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Ernest Health
Bakersfield, California

Speech Language Pathologist - Per Diem

Speech-Language PathologistIncludes weekendsPer Diem

Listed compensation

$70/Hr

The week · per this posting

Ask the employer about the work setting, call expectations, nights and shift pattern and time off.

Posted 52m ago · Verified live

Job Description

Speech Language Pathologist – Per Diem - Bakersfield, California

Join our world-class team of driven, passionate healthcare professionals who are focused on service excellence and providing top quality care!

  • Weekday and Weekend PRN hours available

Central California Rehabilitation Hospital in Bakersfield, California is a state-of-the-art inpatient rehab hospital offering comprehensive rehabilitative services to patients in the Central Valley.

We specialize in helping individuals bounce back from life-altering health events such as strokes, brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, amputations, and complex orthopedic conditions.

Our dedicated team provides a full spectrum of therapies – physical, occupational, speech, and more – utilizing advanced technologies and evidence-based techniques to accelerate healing.

At Central California Rehabilitation Hospital, patients receive care in a comfortable, encouraging environment with private rooms and fully equipped therapy gyms. Accredited and honored among the nation’s top rehabilitation facilities, we are committed to exceptional patient outcomes and proudly serve as a center of hope and recovery for our community.

As a participating hospital of Ernest Health, we offer robust recognition, wellness, and retention programs. These programs focus on enhancing the employees’ work experience, recognizing, and celebrating achievements. We also encourage employees to share their work experience through “My Ernest Journey” and through our Engagement Survey, where our approach is “You Spoke, We Listened”. These platforms provide additional avenues for employees to give feedback about their work experience and share what is important to them.

What You Bring

A passion for patient care, a team player, motivating and collaborating therapist to assist patients to reach the best outcome.

  • Graduate Degree from an accredited program in Speech Language Pathology.
  • Current State Speech Language Pathology License.
  • Current CPR

Qualifications

Required Skills

  • Current and valid state licensure as a Speech Language Pathologist required.
  • Certificate of Clinical Competence from ASHA or Clinical Fellowship Year status or equivalent preferred.
  • Two years’ experience in rehabilitation hospital setting preferred.
  • Current BLS certification from an approved required.

Additional Qualifications/Skills

Demonstrates an understanding of treatment costs and financial support as they relate to quality and efficiency.

Demonstrates appropriate application of age specific standards, policies and procedures and guidelines in caring for adolescent, adult, and geriatric patients

  • Demonstrates competency in the provision of care according to established standards
  • Knowledge of clinical operations and procedures.
  • Demonstrates general computer skills including: data entry, word processing, email, and record management.
  • Leadership skills in delegating, organizing, and educating coworkers and staff.
  • Effective organizational and time management skills.
  • Effective written and verbal communication skills.
  • Ability to maintain proper levels of confidentiality.
  • Ability to work closely and professionally with others.
  • Ability to maintain quality, safety, and/or infection control standards.

Responsibilities

Uses specialized knowledge and training in speech language pathology services as well as independent judgment and discretion to assess, diagnose, and treat speech, language, cognitive, communication, voice, swallowing, fluency, and other related disorders.

Independently examines patient's medical history and develops diagnosis and treatment plans and then implements those treatment plans with full responsibility for preparation of related documentation and patient and other medical provider communication. Integrates the hospital’s mission and “Guiding Principles” into daily practice.

Posted Total Compensation

The wage range for this role takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including, but not limited to, skill sets, experience, education and training, licensure and certifications, and other business and organizational needs.

It’s not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their role and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. A reasonable estimate of the current range is $

Minimum Salary

USD $70.00/Hr.

Maximum Salary

USD $70.00/Hr.

Qualifications

Education
Master's degree (postgraduate degree)
Experience
2+ years of experience

Key Skills

Patient assessmentTreatment planningSwallowing therapyCognitive therapyCommunication disordersOrganizational skills

Speech-Language Pathologist Career Context

Of the 50 active Speech-Language Pathology listings this role was benchmarked against, 6% are remote, 54% have no call, 34% require no weekends.

Speech-Language Pathology pay on WeekdayDoc is up 3.5% vs. the prior quarter (through Sep 2026).

Speech-Language Pathology by the numbers
MeasureThis jobMarket
Listed paynot listedSpeech-Language Pathology median $108k (middle half $108k–$108k)24 comparable listings, Oct 2026
Cost of livingCalifornia index 110.7US average = 100BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Speech-Language Pathology listings in California607 active6,909 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Oct 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 6% remote · 54% no call · 34% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repaymentnot statedCalifornia Speech-Language Pathologist listings: 14% state a sign-on bonus (median $5k) · 7% offer loan repayment659 active listings, Oct 2026
Speech-Language Pathology pay trend+3.5% vs prior quarter—through Sep 2026
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index, BEA Regional Price Parities (2024); as of Oct 2026. Same values as the Weekday Verdict and Market Insights on this page.

Top contract/1099 Speech Language Pathologist Jobs

50 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

25 jobs
9
<$120k
3
$120k-135k
4
$135k-150k
7
$150k-165k
2
$166k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

32 jobs
401k / retirement match
72%
CME allowance
44%
Sign-on bonus
25%
Loan repayment
16%
Relocation assistance
6%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Speech-Language Pathologist Clinical Fellow

Dragonfly Cares · Dix Hills, New York

$65-$90/hr
#2

Speech Language PathologistPer Diem

Providence · San Pedro, California

$49.4-$78.07/hr
#3

Speech Therapist I- Acute & LTC - Per Diem - Coronado

$52.36-$75.69/hr
#4

Speech Therapist Acute-Per Diem- Chula Vista

$52.36-$75.69/hr
+ 48 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 2.8this job 1.5
Better work-life than 10% of Speech Language Pathology listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 6,837 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • Includes weekends
Ernest Health logo

About Ernest Health

Hospitals and Health Care
Mesquite, Texas
501-1,000 employees

Benefits & Perks

Weekday and Weekend PRN hours available
Recognition, wellness, and retention programs

Living in Bakersfield

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$354k
Typical market rent
$1,901/mo
Residents’ average commute
24 min
State income tax
Up to 13.3%
Sources & methodology

Sources: Zillow home values (Sep 2026), Zillow market rents (Sep 2026), U.S. Census ACS 2024 five-year.

City-level figures. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.