Speech and language therapist
Also called logopaedist, speech therapist, language therapist
Speech and language therapists focus on the aetiology, assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of communication and swallowing disorders in people of all ages in order to help them maintain, promote, improve, initiate, or recover the ability to communicate both verbally and nonverbally. They address the development of language, speech, vocal and hearing functions, and disorders and disabilities in the cranial, facial, and oral area.
What you'd do
Audiologists and speech therapists · ILO- Evaluating hearing, speech and language performance in patients to determine the nature of hearing and communication disorders
- Administering hearing or speech/language tests or other examinations using specialized diagnostic instruments and equipment, and interpreting test results alongside other medical, social and behavioural diagnostic data to determine appropriate courses of treatment
- Planning, directing and participating in counselling, screening, speech rehabilitation and other programmes related to hearing and communication
- Prescribing hearing aids and other assistive devices according to patients’ needs and instructing them in their use
- Planning and conducting treatment programmes to manage physical disorders affecting speech and swallowing
- Counselling and guiding hearing and/or language-impaired individuals, their families, teachers and employers
- Referring patients and families to additional medical or educational services if needed
- Indoors
- A mix of sitting and standing
- Constant contact with people, including the public
- Good freedom to decide
- Usually under 40 hours a week
- Deadlines every day
- Some repetitive tasks
Will there be jobs?
Yes, good prospects11 EU countries are short of audiologists and speech therapists now, and many jobs will need filling by 2035.
Solid: measured. Dashed: forecast.
What does it pay?
Well above averagePay depends a lot on the country: from about €1,800 a month (Bulgaria) to €9,700 (Luxembourg), before tax.
Pick a country at the top of the page to see typical pay there, for people under 30, and compared with all jobs.
Among professionals in the EU, women earn 21% less per hour than men. Professionals · Eurostat
What do I need to study?
Usually a degreeA degree in medicine is the usual route.
946 institutions in the EU offer health and welfare bachelor's degrees. Pick a country at the top of the page to see where to study and the official course finders.
Will AI change it?
Very littleAI could help with only small parts of the tasks.
Average task score 0.24 on a scale from 0 (AI can't do it) to 1 (AI could do it fully).
See the score for each of the 7 tasks
Based on what AI could technically do when assessed in 2025. It is not a forecast for a future year, and not a forecast of job losses. Scores for audiologists and speech therapists. Source: ILO (2025), adapted (credits).