Merakey logo
Merakey
Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Speech Language Therapist - SLP - FFS

Speech-Language PathologistContract

Listed compensation

$54.43 per hour

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

Ask the employer about the work setting, call expectations, weekend coverage and time off.

Posted 1mo ago · Verified live

Job Description

Are you looking for an opportunity to advance your career while working with an extraordinary team? At Merakey, we put heart and soul into everything we do.

We are seeking a Speech Language Pathologist to join our team in our Baton Rouge, LA ABA location.

Salary: $54.43 per hour FFS - set your own schedule

Position Details

We are looking for a licensed professional who provides therapeutic techniques for the rehabilitation of clients/students with speech, language, hearing, oral motor, swallowing and cognitive disorders. Plans coordinated care to clients

Job Description

  • Performs clinical assessments; identifies clients needs.
  • Document, prepare/revises and completes an individualized education plan (IEP), progress notes, and other clinical record documentation on an ongoing basis.
  • Analyze client needs and administer appropriate care as outlined in the IEP.
  • Meets mandatory continuing education requirements of the agency/licensing board.
  • Provides appropriate plan, treatment and evaluation for speech, language, cognitive and swallowing disorders with appropriate tests and measurements.

Maintain pertinent records of specific tests performed and progress made.

  • Educate client/family concerning patient deficits, ways to facilitate communication and appropriate IEP plans through family members.
  • Collaborate with interdisciplinary team.

Benefits

Merakey offers generous benefits that promote well-being, financial security,

and work-life balance, including:

  • Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, plus access to healthcare advocacy support.
  • Retirement plan -- both pre-tax and Roth (after-tax) options available for employee contributions.
  • DailyPay -- access your pay when you need it!
  • On the Goga well-being platform, featuring self-care tools and resources.
  • Access Care.com for backup childcare, elder care, and household services.
  • Confidential counseling, legal, and financial services through our Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
  • Tuition reimbursement and educational partnerships.
  • Employee discounts and savings programs on entertainment, travel, and lifestyle.
  • Access to Pryor Online Learning for free online personal development classes.

Learn more about our full benefits package – merakey.org

About Merakey

Merakey is a non-profit provider of developmental, behavioral health, and education services. More than 8,000 employees provide support to nearly 40,000 individuals and families throughout 12 states across the country each year.

Click here to watch a video about Merakey.

Merakey strictly follows a zero-tolerance policy for abuse.

Merakey is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer! We deeply value diversity and do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, ethnic background, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, genetic information, or disability status.

Moreover, we are committed to creating teams that reflect the diversity of the communities we serve and encourage applicants from underrepresented backgrounds to apply. Merakey welcomes all Veterans to apply!

Qualifications

The ideal candidate will possess the following qualifications:

  • State required license - Speech Language Pathologist (SLP)
  • Master's Degree
  • Experience working with children with autism is preferred

Key Responsibilities

The Speech Language Pathologist will perform clinical assessments, develop individualized education plans, and provide therapeutic care for clients with speech, language, and cognitive disorders. They are also responsible for maintaining accurate clinical records and collaborating with an interdisciplinary team to support client needs.

Qualifications

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

Key Skills

Speech therapyLanguage therapyClinical assessmentOral motor therapySwallowing disorder treatmentCognitive disorder treatmentInterdisciplinary collaborationPatient educationAutism support

Mental Health Therapy — Speech-Language Pathologist Career Context

The cost-of-living index for Louisiana is 88.2 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$113k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $128k in an average-cost state. 60.8% of Louisiana clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Of the 40 active Speech-Language Pathologist listings this role was benchmarked against, 5% are remote, 60% have no call, 48% require no weekends.

What does the Speech-Language Pathologist market look like in Louisiana?
MeasureThis jobMarket
Listed pay$113kSpeech-Language Pathologist median $141k (middle half $126k–$156k)206 comparable listings, Nov 2026
Cost-of-living adjusted pay~$128k in purchasing powerLouisiana index 88.2 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Speech-Language Pathologist listings in Louisiana58 active7,572 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 5% remote · 60% no call · 48% no weekends40 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repaymentnot statedUS Speech-Language Pathologist listings: 9% state a sign-on bonus (median $5k) · 7% offer loan repayment1,000 active listings, Nov 2026
New Mental Health Therapy listings2,527 in the last 30 days1,433 the 30 days before (+76%)U.S., first seen on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Speech-Language Pathologist pay trend+4.5% vs prior quarter—through Oct 2026
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index, BEA Regional Price Parities (2024); as of Nov 2026. Same values as the Weekday Verdict and Market Insights on this page.

Top contract/1099 Speech Language Pathologist Jobs

24 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

24 jobs · 19 employers
5
<$105k
2
$105k-125k
10
$125k-145k
6
$145k-165k
1
$166k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

21 jobs · 19 employers
401k / retirement match
76% this job
CME allowance
52% this job
Sign-on bonus
19%
Loan repayment
19%
Relocation assistance
19%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Speech and Language PathologistContract

Enspire Consulting Group · Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

$70-$80/hr
#2

Pediatric Outpatient Speech Pathologist

MultiCare Health System · Federal Way, Washington

$49.36-$78.25/hr
#3

Speech Therapist, SLP, Fl

$65-$75/hr
#4

Speech Language Pathologist, SLP

$65-$75/hr
+ 22 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 2.8this job 2.8
Better work-life than 50% of Speech-Language Pathology listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 7,467 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

Merakey logo

About Merakey

Non-profit Organizations
Lafayette Hill, Pennsylvania
1,001-5,000 employees

Benefits & Perks

Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage
Retirement plan (pre-tax and Roth)
DailyPay
Goga well-being platform
Care.com backup childcare
Employee Assistance Program
Tuition reimbursement
Employee discounts

Living in Baton Rouge

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$237k
Typical market rent
$1,301/mo
Residents’ average commute
21 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
90.8
State income tax
Up to 4.3%
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · Baton Rouge, LA metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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