A speech-language therapist (fonoaudiólogo) in Chile earns between CLP 0.9 and 1.4 million gross per month four years after graduating, depending on the institution, according to the Employment and Income Search Tool of Mi Futuro, from the Undersecretariat of Higher Education. The top bracket, CLP 1.3 to 1.4 million, belongs to graduates of Universidad de Chile, followed by those of the Pontifical Catholic University (CLP 1.2 to 1.3 million).
The tool lists 26 Speech-Language Therapy programs and 19 report income, with an average lower bound of CLP 1.02 million, the lowest among the main professional health degrees. In public hospitals, speech-language therapists belong to the professional staff of the Administrative Statute and earn CLP 1,275,277 to 3,522,228 gross depending on grade. This guide explains how much a speech-language therapist earns in Chile in each case, how long it takes to find a job and how it compares with other degrees.
How much a speech-language therapist earns in Chile by university
| Gross income bracket in year 4 | Institutions | Count |
|---|---|---|
| CLP 1.3 to 1.4 million | U. de Chile | 1 |
| CLP 1.2 to 1.3 million | PUC | 1 |
| CLP 1.1 to 1.2 million | U. del Desarrollo, U. Santo Tomás, U. de Concepción, U. Andrés Bello | 4 |
| CLP 1.0 to 1.1 million | U. Austral de Chile, U. de Valparaíso, U. del Bío-Bío, U. Mayor, U. Católica Cardenal Raúl Silva Henríquez, U. San Sebastián, U. de Talca | 7 |
| CLP 0.9 to 1.0 million | U. del Alba, U. de La Frontera, IP de Chile, U. de las Américas, U. Autónoma de Chile, U. Católica de Temuco | 6 |
| No data | U. de Antofagasta, U. de Playa Ancha de Ciencias de la Educación, U. de los Andes, U. Bernardo O'Higgins, U. de Magallanes, U. de Viña del Mar, U. de Los Lagos | 7 |
Source: Mi Futuro, Speech-Language Therapy degree (26 programs, 19 with income data), retrieved November 6, 2026. According to the search tool's methodology, income is the average gross monthly income of 2018, 2019 and 2020 graduates in their fourth year after graduation, calculated with Internal Revenue Service (SII) data and expressed in September 2025 pesos. The employment rate is the share of graduates earning at least the minimum wage in their first or second year. Programs with few cases appear as "no data".
Most programs with data are split between the CLP 1.0 to 1.1 million and CLP 0.9 to 1.0 million brackets. The gap between Universidad de Chile and the lowest group is about CLP 400,000 per month. In the table below you can search for your institution and sort by income or employment:
| Universidad de Chile | 1.3 | 73.0% | 88.3% |
| Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile | 1.2 | 57.2% | 72.4% |
| Universidad del Desarrollo | 1.1 | 45.9% | 67.2% |
| Universidad Santo Tomás | 1.1 | 44.2% | 61.1% |
| Universidad de Concepción | 1.1 | 42.9% | 56.2% |
| Universidad Andrés Bello | 1.1 | 36.9% | 61.5% |
| Universidad Austral de Chile | 1.0 | 49.2% | 64.8% |
| Universidad de Valparaíso | 1.0 | 42.2% | 51.8% |
| Universidad del Bío-Bío | 1.0 | 39.7% | 50.8% |
| Universidad Mayor | 1.0 | 37.5% | 64.8% |
| Universidad Católica Cardenal Raúl Silva Henríquez | 1.0 | 37.2% | 62.5% |
| Universidad San Sebastián | 1.0 | 33.9% | 55.9% |
| Universidad de Talca | 1.0 | 32.6% | 48.2% |
| Universidad del Alba | 0.9 | 53.9% | 68.6% |
| Universidad de La Frontera | 0.9 | 43.1% | 63.1% |
| IP de Chile | 0.9 | 40.2% | 60.9% |
| Universidad de las Américas | 0.9 | 36.2% | 57.8% |
| Universidad Autónoma de Chile | 0.9 | 34.1% | 54.7% |
| Universidad Católica de Temuco | 0.9 | 25.3% | 53.0% |
| Universidad de Antofagasta | No data | 84.6% | 91.9% |
| Universidad de Playa Ancha de Ciencias de la Educación | No data | 54.0% | 67.5% |
| Universidad de los Andes | No data | 48.9% | No data |
| Universidad Bernardo O'Higgins | No data | 46.4% | 53.2% |
| Universidad de Magallanes | No data | 30.2% | 67.5% |
| Universidad de Viña del Mar | No data | 25.7% | 59.4% |
| Universidad de Los Lagos | No data | 17.4% | 41.7% |
How much a speech-language therapist earns in the public sector
Speech-language therapists assess and treat disorders of communication, language, voice, hearing and swallowing. They work in hospitals, rehabilitation centers, primary care, schools with inclusion programs and private practice. In health services they are governed by the Administrative Statute (Law 18,834) and belong to the professional staff. The lower the grade number, the higher the pay:
| Grade | Base salary | Total gross monthly pay (no seniority) |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | CLP 822,491 | CLP 3,522,228 |
| 7 | CLP 715,163 | CLP 3,039,924 |
| 9 | CLP 613,027 | CLP 2,544,278 |
| 11 | CLP 525,644 | CLP 2,144,971 |
| 13 | CLP 450,639 | CLP 1,795,022 |
| 15 | CLP 386,316 | CLP 1,512,586 |
| 17 | CLP 331,147 | CLP 1,275,277 |
Source: Law 18,834 pay table of the Health Ministry's Undersecretariat of Care Networks, in force since June 2026 with the 1.4% adjustment of Law 21,806 (published by Carlos van Buren Hospital). Amounts for staff enrolled in an AFP pension fund, with no seniority; total pay adds base salary, professional allowance, substitute allowance and other legal components.
