Audiologist
Audiologist
Career Overview
Audiologists help people understand and manage hearing and balance. They assess hearing, identify hearing and balance disorders, recommend treatment options, and may work with hearing technology and other assistive devices. The field increasingly uses digital testing, advanced hearing technology, and data-driven tools.
Education
Audiology is a graduate-level healthcare profession. In the U.S., audiologists typically complete a Doctor of Audiology (Au.D.) after undergraduate study. In Canada, audiologists typically complete a master’s degree in audiology or a related program, followed by the registration or licensing required in their jurisdiction.
Future Outlook
The outlook is strong. Employment for audiologists is projected to grow 9% from 2024 to 2034 in the U.S., faster than the average for all occupations. Growing demand for hearing and balance care, particularly as populations age, is expected to support opportunities. Advances in hearing technology may also expand the ways audiologists help patients.
Work Environment
Audiologists work in hospitals, clinics, private practices, community and public-health settings, schools, rehabilitation centres, and other healthcare environments. The work combines patient care, technology, testing, communication, and problem-solving. Some audiologists also travel between locations.
Recommended High School Courses
- Chemistry
- Biology
- Math
- Physics
- Communication
- Health science
- Computer Studies
- Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
- Instructing - Teaching others how to do something.
- Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Learning Strategies - Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
- Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
- Science - Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
- Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Systems Analysis - Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
- Systems Evaluation - Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
- Time Management - Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
- Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
- Clerical - Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
- Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
- Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
- Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
- English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- Medicine and Dentistry - Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
- Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
- Sales and Marketing - Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
- Therapy and Counseling - Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
- Arm-Hand Steadiness - The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
- Auditory Attention - The ability to focus on a single source of sound in the presence of other distracting sounds.
- Category Flexibility - The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
- Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
- Finger Dexterity - The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
- Flexibility of Closure - The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
- Fluency of Ideas - The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
- Hearing Sensitivity - The ability to detect or tell the differences between sounds that vary in pitch and loudness.
- Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
- Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
- Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
- Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
- Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
- Originality - The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
- Perceptual Speed - The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.
- Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
- Selective Attention - The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
- Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
- Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
- Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
- Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
- Examine patients to assess general physical condition.
- Adjust prostheses or other assistive devices.
- Operate diagnostic or therapeutic medical instruments or equipment.
- Test patient hearing.
- Record patient medical histories.
- Analyze test data or images to inform diagnosis or treatment.
- Train patients, family members, or caregivers in techniques for managing disabilities or illnesses.
- Enter patient or treatment data into computers.
- Refer patients to other healthcare practitioners or health resources.
- Monitor patient progress or responses to treatments.
- Supervise patient care personnel.
- Train medical providers.
- Maintain medical or professional knowledge.
- Recommend types of assistive devices.
- Collaborate with healthcare professionals to plan or provide treatment.
- Develop medical treatment plans.
- Advise medical personnel regarding healthcare issues.
- Communicate health and wellness information to the public.
- Administer basic health care or medical treatments.
- Merchandise healthcare products or services.
- Manage healthcare operations.
- Conduct health or safety training programs.
- Inspect work environments to ensure safety.
- Conduct research to increase knowledge about medical issues.
- Develop health assessment methods or programs.
- Present medical research reports.
Schools
Arizona State University
Ball State University
California State Universi...
Cleveland State Universit...
East Carolina University
Grand Valley State Univer...
Hofstra University
Idaho State University- M...
Illinois State University
Indiana University-bloomi...
James Madison University
Kent State University
Lamar University
Louisiana Tech University
Missouri State University
Montclair State Universit...
Northwestern University-...
Nova Southeastern Univers...
Ohio University
San Diego State Universit...
St. John's University- Qu...
Syracuse University
Towson University
University Of Arizona
University Of Cincinnati
University Of Iowa
University Of Kansas- Law...
University Of Louisville
University Of Minnesota-...
University Of North Texas
University Of Northern Co...
University Of South Alaba...
University Of South Dakot...
University Of South Flori...
University Of Southern Mi...
University Of Texas- Dall...
Utah State University
Washington University- St...
Wayne State University
Western Michigan Universi...
Wichita State University
Dalhousie University
University Of British...
University Of Ottawa
Western University
Approx Salary Expectation
Low End:
$62,000.00 /yr
Avg/Med:
$92,000.00 /yr
High End:
$130,000.00 /yr
Related Careers
References
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/.
Trend Analysis - Explorer the Market, Labour Market Information, Government of Canada https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/trend-analysis.
O*NET OnLine, National Center for O*NET Development, https://www.onetonline.org/.
Trend Analysis - Explorer the Market, Labour Market Information, Government of Canada https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/trend-analysis.
O*NET OnLine, National Center for O*NET Development, https://www.onetonline.org/.