ABSTRACT

Purpose Understanding the employment preferences of prospective speech-language pathology students is essential for workforce development and education. This longitudinal descriptive study analyzed five years of employment preference survey data (2021-2025) from 219 fourth-year students in the Republic of Korea to identify primary concerns and trends in setting-specific preferences. Methods Students enrolled in a clinical practice course submitted their top three preferred employment settings and related questions they raised. A total of 3,625 questions were categorized using content analysis, and keyword frequencies were analyzed across five clinical settings: welfare centers, private clinics, hospitals, multicultural family support centers, and schools/special education support centers. Results Annual shifts in first-choice preferences were observed across the study period. Salary and compensation were the most prevalent concerns across all settings. Setting-specific patterns revealed distinct primary concerns: educational barriers (master’s degrees/graduate school) in hospitals, foreign-language proficiency in multicultural centers, and working conditions/recruitment pathways in schools. In private clinics, students consistently inquired about employment types (freelance vs. full-time) and independent practice. Conclusions The findings provide preliminary evidence for enhancing practice-oriented career education and curriculum development by systematically documenting speech-language pathology students’ employment preferences and setting-specific concerns. The emphasis on salary, employment security, and workload highlights a critical need for enhanced clinical practicum education and the systematic provision of field-specific career information.