Considering Contract Work as an SLP? Here's What You Need to Know
- Taylor Martin
- Jun 23, 2025
- 3 min read
Thinking about switching from a school district job to contracting—or just wondering what the differences are?
As a speech-language pathologist (SLP) in the school setting, you have more options than you might realize when it comes to how you're employed. Whether you're looking for stability or flexibility, understanding the pros and cons of each model can help you design a career that actually works for you.
School District Employee
Stability & Benefits
School-employed SLPs receive a consistent salary based on district pay scales that consider your years of experience and level of education. According to ASHA’s 2022 Schools Survey, the median academic-year salary for school-based SLPs was $66,000. This typically includes a benefits package with health insurance, retirement plans (like pensions or 403(b)s), paid sick leave, and union protections.
Hourly Perspective
Spread across a 9–10 month calendar, this comes out to approximately $38–$43/hour, factoring in paid time off and benefits—but it varies significantly by state and district.
Integration & Continuity
As a district employee, you're part of the school's fabric. You attend staff meetings, school events, and often follow the same students year to year. This continuity can be incredibly rewarding, especially when you see long-term growth.
Additional Duties
District employees often take on extra, unpaid responsibilities, such as:
Lunch or bus duty
IEP meetings outside work hours
Administrative or coverage tasks unrelated to therapy
While many love their teams and school communities, the workload can feel overwhelming—and flexibility is often limited.
One colleague shared how, as a district employee, he felt constantly behind—juggling cafeteria supervision, helping with the significant needs room outside of his therapy hours, working the bus line, and back-to-back staff meetings, some of which were not relevant to him. He loved his team, but the extra workload left him exhausted and burned out.
Independent Contractor
Flexibility & Control
Contractors typically work through agencies or small companies (like Confident Therapies), which means you can choose your assignments. Whether you want to work in one preschool classroom or split your week between two districts, the choice is yours. You can even build in travel, breaks between contracts, or short-term gigs.
Higher Earning Potential
While contractors are responsible for their own benefits, they typically earn a significantly higher hourly wage. In 2024, contractors working through smaller agencies report earning anywhere from $65–85 per hour, depending on their experience, location, and workload.
To put it simply: District employee hourly rate is often $38–43/hour with benefits included, while independent contractors typically earn $65–85/hour before benefits. Even after setting aside money for taxes and insurance, the financial gap is significant.
Healthcare & Retirement
Contractors don’t have access to school district health plans or pensions—but many use ACA marketplace plans or health-sharing programs. Some choose high-deductible health plans with HSAs, or they join their spouse’s insurance. For retirement, IRAs or Solo 401(k)s are common. It takes more planning, but it’s absolutely doable.
Confident Therapies supports contractors with onboarding resources, tools, and mentorship to help make solo work feel less... solo.
Autonomy in Practice
As a contractor, you’re in the driver’s seat. You can set caseload caps, request not to complete evaluations, or ask to only work with certain grade levels. One therapist I worked with requested to only work with students from a single preschool classroom because she loved those teachers—something that would have been a hard "no" if she were an employee.
Professional Growth & Variety
If you’re someone who thrives on change, contracting can give you that spark. One year you might be helping middle schoolers with executive functioning, the next supporting AAC users in preschool. You grow every time you switch contexts, gaining fresh strategies and staying sharp.
"The first time I skipped cafeteria duty and used that extra 30 minutes to prep for a group I genuinely loved—that’s when it clicked: I was building a career that worked for me rather than working me."
So, Which One is Right for You?
It’s not one-size-fits-all. You may find that being a school employee brings you the community and consistency you crave—or you may discover that contracting gives you the freedom, compensation, and flexibility to build the career you imagined.
If you're someone who wants to be more than a provider on a school roster—if you want to shape your work around your life, not the other way around—contracting might be the path for you.
Let’s Chat
If you’re curious about what subcontracting might look like for you—what the pay might be in your area, what support you'd receive, or whether your dream schedule is even possible—reach out! I’m happy to share what I’ve learned and help you explore the possibilities.
💬 Would you ever consider working as an independent contractor? Why or why not?