Speech-Language Pathologists pay range in Merced
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $79,400 a year or less, while the top 10% make $163,880 or more. The middle half of speech-language pathologists in Merced earn between $104,800 and $134,920.
- $79K10th
- $105K25th
- $114KMedian
- $135K75th
- $164K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $119,810 | $9,984 | $57.60 |
| Median | $114,220 | $9,518 | $54.91 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $104,800 | $8,733 | $50.38 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $134,920 | $11,243 | $64.87 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Speech-Language Pathologists salary after taxes in Merced
On the average salary of $119,810, a single filer in Merced takes home about $86,066 a year, or $7,172 a month and $3,310 every two weeks. Taxes take 28% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Is Merced a good place for speech-language pathologists? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Merced area are 2% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 98.3), so the average $119,810 buys what about $121,913 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 2.4 times the median wage of all jobs in Merced ($47,220). A typical home costs $419,171, or 3.5 years of this average salary before tax.
Speech-Language Pathologists salary in other California cities
Merced ranks 14th of 25 California metro areas for this job; El Centro pays the most ($139,700).
- El Centro$139,700
- Napa$135,020
- San Jose$134,270
- Santa Rosa$132,480
- San Francisco$130,240
- Santa Maria$129,450
- Vallejo$123,960
- Salinas$123,560
- Santa Cruz$122,840
- Merced$119,810
Highest-paying cities for speech-language pathologists
El Centro, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($139,700).
- El Centro, CA$139,700
- Napa, CA$135,020
- San Jose, CA$134,270
- Santa Rosa, CA$132,480
- San Francisco, CA$130,240
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Speech-Language Pathologists salary in Merced: questions
How much do speech-language pathologists make an hour in Merced?
$57.60 an hour on average, and $54.91 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level speech-language pathologists salary in Merced?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $79,400 a year and the 25th percentile is $104,800, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the speech-language pathologists take-home pay in Merced?
About $86,066 a year ($7,172 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $119,810. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do speech-language pathologists earn more in Merced than elsewhere?
The average here is 20% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($99,493).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 29-1127; area Merced, CA (32900). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.7%.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 1.05, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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