Occupation · SOC 29-1181
Audiologists
Assess and treat persons with hearing and related disorders. May fit hearing aids and provide auditory training. May perform research related to hearing problems.
Median wage
$92,120
$61,930–$129,830
Projected growth
—
—
Annual openings
—
per year
Employed (US)
14,730
Job Zone 5
Typical preparation
Extensive preparation
Stackable credential programs
207 mapped
Core skills
Reading ComprehensionActive ListeningActive LearningSpeakingCritical ThinkingWritingSocial PerceptivenessJudgment and Decision Making
Knowledge areas
Customer and Personal ServiceTherapy and CounselingPsychologyMedicine and DentistryEnglish Language
Technology & tools
Medical softwareCustomer relationship management CRM softwareSpreadsheet softwareOffice suite softwareElectronic mail software
Representative tasks
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.
Competency framework
Skill expectations by proficiency level.
emerging
Patient records at initial intake — document evaluation findings and demographic data under clinical supervisor guidance in an audiology clinic setting.Hearing test protocols — administer pure-tone audiometry and tympanometry under direct supervision using calibrated electronic audiometers in a sound-treated booth.Hearing and balance disorder presentations — recognize common patterns such as sensorineural and conductive loss under attending audiologist oversight during patient evaluations.Specialized diagnostic instruments — identify and operate basic audiometric equipment following established laboratory protocols in a supervised clinical practicum.Assistive device basics — assist in fitting and dispensing pre-configured hearing aids under direct supervision within a clinical dispensing environment.Patient communication strategies — apply foundational instruction techniques for receptive communication under supervisor direction during guided patient education sessions.Clinical documentation software — enter patient data and generate basic reports using medical records and office suite software under departmental protocol guidance.Referral criteria — identify patients who may require additional medical or educational services and flag cases for supervising audiologist review in a multi-disciplinary clinic.Counseling fundamentals — participate in introductory family and patient counseling sessions on hearing loss impact under clinical mentor observation.Progress monitoring basics — collect and record follow-up outcome data for ongoing patient cases as directed by a supervising audiologist in an outpatient setting.
developing
Comprehensive patient records — maintain accurate documentation across all evaluation and treatment stages with minimal oversight in an established outpatient audiology practice.Audiometric test batteries — administer and interpret a full range of hearing and balance assessments, including ABR and OAE, with routine autonomy in a hospital-based audiology department.Hearing aid fitting and repair — fit, program, and perform minor repairs on hearing aids for diverse patient populations using real-ear measurement tools in a clinical dispensing setting.Hearing and balance diagnoses — formulate working diagnoses and develop initial treatment plans for common disorders based on integrated evaluation findings in a primary-care-affiliated clinic.Patient progress monitoring — track treatment outcomes across a personal caseload and adjust intervention approaches in response to evolving audiological status in an outpatient practice.Communication strategy instruction — deliver structured counseling sessions to patients, parents, and educators on strategies to maximize receptive communication in school and workplace contexts.Family counseling sessions — conduct routine counseling with patients and family members on hearing loss management techniques with reduced supervisor involvement in a rehabilitation setting.Referral coordination — initiate and document referrals to otolaryngologists, speech-language pathologists, and educational specialists following evidence-based criteria in a multidisciplinary environment.Critical thinking in complex cases — analyze non-typical audiometric profiles and select appropriate follow-up testing strategies in a specialty clinic setting.Electronic health record systems — utilize CRM and medical software platforms to manage scheduling, billing documentation, and patient communication efficiently within an integrated healthcare system.
proficient
Comprehensive diagnostic evaluations — independently evaluate complex hearing and balance disorders, synthesize multi-modal test data, and establish differential diagnoses across diverse patient populations in a specialty audiology center.Advanced hearing aid and assistive technology management — select, fit, program, and troubleshoot a full range of amplification and assistive devices including cochlear implant mapping support in an advanced rehabilitation clinic.Full-scope patient records — oversee complete longitudinal documentation from initial presentation through discharge, ensuring regulatory and accreditation compliance in an academic medical center.Non-routine audiometric interpretation — resolve ambiguous or conflicting test findings using inductive and deductive reasoning to guide treatment in high-complexity inpatient and outpatient environments.Individualized counseling and rehabilitation plans — design and deliver comprehensive aural rehabilitation programs tailored to adults, pediatric patients, and geriatric populations in a community health system.Multidisciplinary referral management — evaluate and coordinate referrals across medical, surgical, and educational disciplines to ensure seamless continuity of care in a hospital network.Ongoing outcomes monitoring — implement systematic progress review protocols using standardized outcome measures and adjust treatment plans autonomously in a long-term care audiology practice.Employer and educator training — facilitate workplace and classroom communication strategy workshops for employers and teachers supporting patients with hearing loss in occupational and educational settings.Technology integration — evaluate, configure, and optimize medical software, electronic health records, and teleaudiology platforms to enhance service delivery efficiency across a full clinical caseload.Evidence-based practice application — critically appraise current audiology research, apply findings to clinical decision-making, and adapt protocols to emerging evidence in a research-affiliated practice setting.
advanced
Organizational audiology strategy — establish clinical standards, service delivery models, and quality improvement frameworks for hearing and balance programs across a health system or academic institution.Clinical workforce development — mentor and supervise doctoral-level clinical fellows and graduate students, designing structured competency pathways within an accredited audiology training program.Program-level outcomes evaluation — design and lead systematic evaluation of departmental diagnostic and treatment outcomes using systems analysis methods to drive continuous quality improvement.Interdisciplinary leadership — represent audiology at executive and interdisciplinary leadership forums, advocating for integrated hearing health within hospital, educational, and community health systems.Policy and protocol authorship — author and institutionalize clinical practice protocols, referral pathways, and documentation standards that govern audiology services across multiple care sites.Research and innovation leadership — conceptualize, fund, and oversee applied clinical research studies or technology pilots that advance diagnostic and rehabilitative audiological practice.Community and public health advocacy — develop population-level hearing health initiatives, screening programs, and stakeholder education campaigns addressing underserved communities at a regional or national level.Resource and financial stewardship — direct budget planning, equipment procurement, and revenue cycle strategy for an audiology division within a complex healthcare or academic organization.Cross-sector partnership development — negotiate and sustain partnerships with educational agencies, employers, device manufacturers, and payers to expand access to hearing health services at scale.Professional knowledge dissemination — present expert-level findings at national conferences, contribute to peer-reviewed publications, and serve on professional standards bodies to shape the future of audiology practice.
Also known as
17 alternate job titles map to this occupation.
Audiology ExternDirector, Speech-And-Hearing ClinicClinical AudiologistAudiology Doctor (AUD)Industrial AudiologistCertificate of Clinical Competence in Audiology Licensed Audiologist (CCC-A Licensed Audiologist)Forensic AudiologistStaff AudiologistHearing TherapistDirector, Speech-and-Hearing ClinicDispensing AudiologistPediatric AudiologistEducational AudiologistAudiologistPreventive Medicine Sciences (Army 67C)Licensed AudiologistMedical Service Corps Officer (Army 67)