Career Overview
Assess and treat persons with hearing and related disorders. May fit hearing aids and provide auditory training. May perform research related to hearing problems.
Also Known As
- Audiologist
- Audiology Doctor (AUD)
- Clinical Audiologist
- Educational Audiologist
Alternate Job Titles
- Audiologist
- Audiology Doctor (AUD)
- Audiology Extern
- Certificate of Clinical Competence in Audiology Licensed Audiologist (CCC-A Licensed Audiologist)
- Clinical Audiologist
- Dispensing Audiologist
- Educational Audiologist
- Forensic Audiologist
- Hearing Therapist
- Industrial Audiologist
- Licensed Audiologist
- Pediatric Audiologist
- Staff Audiologist
What You'll Do
In this role, your typical responsibilities include:
- 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.
Knowledge You'll Use
You'll need solid knowledge in these areas:
- Customer and Personal Service
- Therapy and Counseling
- Psychology
- Medicine and Dentistry
- English Language
- Sales and Marketing
- Computers and Electronics
- Biology
- Education and Training
- Administrative
Essential Skills
Success in this career requires strong skills in:
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Writing
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Active Learning
- Social Perceptiveness
- Monitoring
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Service Orientation
Key Abilities
This career requires key abilities in:
- Oral Comprehension
- Written Comprehension
- Deductive Reasoning
- Oral Expression
- Written Expression
- Inductive Reasoning
- Problem Sensitivity
- Speech Clarity
- Near Vision
- Speech Recognition
Work Style
People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:
- Attention to Detail
- Dependability
- Empathy
- Cooperation
- Social Orientation
What Matters in This Career
This career tends to satisfy these work values:
- Relationships
- Achievement
- Working Conditions
- Recognition
- Support
Education & Preparation
Typical Education: Doctoral Degree
Related Work Experience Needed: Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years
On-the-Job Training: Anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month
Education Details: Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Experience Required: Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Technology You'll Use
Popular Technologies & Software
- eClinicalWorks EHR software
- Epic Systems
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Word
Tools & Equipment
- Audiometers
- Audiometric test booths
- Auditory brainstem response ABR screening systems
- Automatic impedance audiometers
- Biofeedback equipment
- Caloric irrigators
- Computerized rotary chairs
- Desktop computers
- Diagnostic tuning forks
- Digital light bars
- Ear probes
- Electroacoustic impedance bridges
- Electrocochleography ECOG equipment
- Electroneurography equipment
- Electronystagmographs ENG
Work Environment
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Telephone Conversations
- Contact With Others
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
Salary & Job Market
| Salary Percentile | Annual Wage |
|---|---|
| Entry-Level (10th percentile) | $61,930 |
| Median | $92,120 |
| Top Earners (90th percentile) | $129,830 |
Workers Employed Nationally: 14,730
Related Careers
If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:
Hearing Aid Specialists
Education: Doctoral Degree
Median Salary: $61,560
Optometrists
Education: Doctoral Degree
Median Salary: $134,830
Pediatric Surgeons
Education: Not specified
Median Salary: >$239,200
Pediatricians, General
Education: Post-Doctoral Training
Median Salary: $210,130
Neurologists
Education: Post-Doctoral Training
Median Salary: >$239,200
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Occupational data sourced from the O*NET OnLine database, developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024.