience, then an hour of his work costs an average of $55. But according to the contract, they pay more in a preschool institution - there a specialist receives $60 per hour.

The income of a speech therapist depends on the level of qualification. The lowest level is considered to be a speech therapist-assistant, which is obtained immediately after graduating from college. Such a specialist receives only 14-20 dollars per hour.

Employment

Despite the fact that every year a huge number of speech therapists across the country graduate from universities, the need for these specialists is only increasing. This is primarily due to improvements in government social programs aimed at providing free assistance to children with disabilities.

After graduating from institutes or universities, young specialists have the opportunity to get a job in various institutions. The most popular of them are kindergartens, clinics, children's development centers with logo groups, schools with a functioning logo center. Rehabilitation hospitals for the elderly and, of course, private treatment centers.

There are many advantages to working in kindergartens: the opportunity to contact children and get to know them better, a fixed schedule, as well as communication with colleagues and a pleasant environment.

The disadvantages of being a speech therapist, if he works in public clinics, are associated with filling out various documentation. Sometimes it takes more time to process it than directly working with patients. According to standards, a specialist must work 18-20 hours a week, which is not much compared to other specialties.

Salary of Moscow speech therapists

If you look at the official statistics, speech therapists even in Moscow do not earn that much, about the same as kindergarten teachers - 35-50 thousand rubles. For the capital region these are quite low salaries. However, as practice shows, there is a competition for almost every vacancy, since the official place of work provides seniority and experience, and in some cases, a client base. And in turn, private practice, based on these factors, helps to obtain higher income. In addition, there are speech therapists who officially work part-time in several government agencies.

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Profession speech therapist. Pros and cons of work

This is a very responsible job that requires great patience and love for your work. Let's take a closer look at the main advantages of this profession. So, here are the main advantages:

• short working day - 4 hours, for many this is a great opportunity to combine work and what they love;
• socially significant activity - this means that the speech therapist will enjoy the work done;
• long vacation - almost the whole summer;
• self-improvement - this profession involves constant self-development of a person, reading educational literature, attending various thematic conferences, where, together with colleagues, you can discuss the latest methods of treating speech disorders.

And of course, one cannot exclude from the list such an advantage of speech therapists as the opportunity to conduct private practice. What are the disadvantages?

What factors influence the salary level of a speech therapist?

The following factors influence the salary level of speech therapists:

• Place of work . The earnings of specialists from government agencies are lower than those of employees of private speech therapist offices.
• Work experience and qualification category . The salary of young specialists without a category is extremely low, about 12-14 thousand rubles.
• Availability of private practice . The amount of payment for one speech therapy session is influenced by the specialist’s experience, the characteristics and complexity of speech pathologies, as well as the financial capabilities of the client.
• The level of the incentive part of the speech therapist's remuneration . The criteria for calculating this part are independently determined by each educational organization.

These criteria most often include:

• reducing the proportion of students (pupils) with speech disorders;
• consulting parents of students (pupils);
• exemplary maintenance of the speech therapy room;
• generalization and presentation of one’s own methodological experience, etc.

Underwater rocks

Thanks to the free schedule, which is set by the specialist himself, this profession may seem attractive. However, it has many specific features that may turn out to be disadvantages for some. Here are the most obvious disadvantages of this profession:

• emotionally difficult work, because the patients are mostly children with various disabilities and diseases (Down syndrome, etc.);
• the need to fill out reporting documentation at odd hours, that is, speech therapists do not receive an increase in their basic salary for maintaining documents in government agencies;
• There is no guarantee that the work done will bring any results, so many speech therapists face great disappointment, so they need perseverance and resilience to continue treatment sessions.

How much do speech therapists earn in Europe?

It should be noted that much depends on which speech therapists we are talking about. In European countries, there are Russian-speaking speech therapists who are approached by families of emigrants from the countries of the former Soviet Union; they have private practice and their own prices.

As for local specialists, everything here is also determined by industry standards. For example, in the UK the salary is about 4 thousand pounds per month, and in Germany - 4 thousand euros, which is, in principle, more than other preschool education workers. But we must remember that the requirements for such specialists are much higher (in Germany, educators do not even have to receive higher education). More than 3.5 thousand euros are received by relevant specialists in France, and approximately the same level of remuneration is recorded in Italy. Specialists in Eastern Europe receive the least – about 1,000 euros per month.

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It is interesting that in different countries speech therapists work according to different standards, which is not surprising, since there is no single standard for pronunciation of sounds for all languages.

Who else needs speech therapists?

Very often, speech pathologists and speech pathologists begin to engage in private practice, providing assistance to a variety of people. In addition to children with speech disorders, elderly people who have suffered a stroke, and even professional actors also seek help.

If you decide that this is your calling - the profession of speech therapist, reviews about it should be carefully studied, and specifically from the professionals themselves. Judging by the posts on various thematic forums, this is an extremely difficult job that requires complete dedication. The main advantage is considered to be the opportunity to give private lessons to children or adults, for example, to give public speaking lessons to aspiring actors or managers of trading companies.

Job responsibilities of a speech therapist

Many people believe that a speech therapist simply teaches a child to pronounce letters correctly. Actually this is not true. Speech therapist is a relatively new profession. For a long time, difficulties in speech development either could not be corrected at all, or they were dealt with by doctors.

The specific job responsibilities of a speech therapist in state and non-state institutions will be introduced to them at the place of work; they will be specified in the instructions. In general, they boil down to the following:

1. Diagnosis of various types of speech disorders. If surgical correction is necessary, the speech therapist should refer the patient to an appropriate specialist,
2. Development of correction programs for different types of speech disorders, both for individual and group sessions (for example, logarithmics and the development of fine motor skills),
3. Treatment of defects in sound pronunciation and phonemic hearing,
4. Conducting speech therapy massage,
5. Consulting parents regarding home activities with children.

Good speech therapists usually do not limit themselves to a formal approach to the matter. They provide their students with psychological assistance, promote their socialization, and teach them how to interact with other people so that complexes do not develop.