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Audiologist

Overview and Key Facts

audiologist with child
Education
Education
Doctoral or professional degree
Median Pay
Median Pay
$92,120
Job Growth
Job Growth
9.50%
(Above US Average)
Jobs in 2034
Jobs in 2034
17,300

What Do They Do?

An audiologist could...

 
hearing aid fitting
Select, fit, and tune digital hearing aids for people with hearing loss.
ground crew
Educate airport ground crew about the importance of using ear protection on the job.
ear exam
Examine the outer ear and ear drum to check for excessive wax or infections.
baby hearing test
Screen newborns for hearing loss and refer affected patients to appropriate services.
 
hearing aid fitting ground crew ear exam baby hearing test

Overview Listen to this section

On each side of your head is the auditory system, one of the most beautifully designed organs in the human body. The auditory system not only detects sound, but is closely tied to the vestibular system, which helps a person with balance, and knowing how his or her body is moving through space. Audiologists detect, diagnose, and develop treatment plans for people of all ages who have problems with hearing, balance, or spatial positioning. This important work impacts how well a person is able to communicate and function at home, school, and work.
Watch this video to see an audiologist work with a young girl named Norah who was born profoundly deaf, but has received surgery for a cochlear implant. In the video, Norah's cochlear implant is "activated," or turned on, by the audiologist, giving Norah a sense of hearing for the first time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LKjEvJsVnI

Do You Have the Skills and Characteristics of an Audiologist?


  1. Active Listening: ?
  2. Reading Comprehension: ?
  3. Social Perceptiveness: ?
  4. Writing: ?
  5. Speaking: ?
More skills...

Core Tasks

Think about if you'd like the typical tasks an Audiologist might do:
  • Maintain patient records at all stages, including initial and subsequent evaluation and treatment activities.
  • Evaluate hearing and balance disorders to determine diagnoses and courses of treatment.
  • Fit, dispense, and repair assistive devices, such as hearing aids.
  • Administer hearing tests and examine patients to collect information on type and degree of impairment, using specialized instruments and electronic equipment.
  • Monitor patients' progress and provide ongoing observation of hearing or balance status.
  • Instruct patients, parents, teachers, or employers in communication strategies to maximize effective receptive communication.
  • Counsel and instruct patients and their families in techniques to improve hearing and communication related to hearing loss.
  • Participate in conferences or training to update or share knowledge of new hearing or balance disorder treatment methods or technologies.
  • Refer patients to additional medical or educational services, if needed.
  • Examine and clean patients' ear canals.
  • Advise educators or other medical staff on hearing or balance topics.
  • Recommend assistive devices according to patients' needs or nature of impairments.
  • Program and monitor cochlear implants to fit the needs of patients.
  • Educate and supervise audiology students and health care personnel.
  • Plan and conduct treatment programs for patients' hearing or balance problems, consulting with educators, physicians, nurses, psychologists, speech-language pathologists, and other health care personnel, as necessary.
  • Work with multidisciplinary teams to assess and rehabilitate recipients of implanted hearing devices through auditory training and counseling.
  • Conduct or direct research on hearing or balance topics and report findings to help in the development of procedures, technology, or treatments.
  • Perform administrative tasks, such as managing office functions and finances.
  • Provide information to the public on hearing or balance topics.
  • Engage in marketing activities, such as developing marketing plans, to promote business for private practices.
  • Measure noise levels in workplaces and conduct hearing conservation programs in industry, military, schools, and communities.
  • Develop and supervise hearing screening programs.

Salary & Job Openings

Median Salary (Yearly Pay)

Tap or scroll over map to see median salaries for each state
No data available for some states (white on the map)

Future Jobs

Blast-Off:

How Will Audiologist Jobs Grow by 2034?
Projected % Growth
Rapid growth
(10% or higher)
Much faster than average
(7% - 10%)
Faster than average
(5% - 7%)
About as fast as average
(3% - 5%)
Slower than average
(0% - 3%)
Decreasing
Average of all U.S. jobs (5.3%)
Audiologist jobs (9.50%)
Source: https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables/occupational-projections-and-characteristics.htm

Steps to Get There: Becoming an Audiologist

High School Subjects to Study

Aim to study the yellow-shaded subjects.
Math
Algebra 1
Geometry
Algebra 2
Pre-Calculus
Calculus
Statistics
Science
Biology
Chemistry
Physics
Environmental Science
Physiology
Bio-Medical / Biotech
IT &
Engineering
Computer Science
Applied Technology
Drafting & CAD Training
Core
English
Foreign Language
Business
Psychology / Sociology

Career Pathway Listen to this section

All states require audiologists to be licensed or registered. As of 2012 all individuals applying for certification from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association must have a doctoral degree.

