Audiologist job description

Treatment in audiology can run from cleaning wax out of an ear canal to working with surgeons on a cochlear implant. Audiologists diagnose, manage, and treat hearing, balance, and related problems, and the Handbook names diagnosis as what separates their work from a hearing aid specialist's. BLS reported a median annual wage of $95,780 for audiologists in May 2025, or $46.05 an hour, with $64,610 marking the tenth percentile and $133,120 the ninetieth. General medical and surgical hospitals paid a median of $103,700, while offices of physical, occupational and speech therapists, and audiologists paid $81,730.

Core Duties and Responsibilities

Record keeping ranks first among O*NET's tasks, from the first evaluation through every follow-up. The clinical center of the job is testing and diagnosis: examining patients with specialized instruments and electronic equipment, such as audiometers that measure the volume and frequency a person can hear, and evaluating hearing and balance disorders to decide on treatment. Audiologists fit, dispense, and repair hearing aids and other assistive devices, and they program and monitor cochlear implants. They counsel patients and families on communication, examine and clean ear canals, refer patients to medical or educational services, and advise educators and medical staff. For vertigo and other balance problems, the Handbook describes teaching exercises built on head movement and positioning.

Common Skills and Technologies

Reading comprehension and active listening lead O*NET's skills list, with writing, speaking, critical thinking, active learning, and social perceptiveness a step below. Epic Systems and eClinicalWorks are the health records systems named in postings, alongside Microsoft Outlook, PowerPoint, Excel, and Word. Customer relationship management software also shows up among the technology categories O*NET tracks for the job.

Education, Training, and Career Path

The entry degree is the doctor of audiology, or Au.D., which the Handbook says typically takes four years after a bachelor's degree and includes supervised clinical practice. O*NET places the work in Job Zone Five, and 95.5 percent of those surveyed called a doctoral degree the requirement. Every state licenses audiologists, usually on the strength of an accredited Au.D.. As of July 2026, the Council on Academic Accreditation accredited 76 of the 77 U.S. clinical doctorate programs in audiology, with the last in candidacy. A certification, such as the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Audiology, can help meet licensure requirements in some states. BLS projects 11 percent growth from 2025 to 2035 and about 600 openings each year.

Sources: O*NET 30.0, 29-1181.00 Audiologists, https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/29-1181.00. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, 29-1181, https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/audiologists.htm. Council on Academic Accreditation, https://caa.asha.org/programs/.