Activities	Assess and treat people with hearing and related disorders. May fit hearing aids, provide auditory training, and perform research related to hearing problems.
Outlook	Faster-than-average-job growth
Median Income	$66,660 per year in 2010
Work Context & Conditions	Usually work at a desk or table in clean, comfortable surroundings. The job is not physically demanding but does require attention to detail, the ability to complete tasks, intense concentration, and a lot of social interaction.
Minimum Education Requirements	Master's Degree
Skills	Social Perceptiveness, Learning Strategies, Critical Thinking, Instructing, Active Listening, Writing, Service Orientation, Equipment Selection, Time Management, Troubleshooting, Active Learning, Judgment and Decision Making, Reading Comprehension, Speaking
Abilities	Oral Expression, Written Comprehension, Speech Clarity, Written Expression, Oral Comprehension, Speech Recognition
Interviews	Carmen Brewer

Job Category		Healthcare Practitioners & Technical
Job Description		Audiologists work with people who have hearing, balance, and related problems. They use audiometers, computers, and other testing devices to measure the loudness at which a person begins to hear sounds, the ability to distinguish between sounds, and the nature and extent of hearing loss. Audiologists interpret these results and may coordinate them with medical, educational, and psychological information to make a diagnosis and determine a course of treatment. Hearing disorders can result from a variety of causes including trauma at birth, viral infections, genetic disorders, exposure to loud noise, or aging. Treatment may include examining and cleaning the ear canal, fitting and dispensing hearing aids or other assistive devices, and audiologic rehabilitation (including auditory training or instruction in speech or lip reading). Audiologists may recommend, fit, and dispense personal or large area amplification systems, such as hearing aids and alerting devices. Audiologists provide fitting and tuning of cochlear implants and provide the necessary rehabilitation for adjustment to listening with implant amplification systems. They also measure noise levels in workplaces and conduct hearing protection programs in industry, as well as in schools and communities. Audiologists provide direct clinical services to individuals with hearing or balance disorders. In audiology (hearing) clinics, they may independently develop and carry out treatment programs. In a variety of settings, they work as members of interdisciplinary professional teams in planning and implementing service delivery for children and adults, from birth to old age. Similar to speech-language pathologists, audiologists keep records on the initial evaluation, progress, and discharge of clients. These records help pinpoint problems, track client progress, and justify the cost of treatment, when applying for reimbursement. Audiologists may conduct research on types of, and treatment for, hearing, balance, and related disorders. Others design and develop equipment or techniques for diagnosing and treating these disorders.
Working Conditions		Audiologists usually work at a desk or table in clean, comfortable surroundings. The job is not physically demanding, but does require attention to detail, the ability to complete tasks, intense concentration, and a lot of social interaction. The emotional needs of clients and their families may be demanding. Most full-time audiologists work about 40 hours per week. Some work part-time.Those who work on a contract basis may spend a substantial amount of time traveling between facilities. Audiologists should be able to effectively communicate diagnostic test results, diagnoses, and proposed treatment in a manner easily understood by their clients. They must be able to approach problems objectively and provide support to clients and their families. Because a client's progress may be slow, patience, compassion, and good listening skills are necessary.
Salary Range		The median annual wage of audiologists was $66,660 in May 2010. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $42,590, and the top 10 percent earned more than $102,210.

Education Required		Individuals must have at least a master’s degree in audiology to qualify for a job. However, those pursing a career will need to earn a doctoral degree. In 2009, 18 States required a doctoral degree or its equivalent for new applicants to practice audiology. The doctoral degree in audiology is a graduate program typically lasting 4 years and resulting in the Au.D. designation. In 2009, the Accreditation Commission of Audiology Education accredited more than 50 Au.D. programs and the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) accredited over 70 graduate programs in audiology. Graduation from an accredited program may be required to obtain a license in some States. Requirements for admission to programs in audiology include courses in English, mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, psychology, and communication.
Recommended High School Courses		Biology, Mathematics, English, Chemistry, Physics, Communications
Postsecondary Instructional Programs		Personnel and Human Resources, Administration and Management, Therapy and Counseling, Medicine and Dentistry, Education and Training
Certification and Licensing		Audiologists must be licensed in all states; requirements vary by state. For specific requirements, contact your state’s licensing board for audiologists. Audiologists can earn the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Audiology (CCC-A), offered by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. They also may be credentialed through the American Board of Audiology. Although it is not required, certification may satisfy some or all of the requirements for licensure and may be required by some employers.

Interest Area		Social Involves working and communicating with, helping, and teaching people.
Work Values		Social Status Looked up to by others in their company and their community. Achievement Get a feeling of accomplishment. Social Service Do things for other people. Creativity Try out your own ideas. Security Have steady employment. Ability Utilization Make use of individual abilities. Working Conditions Good working conditions. Co-workers Have co-workers who are easy to get along with. Autonomy Plan work with little supervision. Authority Give directions and instructions to others. Responsibility Make decisions on your own.
Skills		Social Perceptiveness Be aware of others' reactions and understand why they react the way they do. Learning Strategies Use multiple approaches when learning or teaching new things. Critical Thinking Use logic and analysis to identify the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches. Instructing Teach others how to do something. Active Listening Listen to what other people are saying and ask questions as appropriate. Writing Communicate effectively with others in writing as indicated by the needs of the audience. Service Orientation Actively look for ways to help people. Equipment Selection Determine the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job. Time Management Manage one's own time and the time of others. Troubleshooting Determine what is causing an operating error and deciding what to do about it. Active Learning Work with new material or information to grasp its implications. Judgment and Decision Making Be able to weigh the relative costs and benefits of a potential action. Reading Comprehension Understand written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents. Speaking Talk to others to effectively convey information.
Abilities		Oral Expression Able to convey information and ideas through speech in ways that others will understand. Written Comprehension Able to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing. Speech Clarity Able to speak clearly so listeners understand. Written Expression Able to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand. Oral Comprehension Able to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences. Speech Recognition Identify and understand the speech of another person

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Job Outlook		Employment of audiologists is expected to grow by 37 percent from 2010 to 2020, much faster than the average for all occupations. However, because it is a small occupation, the fast growth will result in only about 4,800 new jobs over the 10-year period. Hearing loss increases as people age, so an aging population is likely to increase demand for audiologists. The early identification and diagnosis of hearing disorders in infants also will spur employment growth. Advances in hearing aid design, such as the reduction of feedback and a smaller size, may make the devices more appealing as a means to minimize hearing loss, leading to more demand for the audiologists who provide hearing aids.  Job prospects are expected to be favorable for audiologists with a doctoral degree. Demand may be greater in areas with large numbers of retirees, so audiologists who are willing to relocate may have the best job prospects.
More Information		American Academy of Audiology, American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
References		Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition, Audiologists, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/audiologists.htm O*NET OnLine, on the Internet at http://online.onetcenter.org/link/summary/29-1121.00