Education- Typical Degree Needed After High School Listen to this section

Degree
Post
high school credential
AA
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctoral or Professional Degree

Typical degree for an entry-level position: Doctoral or professional degree ? Types of Degrees and Credentials

While previously an audiology certification only required a master's degree, as of 2012 the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association requires a doctoral degree for certification. The professional doctorate in audiology (AuD) requires approximately 8 years of university training and supervised professional experience.

In early 2007, the Accreditation Commission of Audiology Education accredited more than 50 AuD programs and the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) accredited over 70 graduate programs in audiology. Graduation from an accredited program may be required to obtain a license in some States. Requirements for admission to programs in audiology include courses in English, mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, psychology, and communication. Graduate coursework in audiology includes anatomy; physiology; physics; genetics; normal and abnormal communication development; auditory, balance, and neural systems assessment and treatment; diagnosis and treatment; pharmacology; and ethics.

Companies That Hire Audiologists

Try it Out with an Activity or Project

STEM Activities

STEM activities are fun hands-on explorations that usually take from 10 minutes to one hour and use readily available household or classroom materials while introducing you to STEM concepts common in this career.

Science Project Ideas

Project Ideas are in-depth STEM explorations that have a strong focus on controlling variables, taking accurate measurements, and analyzing data suitable for investigating the scientific method or the engineering design process.

On the Job

Nature of the Work

Audiologists work with people who have hearing, balance, and related ear problems. They examine individuals of all ages and identify those with the symptoms of hearing loss and other auditory, balance, and related sensory and neural problems. They then assess the nature and extent of the problems and help the individuals manage them. Using audiometers, computers, and other testing devices, they measure the loudness at which a person begins to hear sounds, the ability to distinguish between sounds, and the impact of hearing loss on an individual's daily life. In addition, audiologists use computer equipment to evaluate and diagnose balance disorders. Audiologists interpret these results and may coordinate them with medical, educational, and psychological information to make a diagnosis and determine a course of treatment.

Hearing disorders can result from a variety of causes, including trauma at birth, viral infections, genetic disorders, exposure to loud noise, certain medications, or aging. Treatment may include examining and cleaning the ear canal, fitting and dispensing hearing aids, and fitting and programming cochlear implants. Audiologic treatment also includes counseling on adjusting to hearing loss, training on the use of hearing instruments, and teaching communication strategies for use in a variety of environments. For example, they may provide instruction in listening strategies. Audiologists also may recommend, fit, and dispense personal or large area amplification systems and alerting devices.

In audiology clinics, audiologists may independently develop and carry out treatment programs. They keep records on the initial evaluation, progress, and discharge of patients. In other settings, audiologists may work with other health and education providers as part of a team in planning and implementing services for children and adults. Audiologists who diagnose and treat balance disorders often work in collaboration with physicians, and physical and occupational therapists.

Some audiologists specialize in work with the elderly, children, or hearing-impaired individuals who need special treatment programs. Others develop and implement ways to protect workers' hearing from on-the-job injuries. They measure noise levels in workplaces and conduct hearing protection programs in factories and in schools and communities.

Audiologists who work in private practice also manage the business aspects of running an office, such as developing a patient base, hiring employees, keeping records, and ordering equipment and supplies.

A few audiologists conduct research on types of, and treatment for, hearing, balance, and related disorders. Others design and develop equipment or techniques for diagnosing and treating these disorders.

Work Environment

Audiologists usually work at a desk or table in clean, comfortable surroundings. The job is not physically demanding but does require attention to detail and intense concentration. The emotional needs of patients and their families may be demanding. Most full-time audiologists work about 40 hours per week, which may include weekends and evenings to meet the needs of patients. Some work part time. Those who work on a contract basis may spend a substantial amount of time traveling between facilities.

More Information

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