Hearing Aid Specialists: Job Description
Select and fit hearing aids for customers. Administer and interpret tests of hearing. Assess hearing instrument efficacy. Take ear impressions and prepare, design, and modify ear molds.
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What Tasks Do Hearing Aid Specialists Do?
The core tasks performed by hearing aid specialists span:
- Train clients to use hearing aids or other augmentative communication devices.
- Counsel patients and families on communication strategies and the effects of hearing loss.
- Select and administer tests to evaluate hearing or related disabilities.
- Administer basic hearing tests including air conduction, bone conduction, or speech audiometry tests.
- Maintain or repair hearing aids or other communication devices.
- Perform basic screening procedures, such as pure tone screening, otoacoustic screening, immittance screening, and screening of ear canal status using otoscope.
- Create or modify impressions for earmolds and hearing aid shells.
- Read current literature, talk with colleagues, and participate in professional organizations or conferences to keep abreast of developments in audiology.
What Hearing Aid Specialists Need to Know
Top hearing aid specialists rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
The competencies that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Other Hearing Aid Specialists Job Titles
This career also goes by job titles like:
- Audiology Assistant
- Audiology Technician
- Audioprosthologist
- Board Certified Hearing Instrument Specialist (Board Certified HIS)
- Hearing Aid Attendant
- Hearing Aid Consultant
- Hearing Aid Dispenser
- Hearing Aid Fitter
Employment and Demand
The U.S. employs around 366,866 hearing aid specialists working in the United States today. Employment is projected to grow by +12.0% over the projection horizon.
How Much Do Hearing Aid Specialists Make?
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $96,168 |
| Hourly median | $46.23 |
| 10th percentile | $63,138 |
| 25th percentile | $79,653 |
| 75th percentile | $112,683 |
| 90th percentile | $129,198 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Hawaii | $91,000 |
| New York | $80,710 |
| New Mexico | $79,930 |
| California | $78,830 |
| Nevada | $78,310 |
| Arkansas | $76,750 |
| Washington | $74,670 |
| Maryland | $74,670 |
| Montana | $74,220 |
| Colorado | $73,220 |
| North Carolina | $72,950 |
| Idaho | $72,590 |
| Arizona | $71,470 |
| Virginia | $71,450 |
| Wisconsin | $71,110 |
| Massachusetts | $67,460 |
| Ohio | $63,640 |
| Iowa | $63,280 |
| Kentucky | $62,920 |
| Florida | $62,120 |
| Missouri | $61,930 |
| Oregon | $61,850 |
| Texas | $61,560 |
| Delaware | $58,130 |
| Connecticut | $57,970 |
| Minnesota | $57,080 |
| Tennessee | $56,010 |
| Indiana | $55,790 |
| Georgia | $54,100 |
| Nebraska | $50,030 |
| Illinois | $49,090 |
| Utah | $47,710 |
| Michigan | $46,680 |
| Louisiana | $45,850 |
| New Jersey | $45,550 |
| Oklahoma | $43,480 |
| Kansas | $42,190 |
| South Carolina | $36,240 |
Where Hearing Aid Specialists Earn the Most
Compensation for hearing aid specialists vary by region. The following regions pay the most:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $74,669 | 13.0% | 1.04 |
| New England | $64,092 | 3.2% | 0.84 |
| Southwest | $62,138 | 7.6% | 0.63 |
| Southeast | $58,967 | 31.7% | 1.89 |
| Rocky Mountains | $58,639 | 4.5% | 1.55 |
| Plains States | $56,883 | 11.1% | 1.70 |
| Great Lakes | $54,594 | 20.5% | 1.40 |
| Middle Atlantic | $32,552 | 8.5% | 0.87 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Urban Honolulu, HI | HI | $97,640 | |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $82,990 | 40 |
| North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL | FL | $78,980 | 180 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | CA | $78,830 | 50 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $78,830 | 100 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | FL | $78,170 | 30 |
| Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL | FL | $76,070 | 80 |
| Richmond, VA | VA | $75,910 | 30 |
Industry Breakdown
Most hearing aid specialists are found across these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Retail Trade | 6,810 | $63,110 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 3,360 | $58,430 |
| Manufacturing | 70 | $60,290 |
| Educational Services | 40 | $44,900 |
Hearing Aid Specialists work in the following industries:
Software Hearing Aid Specialists Use
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
What the Workplace Is Like
Daily working conditions for hearing aid specialists tends to involve the following characteristics:
- Deal With External Customers or the Public in General
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Frequency of Decision Making
- Contact With Others
Getting Started in This Career
This career aligns with Medium Preparation Needed (Job Zone 3), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
Similar Occupations
- Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (Supplemental)
- Prosthodontists (Supplemental)
- Optometrists (Supplemental)
- Speech-Language Pathologists (Supplemental)
- Audiologists (Supplemental)
- Urologists (Supplemental)
- Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Physicians (Supplemental)
- Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric (Supplemental)
Top Programs to Study For This Career
Aspiring hearing aid specialists typically earn programs in:
Health Professions and Related Programs
1 programs across 1 majors
Sources
Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 29-2092.00 (Hearing Aid Specialists).
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