Is a career in speech therapy (pathology)

Question

A good and highly reliable career field? My mom wants me to be a teacher for the sole reason that "I'll always have a job". But I feel that teachers are taken for granted and highly underpaid.

Am I right to counteract her argument on the basis that I will always have a job as a speech pathologist because there will always be elderly people, children, and/or brain injured people who need therapy and/or speech rehabilitation?

Is this field trustworthy, or should I pursue something different? Why?

Answer 1

Absolutely! A career in speech therapy allows you plenty of flexibility in the types of work choices you would have and work environments.  

Explain to her that it is a field that will always need to be filled.  Since we are entering into the time when our large older population is retiring, the need will be there; since we still remain at war with soldiers coming home with various injuries and exposured to different toxins/chemicals causing neurological disorders, there will continue to be a need.  I could go on, but perhaps if your explanation is more specific she will have a better understanding of where you are coming from.  

You would almost never be working on your own, rather you would be working with a team of people (physical therapists, occupational therapists, counselors, teachers, parents, doctors) who are all providing different services for each individual. I'm sure you can understand the need for such a setup, given the complexity of health conditions, especially in relation to communication disorders.

Also, try to get your hands on a Occupational Handbook-libraries usually have a copy- this will provide the basic information of salary, how fast or slow the field is growing, other possibilities within the field, etc.