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Audiologists

Typical education: Doctoral or professional degreeModerate pressure Bright Outlook

What they do

Assess and treat persons with hearing and related disorders. May fit hearing aids and provide auditory training. May perform research related to hearing problems.

Kinds of work

  • Investigative: Science, research, figuring out how things work and solving complex problems.
  • Social: Helping, teaching, caring for and supporting other people.
  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.

Moderate pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $95,780 Median per year · $46.05/hr Most earn $64,610–$133,120

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Develop and supervise hearing screening programs.
  • Conduct or direct research on hearing or balance topics and report findings to help in the development of procedures, technology, or treatments.
  • Work with multidisciplinary teams to assess and rehabilitate recipients of implanted hearing devices through auditory training and counseling.
  • Educate and supervise audiology students and health care personnel.
  • Examine and clean patients' ear canals.
  • Educate and supervise audiology students and health care personnel.

Job outlook

Bright Outlook Rapid Growth

United States
11% more jobs by 2035, much faster than average · about 600 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Offices of physicians26.5%
  • Offices of physical, occupational and speech therapists, and audiologists25.8%
  • General medical and surgical hospitals14.6%
  • Elementary and secondary schools5.9%
  • Colleges, universities, and professional schools2.6%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 6 months to 1 year

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: Doctoral or professional degreeExperience before this job: 6 months to 1 year

Audiology is not an entry-level job. Most audiologists need a doctoral degree, and the usual path takes about 8 to 9 years after high school, including a supervised work year before they practice on their own.

  1. Bachelor's degree in communication sciences and disorders, biology, or another science

    4 years

    Build a strong science and math base and take courses in speech, hearing, and anatomy, which graduate programs in audiology typically look for.

  2. Doctor of Audiology (Au.D.) degree

    4 years

    Complete a professional doctoral program with classroom learning and many supervised clinical hours testing hearing and fitting hearing devices, which is required before you can work as an audiologist.

  3. Audiology clinical fellowship

    6 months to 1 year

    Work under a licensed audiologist while you gain hands-on experience with patients, which typically must be completed before you get full licensure to practice independently.

  4. Audiologist

    Ongoing career

    Independently assess and treat hearing and balance disorders, fit hearing aids, and provide auditory training, often with a state license and sometimes with added certifications.

Where it can lead

  1. Lead Audiologist

    3-5 years of experience first

    You take on more responsibility for patient care, train newer staff and students, and help coordinate the clinic's services.

  2. Audiology Director

    5-10 years of experience first

    You manage an audiology department or clinic, which involves budgeting, staffing, policy decisions, and planning programs, usually with strong leadership and communication skills.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take biology, chemistry, physics, and mathThese classes build the science background you will need for a college major and later for a doctoral program.
  • Volunteer at a hospital, clinic, or senior centerWorking around patients helps you practice communication and shows healthcare programs you care about helping people.
  • Learn American Sign Language or another sign languageMany audiology patients use sign language, so knowing it can help you connect with people who have hearing loss.
  • Join a science or health clubClubs like science olympiad or health occupations groups let you explore healthcare topics and build teamwork skills.
  • Ask a local audiologist for a job shadow or interviewTalking with someone in the field gives you real answers about the work and what the training involves.

In college

  • Major in communication sciences and disorders or a related scienceThese majors cover hearing, speech, and anatomy, which give you a direct head start toward audiology graduate study.
  • Get observation hours in an audiology or speech clinicMany doctoral programs expect you to have shadowed or observed clinical work, and it also helps you learn if the job suits you.
  • Work as a front desk or assistant at a hearing or medical officeA campus or part-time job in a clinic builds patient-facing skills and shows you how a hearing practice runs day to day.
  • Join a research lab or take a statistics courseAudiologists often read research and sometimes conduct it, so statistics and lab experience are valuable for doctoral study.
  • Build a relationship with professors and advisorsStrong letters of recommendation from faculty are commonly required for doctoral programs, so get to know your instructors well.

Tips for getting started

  • Shadow or volunteer in a hearing clinic early. Seeing audiologists at work helps you decide if this career fits you and gives you a story to share on applications.
  • Keep your grades strong in science and math, since doctoral programs look closely at your academic record and prerequisite courses.
  • Look up the requirements for audiology doctoral programs in your area as you plan, because they can vary and it helps to know them several years ahead.

Related jobs that often lead here

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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