Employment in Speech & Hearing Sciences
Speech-language pathology and audiology will be among the hottest professions in the country in the next decade, according to recent employment growth projections in the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' (BLS) 2008-2009 Occupational Outlook Handbook.
The BLS pointed to key trends that will contribute to growth:
- As America ages and the population over age 55 increases rapidly, the number of people with hearing loss will continue to climb because hearing loss is strongly associated with aging.
- Medical advances have improved the survival rate of premature infants, trauma, and stroke victims, bringing the need for speech, language, and hearing assessment and treatment.
- Greater awareness of the importance of early identification of speech, language, and hearing disorders also will increase employment.