The entry grade is set by each service according to the vacancy. Municipal primary care follows the Primary Care Statute (Law 19,378), with a career scale set by each municipality. In schools, many speech-language therapists work by the hour in school inclusion programs, under contracts agreed with each school operator, and in private practice income depends on the number of patients and the fees each professional charges.
Employment of speech-language therapists in Chile
View the data as a table
| Average lower bound of year-4 income bracket | CLP 1.02 M |
| Employment rate, year 1 | 42.8% |
| Employment rate, year 2 | 61.8% |
| Programs in the tool | 26 |
| Indicator (Speech-Language Therapy) | Range across institutions | Simple average |
|---|---|---|
| Employment rate, year 1 | 17.4% (Universidad de Los Lagos) to 84.6% (Universidad de Antofagasta) | 42.8% |
| Employment rate, year 2 | 41.7% (Universidad de Los Lagos) to 91.9% (Universidad de Antofagasta) | 61.8% |
| Actual length of studies | 11.1 to 14.7 semesters | 12.2 semesters |
Source: Mi Futuro, own calculation of simple averages. Speech-Language Therapy is one of the health degrees with the lowest employment rate in year 1: on average, fewer than half of graduates earn above the minimum wage in that period, although the figure rises to six in ten in year 2. The differences between institutions are large, as this chart shows:
View the data as a table
| Employment rate in year 1 | Lower bound of year-4 income bracket (CLP millions) | |
|---|---|---|
| Universidad de Chile | 73.00% | 1.30 |
| Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile | 57.20% | 1.20 |
| Universidad del Desarrollo | 45.90% | 1.10 |
| Universidad Santo Tomás | 44.20% | 1.10 |
| Universidad de Concepción | 42.90% | 1.10 |
| Universidad Andrés Bello | 36.90% | 1.10 |
| Universidad Austral de Chile | 49.20% | 1.00 |
| Universidad de Valparaíso | 42.20% | 1.00 |
| Universidad del Bío-Bío | 39.70% | 1.00 |
| Universidad Mayor | 37.50% | 1.00 |
| Universidad Católica Cardenal Raúl Silva Henríquez | 37.20% | 1.00 |
| Universidad San Sebastián | 33.90% | 1.00 |
| Universidad de Talca | 32.60% | 1.00 |
| Universidad del Alba | 53.90% | 0.90 |
| Universidad de La Frontera | 43.10% | 0.90 |
| IP de Chile | 40.20% | 0.90 |
| Universidad de las Américas | 36.20% | 0.90 |
| Universidad Autónoma de Chile | 34.10% | 0.90 |
| Universidad Católica de Temuco | 25.30% | 0.90 |
Speech-language therapists compared with other health degrees
| Degree | Average lower bound of year-4 income bracket | Average employment rate, year 1 | Average employment rate, year 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing | CLP 1.76 million | 79.3% | 88.3% |
| Medical Technology | CLP 1.66 million | 72.7% | 84.6% |
| Physical Therapy | CLP 1.33 million | 53.1% | 69.2% |
| Occupational Therapy | CLP 1.19 million | 49.8% | 72.8% |
| Nutrition and Dietetics | CLP 1.10 million | 45.2% | 62.0% |
| Speech-Language Therapy | CLP 1.02 million | 42.8% | 61.8% |
Source: Mi Futuro, retrieved November 6, 2026; simple averages calculated by Vivarae News. Speech-Language Therapy closes the table of health degrees compared, close to Nutrition. To compare, see how much an occupational therapist earns, how much a physical therapist earns and how much a midwife earns.
From gross to net pay for a speech-language therapist
For a hospital speech-language therapist at grade 17, with total pay of CLP 1,275,277, the legal deductions are the AFP pension contribution (10% plus the fee) and the health contribution (7% to Fonasa or the Isapre plan). With a fee of about 1.5%, contributions add up to around 18.5%, leaving net pay of about CLP 1.04 million; at that level, single income tax is small or zero (own approximate calculation). For reference, Chile's minimum wage has been CLP 553,553 since May 2026.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a newly graduated speech-language therapist earn in Chile?
There is no official figure for the first year. Mi Futuro reports income in the fourth year: CLP 0.9 to 1.4 million gross depending on the institution, with an average lower bound of CLP 1.02 million.
How much does a speech-language therapist earn in a hospital?
Between CLP 1,275,277 (grade 17) and CLP 3,522,228 (grade 5) gross per month with no seniority, according to the Health Ministry's professional scale in force since June 2026.
Where should you study Speech-Language Therapy to earn more?
According to Mi Futuro, graduates of Universidad de Chile are in the top bracket in year 4 (CLP 1.3 to 1.4 million), followed by those of the Pontifical Catholic University (CLP 1.2 to 1.3 million).
Is it easy to find work as a speech-language therapist?
On average, 42.8% of graduates earn above the minimum wage in year 1 and 61.8% in year 2, with large differences between institutions: from 17.4% to 84.6% in year 1.
How long does the Speech-Language Therapy degree take?
Formally, ten semesters; in practice, graduates take 12.2 semesters on average, according to the actual duration reported by Mi Futuro.
