National totals
| Active NPI records | 200,966 |
| Registered sole proprietors | 72,081 (35.9%) |
| NUCC taxonomy code | 235Z00000X |
| Grouping | Speech, Language and Hearing Service Providers |
What this specialty covers
The speech-language pathologist is the professional who engages in clinical services, prevention, advocacy, education, administration, and research in the areas of communication and swallowing across the life span from infancy through geriatrics. Speech-language pathologists address typical and atypical impairments and disorders related to communication and swallowing in the areas of speech sound production, resonance, voice, fluency, language (comprehension and expression), cognition, and feeding and swallowing.
Reading the sole-proprietor share
For this specialty, 72,081 records, or 35.9%, have the sole-proprietor flag. Treat that share as a description of NPPES reporting, not a direct count of speech-language pathologists in private practice, because business arrangements and reporting practices can differ.
By state
| State | Active NPIs | Sole proprietors | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 24,831 | 11,554 | 46.5% |
| Texas | 17,462 | 5,833 | 33.4% |
| Florida | 12,274 | 5,640 | 46.0% |
| California | 11,061 | 4,216 | 38.1% |
| Illinois | 10,576 | 3,883 | 36.7% |
| Ohio | 7,685 | 2,371 | 30.9% |
| Pennsylvania | 7,176 | 2,664 | 37.1% |
| North Carolina | 6,959 | 2,202 | 31.6% |
| New Jersey | 5,245 | 2,331 | 44.4% |
| Georgia | 5,169 | 2,046 | 39.6% |
| Missouri | 5,110 | 1,441 | 28.2% |
| Virginia | 5,096 | 1,320 | 25.9% |
| Maryland | 4,688 | 1,187 | 25.3% |
| Colorado | 4,599 | 1,374 | 29.9% |
| Arizona | 4,539 | 1,629 | 35.9% |
| Washington | 4,218 | 1,187 | 28.1% |
| Massachusetts | 4,032 | 1,389 | 34.4% |
| Tennessee | 3,816 | 856 | 22.4% |
| Arkansas | 3,816 | 1,569 | 41.1% |
| Michigan | 3,790 | 1,199 | 31.6% |
| South Carolina | 3,457 | 1,144 | 33.1% |
| Louisiana | 3,390 | 1,329 | 39.2% |
| Indiana | 3,033 | 910 | 30.0% |
| Kentucky | 2,975 | 1,204 | 40.5% |
| Wisconsin | 2,919 | 759 | 26.0% |
| Oklahoma | 2,566 | 999 | 38.9% |
| Minnesota | 2,301 | 403 | 17.5% |
| Oregon | 2,124 | 569 | 26.8% |
| New Mexico | 2,082 | 984 | 47.3% |
| Nebraska | 1,856 | 504 | 27.2% |
| Alabama | 1,842 | 504 | 27.4% |
| Connecticut | 1,682 | 532 | 31.6% |
| Mississippi | 1,559 | 681 | 43.7% |
| Kansas | 1,517 | 473 | 31.2% |
| West Virginia | 1,387 | 556 | 40.1% |
| Utah | 1,340 | 327 | 24.4% |
| Maine | 1,229 | 417 | 33.9% |
| New Hampshire | 1,143 | 364 | 31.8% |
| Iowa | 1,093 | 216 | 19.8% |
| North Dakota | 1,039 | 157 | 15.1% |
| Idaho | 1,023 | 350 | 34.2% |
| Nevada | 962 | 329 | 34.2% |
| Rhode Island | 656 | 226 | 34.5% |
| Delaware | 656 | 175 | 26.7% |
| District of Columbia | 650 | 175 | 26.9% |
| South Dakota | 635 | 187 | 29.4% |
| Montana | 610 | 213 | 34.9% |
| Hawaii | 587 | 249 | 42.4% |
| Alaska | 471 | 159 | 33.8% |
| Wyoming | 340 | 106 | 31.2% |
| Vermont | 338 | 161 | 47.6% |
New NPI registrations by year
| Year first enumerated | NPIs |
|---|---|
| 2017 | 9,663 |
| 2018 | 11,299 |
| 2019 | 10,008 |
| 2020 | 8,859 |
| 2021 | 10,254 |
| 2022 | 11,554 |
| 2023 | 10,461 |
| 2024 | 10,419 |
| 2025 | 10,016 |
| 2026 (partial year) | 221 |
Counts reflect the year each NPI was first issued, among records still active today. The final year is partial: this data covers through 2026-01-11.
Data notes
- The sole-proprietor field is self-reported by the provider in NPPES and is an imperfect proxy for private practice.
- A sole-proprietor count shown as <11 is suppressed: the true value is below 11, which could include zero.
- An active NPI record is not a direct measure of a unique practicing speech-language pathologist.
- Enumeration year indicates first NPI issuance, not necessarily entry into the specialty or current practice.
- Providers are counted once, by their primary taxonomy code only.
Common questions
How many speech-language pathologists are there in the US?
The page reports 200,966 active NPI records nationally with Speech-Language Pathologist as the primary taxonomy. This is a count of records, not necessarily a count of unique people.
How many speech-language pathologists are in private practice?
There are 72,081 records, or 35.9%, flagged as sole proprietors in NPPES. Because this is a self-reported field, it is an imperfect proxy for how many speech-language pathologists are in private practice.
Which states have the most speech-language pathologists?
The largest listed states are New York, Texas, Florida, California, and Illinois. These state figures describe NPI records assigned to this primary taxonomy, not necessarily every speech-language pathologist practicing in each state.
How many new speech-language pathologist NPIs were first enumerated recently?
Among the most recent full years available, first enumerations were 10,419 in 2024, 10,016 in 2025, and 221 in 2026. These figures describe when NPIs were first enumerated, not necessarily when clinicians entered practice.
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