A career in CSD MIGHT BE FOR YOU IF…

✓ YOU LIKE EVERY DAY TO BE DIFFERENT

✓ YOU DON’T WANT TO GO TO MED SCHOOL

✓ YOU LIKE WORKING WITH TECHNOLOGY

✓ YOU WOULD LIKE TO HELP OTHERS

✓ YOU WANT TO MAKE A GOOD LIVING

THINK CSD IS JUST WORKING WITH KIDS IN SCHOOLS? THINK AGAIN.

Most guys never consider careers in speech-language pathology (SLP) or audiology because they think it’s all flashcards and elementary schools.

Here’s what it actually looks like:

You could be working with an NFL player who took a brutal hit and needs to relearn how to speak. Or designing the next generation of hearing aids. Or helping a stroke survivor eat solid food again. Or consulting with law enforcement on voice identification. Or running your own practice and calling your own shots.

Curious? Check out the information below!

Your Questions, Answered

  • Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) help people with communication and swallowing, like helping someone who had a brain injury learn to talk again, helping a child who stutters, or even coaching heads of companies give better speeches. Learn more about careers in SLP here.

    Audiologists deal with hearing and balance, doing things like designing and fitting hearing aids and cochlear implants, and protecting soldiers’ and musicians’ hearing. Learn more about careers in Audiology here.

  • Every day is completely different. One audiologist called it “the perfect environment for those who need variety and don't want to get into a rut.”

  • SLPs need a master's degree (about 6 years total after high school).

    Audiologists need a doctorate called an AuD (about 8 years total). There are also assistant jobs you can get with just a 4-year degree if you want to start working sooner.

  • Grad school programs can be competitive, which means what classes you take and your grades in high school and college matter.

    If you’re in high school, focus on science classes like biology and anatomy, and keep your grades solid.

    In college, the most direct path is majoring in communication sciences and disorders (CSD), but you can also get in with related majors like psychology, linguistics, neuroscience, or education. You’ll just need to take some prerequisite courses. Either way, you need a strong GPA from day one.

    When you apply for grad school, they look at your grades and coursework, so if your freshman year wasn’t great, it can be hard to catch up. That’s why we're telling you now, so you can plan ahead.

  • It helps a lot. Hearing aids are basically tiny computers now. Cochlear implants need programming. There are speech-generating devices, diagnostic tools, and more and more AI solutions.

  • Job security is unbeatable. There are 35,000 open positions nationwide. You’ll have options wherever you want to live, the field is growing because more people than ever need help with hearing and communication, and you can make a good living.

  • Shadowing an audiologist or speech-language pathologist is a great place to start. Ask if you can spend a day watching them work to get an idea of what the job actually looks like. You can also talk to your school counselor about healthcare career paths, or reach out to us—we can connect you with someone in the field.

Learn More About Careers in Audiology
Learn More About Careers in Speech-Language Pathology

Myths vs. Reality

MYTH: These are jobs for girls/women.

Reality: Right now, most people in these jobs are women, but that’s because guys just don’t know about it, not because it’s not for them. There are over 35,000 jobs open right now and not enough people to fill them. Plus, some patients actually need or want to work with a guy.

MYTH: You just work in GRADE schools helping little kids talk.

Reality: That's one option, but you’ve got way more choices than that. You could work in a hospital—ER, rehab, ICU—or with pro sports teams, the military, or inside a company. Some people open their own clinics. Others work for companies designing hearing aids and speech devices. And hey, if you do want to work in schools, you get summers off!

MYTH: If I want to do medical stuff, I have to be a doctor.

Reality: Nope. You can work in healthcare, do hands-on medical procedures, and help people—all without spending 10+ years in school. You’ll make good money and have way better work-life balance.

MYTH: There’s nothing cool about it.

Reality: You could be sticking a camera down someone’s throat to look at their vocal cords, programming a device that lets a deaf person hear for the first time, or helping an NFL player recover after a concussion. There’s plenty of hands-on, interesting work here. And the tech is legitimately cool. Think brain imaging, cochlear implants, AI-powered speech devices, acoustic analysis tools. As good as any video game!

MYTH: You have to be super nurturing and soft to do thESE JOBS.

Reality: Sure, you need to be decent with people. But you also need to understand technology and think analytically. You’re helping people, but not in a “sitting-around-talking-about-feelings” way. You’re solving real physical problems with tangible results.