Speech therapist
A speech therapist is a rehabilitation professional whose goal is to improve a client’s functional and communication abilities. Speech therapists work in healthcare, special education schools and as private practitioners. The profession requires strong interpersonal skills and a desire to work with people.
Speech therapists are employed in healthcare, private rehabilitation centers, special education schools, disability services and as independent practitioners.
A speech therapist must have extensive rehabilitation expertise, including the ability to plan and implement therapy as well as assess its effectiveness and appropriateness. Client work involves analyzing interaction, language, speech,and facial and oral functions. This requires strong observational skills, collaboration abilities, creativity and a solid theoretical foundation to support practical assessments.
Interest in psychology, anatomy, physiology and neurology is beneficial. The profession demands good interpersonal skills, reasoning abilities, adaptability,and the capacity to work under pressure.
A speech therapist must be able to produce clear and understandable speech and be proficient in their working language at a native level. Normal hearing, vision and fine motor skills in the hands are also required.
- audiology
- audiometry
- behavioural neurology
- facial gymnastics
- first aid
- health care legislation
- health care occupation-specific ethics
- hearing loss
- human anatomy
- human physiology
- hygiene in a health care setting
- linguistics
- lip reading
- logopaedics
- medical informatics
- medical terminology
- movement techniques
- neurology
- neuropsychology
- otorhinolaryngologic conditions
- paediatrics
- pathology
- phonetics
- phoniatrics
- professional documentation in health care
- psychiatry
- psychology
- sign language
- special needs education
- speech techniques
Speech therapy education is offered at universities, where students can obtain a Master of Philosophy degree with a major in logopedics.
Speech therapist is a regulated profession, and only a licensed speech therapist may practice. The National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health (Valvira) grants the right to use the professional title upon application.
Median salary
3950 €/mo
Private sector
3946 €/mo
Public sector
3950 €/mo
The data is based on the median income, meaning the amount of salary which is the middle of the salary amounts arranged in order of magnitude.
Source: Statistics Finland's structural statistics on wages and salaries
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