What are the employement and career opportunities?

There is a shortage of speech and language therapists, which is likely to continue. The majority of speech and language therapists work in Community Care Clinics or Hospitals. Therapists also work in Child and Family Centres, Specialist Units, Centres for People with Physical Disabilities or Learning disabilities and Schools.

Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) is a young and expanding profession. There are approximately 500 SLTs working in  Ireland . While many therapists work in general clinics, the current growth in the profession offers increasing opportunities for therapists to specialise in a range of areas (e.g. voice disorders, stuttering, working with children and adolescents with specific problems, working with the elderly and working with people with acquired neurogenic disorders).

As a relatively young and continuously developing profession, Speech and Language Therapy offers a wide variety of opportunities for therapists to become involved in further research and education.

There are different grades within the profession for which a therapist may apply as s/he gains experience.

Current Salary Scale Information is available from the Department of Health, or from Impact Trade Union.