Career Overview
Select and fit hearing aids for customers. Administer and interpret tests of hearing. Assess hearing instrument efficacy. Take ear impressions and prepare, design, and modify ear molds.
Also Known As
- Hearing Aid Specialist
- Hearing Instrument Dispenser
- Hearing Instrument Specialist (HIS)
- Hearing Specialist
Alternate Job Titles
- Audiology Assistant
- Audiology Technician
- Audioprosthologist
- Board Certified Hearing Instrument Specialist (Board Certified HIS)
- Hearing Aid Attendant
- Hearing Aid Consultant
- Hearing Aid Dispenser
- Hearing Aid Fitter
- Hearing Aid Specialist
- Hearing Aid Technician (Hearing Aid Tech)
- Hearing Care Practitioner
- Hearing Care Professional
- Hearing Care Specialist
- Hearing Health Technician (Hearing Health Tech)
- Hearing Instrument Dispenser
What You'll Do
In this role, your typical responsibilities include:
- Train clients to use hearing aids or other augmentative communication devices.
- Counsel patients and families on communication strategies and the effects of hearing loss.
- Select and administer tests to evaluate hearing or related disabilities.
- Administer basic hearing tests including air conduction, bone conduction, or speech audiometry tests.
- Maintain or repair hearing aids or other communication devices.
- Perform basic screening procedures, such as pure tone screening, otoacoustic screening, immittance screening, and screening of ear canal status using otoscope.
- Create or modify impressions for earmolds and hearing aid shells.
Knowledge You'll Use
You'll need solid knowledge in these areas:
- Customer and Personal Service
- Sales and Marketing
- Therapy and Counseling
- Medicine and Dentistry
- Computers and Electronics
- Administrative
- English Language
- Administration and Management
- Economics and Accounting
- Psychology
Essential Skills
Success in this career requires strong skills in:
- Active Listening
- Service Orientation
Key Abilities
This career requires key abilities in:
- Oral Comprehension
- Oral Expression
- Speech Clarity
- Problem Sensitivity
- Speech Recognition
- Written Comprehension
- Near Vision
- Deductive Reasoning
- Inductive Reasoning
- Manual Dexterity
Work Style
People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:
- Attention to Detail
- Cooperation
- Dependability
- Empathy
- Social Orientation
What Matters in This Career
This career tends to satisfy these work values:
- Relationships
- Working Conditions
- Achievement
- Independence
- Support
Education & Preparation
Typical Education: Doctoral Degree
Related Work Experience Needed: Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years
On-the-Job Training: Over 3 months, up to and including 6 months
Education Details: Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Experience Required: Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Technology You'll Use
Popular Technologies & Software
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Word
Tools & Equipment
- Auditory brainstem response screening systems
- Automatic impedance audiometers
- Behind-the-ear hearing aids
- Caloric irrigators
- Circumaural headphones
- Color laser printers
- Desktop computers
- Diagnostic tuning forks
- Ear probes
- Electroacoustic impedance bridges
- Handheld otoscopes
- Hearing aid analyzers
- Hearing aid programming interfaces
- Hearing aid vacuum systems
- In-the-canal hearing aids
Work Environment
- Deal With External Customers or the Public in General
- Frequency of Decision Making
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Contact With Others
Salary & Job Market
| Salary Percentile | Annual Wage |
|---|---|
| Entry-Level (10th percentile) | $36,950 |
| Median | $61,560 |
| Top Earners (90th percentile) | $91,000 |
Workers Employed Nationally: 10,580
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If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:
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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.