Insights / Hardest metros by occupation / California
10 metros where Speech-Language Pathologists are hardest to fill
San Jose comes first when California managers staff speech-language pathologists across other California metros.
San Jose still scores 8.2 for speech-language pathologists, so California managers should open that req first.
San Jose's 0.67 share means about a third fewer California speech pathologists than a typical metro.
Louisville still scores 7.3 for speech pathologists, so California managers should not treat it as easy.
Each metro
1San Jose, CA
- Score
- 8.2
- Band
- Hard
- Location quotient
- 0.67
- Jobs per 1,000
- 0.785
- Metro median
- $132,720
- Pay ratio
- 1.36
2San Francisco, CA
- Score
- 8.2
- Band
- Hard
- Location quotient
- 0.63
- Jobs per 1,000
- 0.742
- Metro median
- $130,850
- Pay ratio
- 1.34
3Sacramento, CA
- Score
- 8.0
- Band
- Hard
- Location quotient
- 0.81
- Jobs per 1,000
- 0.955
- Metro median
- $126,360
- Pay ratio
- 1.29
4San Diego, CA
- Score
- 7.8
- Band
- Hard
- Location quotient
- 0.88
- Jobs per 1,000
- 1.034
- Metro median
- $119,690
- Pay ratio
- 1.22
5Los Angeles, CA
- Score
- 7.7
- Band
- Hard
- Location quotient
- 0.65
- Jobs per 1,000
- 0.765
- Metro median
- $109,740
- Pay ratio
- 1.12
6Riverside, CA
- Score
- 7.6
- Band
- Hard
- Location quotient
- 1.05
- Jobs per 1,000
- 1.234
- Metro median
- $118,560
- Pay ratio
- 1.21
7Atlanta, GA
- Score
- 7.5
- Band
- Hard
- Location quotient
- 0.71
- Jobs per 1,000
- 0.833
- Metro median
- $102,860
- Pay ratio
- 1.05
8Seattle, WA
- Score
- 7.4
- Band
- Hard
- Location quotient
- 0.78
- Jobs per 1,000
- 0.916
- Metro median
- $108,690
- Pay ratio
- 1.11
9Portland, OR
- Score
- 7.4
- Band
- Hard
- Location quotient
- 0.80
- Jobs per 1,000
- 0.947
- Metro median
- $107,650
- Pay ratio
- 1.10
10Louisville, KY
- Score
- 7.3
- Band
- Hard
- Location quotient
- 0.88
- Jobs per 1,000
- 1.035
- Metro median
- $103,420
- Pay ratio
- 1.06
Ranked table
Swipe the table sideways. The same figures are in the blocks above.
| Rank | Metro | Score | Band | Location quotient | Jobs per 1,000 | Metro median | Pay ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose, CA | 8.2 | Hard | 0.67 | 0.785 | $132,720 | 1.36 |
| 2 | San Francisco, CA | 8.2 | Hard | 0.63 | 0.742 | $130,850 | 1.34 |
| 3 | Sacramento, CA | 8.0 | Hard | 0.81 | 0.955 | $126,360 | 1.29 |
| 4 | San Diego, CA | 7.8 | Hard | 0.88 | 1.034 | $119,690 | 1.22 |
| 5 | Los Angeles, CA | 7.7 | Hard | 0.65 | 0.765 | $109,740 | 1.12 |
| 6 | Riverside, CA | 7.6 | Hard | 1.05 | 1.234 | $118,560 | 1.21 |
| 7 | Atlanta, GA | 7.5 | Hard | 0.71 | 0.833 | $102,860 | 1.05 |
| 8 | Seattle, WA | 7.4 | Hard | 0.78 | 0.916 | $108,690 | 1.11 |
| 9 | Portland, OR | 7.4 | Hard | 0.80 | 0.947 | $107,650 | 1.10 |
| 10 | Louisville, KY | 7.3 | Hard | 0.88 | 1.035 | $103,420 | 1.06 |
Takeaways
- San Jose pays about $132.7K for speech pathologists in that California metro.
- San Jose pay for speech pathologists runs 36% above the national median inside California.
- Louisville still pays speech pathologists about $103.4K, and California recruiters should not shrug.
- Louisville's 0.88 share shows slightly fewer Louisville speech pathologists than a typical metro.
For recruiters
- Call San Jose hiring managers before California posts speech pathologists in another metro.
- Ask Louisville candidates what they earn now before California treats that metro as simple.
- List the California wage in the Hiring Pack.
FAQ
- Are these posted wages or open jobs?
- No. The table is a government survey or a designation file.
- What should a recruiter do first?
- Follow the recruiter note on this page.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
Related hiring pages
Methodology
Rows are the scored metro pages for Speech-Language Pathologists (29-1127) with the highest public market difficulty score, up to 10. Metros under 500 workers are not scored. A metro page is scored only when OEWS employment for that occupation is at least 500. Below that, the page stays up and is left off this ranking. Postsecondary teaching occupations and medical scientists are left off even when they are scored. Nominal weights, before a missing shortage match is rescaled, are projected openings divided by 2025 employment 18%, projected growth 22%, the metro median divided by the U.S. median 40%, how common the occupation is locally compared with the country 8% (the location-quotient column; a lower figure means a thinner local bench), a matching HRSA shortage designation 8%, and statewide all-industry JOLTS for December 2025 4%. Bands are Standard under 4, Elevated from 4 up to 7, and Hard at 7 and above. The California total-nonfarm job openings rate for December 2025 is 3.6. The U.S. rate is 4.0. Both are all-industry JOLTS rates. The article is tagged to California because that state holds the leading metro, so the publishing calendar does not stack it with another California article the same day. Rounded figures in the prose: $132,720 is stated as about $132.7K. a comparison of 1.36 is stated as 36 percent. $97,870 is stated as about $97.9K. Rounded figures in the prose: $103,420 is stated as about $103.4K.
Sources
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics · May 2025
- BLS Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, total nonfarm · December 2025
Run this opening as a Hiring Pack
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