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Hearing Instrument Specialist

A program that prepares individuals to test the hearing of, and to select, fit and dispense appropriate hearing aids for, patients. Includes instruction in acoustics, anatomy and physiology of the ear, hearing testing, hearing aid fitting and technology, health promotion and rehabilitation, counseling and communication, business management, and professional ethics. Examples: [Hearing Aid Technician]

Types of Degrees Hearing Instrument Specialist Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Hearing Instrument Specialist have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	12

What Hearing Instrument Specialist Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Hearing Instrument Specialist develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Hearing Instrument Specialist graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Hearing Instrument Specialist emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 4.8 / 5; level 5.5 / 7.
• Sales and Marketing — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Therapy and Counseling — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Medicine and Dentistry — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills developed in a Hearing Instrument Specialist program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Service Orientation — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Social Perceptiveness — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Hearing Instrument Specialist careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3 / 7.
• Speech Recognition — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Hearing Instrument Specialist graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Assisting and Caring for Others	4.7 / 7
Performing for or Working Directly with the Public	4.4 / 7
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Working with Computers	4.3 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.3 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.2 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.1 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.1 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.0 / 7
Selling or Influencing Others	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Hearing Instrument Specialist professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
HIMSA Noah	Medical software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Otometrics OTOsuite	Medical software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Hearing Instrument Specialist graduates include:

• Hearing Aid Consultant
• Hearing Care Professional
• Hearing Screen Technician
• Board Certified Hearing Instrument Specialist (Board Certified HIS)
• Hearing Care Practitioner
• Hearing Aid Technician (Hearing Aid Tech)
• Hearing Aid Attendant
• Hearing Specialist
• Hearing Care Specialist
• Hearing Aid Dispenser
• Audioprosthologist
• Licensed Hearing Instrument Specialist (Licensed HIS)
• Hearing Instrument Dispenser
• Hearing Technician (Hearing Tech)
• National Board Certified Hearing Instrument Specialist (National Board Certified HIS)

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Hearing Instrument Specialist graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	44.0%
High school diploma or equivalent	22.1%
Postsecondary certificate	12.0%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	11.9%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	9.2%
Bachelor’s degree	0.4%
Master’s degree	0.4%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Hearing Instrument Specialist?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 83.3% of Hearing Instrument Specialist degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	10	83.3%
Men	2	16.7%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Hearing Instrument Specialist graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	9	75.0%
Hispanic or Latino	2	16.7%
Two or More Races	1	8.3%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Hearing Instrument Specialist Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Hearing Instrument Specialist graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$67,845
4 years	$61,295
5 years	$69,015

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $69,015 — roughly 2% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Is a Degree in Hearing Instrument Specialist Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Hearing Instrument Specialist graduates earn a median of $61,295 four years after completion — roughly 61% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions	90,379
Emergency Medical Technology/Technician (EMT Paramedic)	29,337
Physician Associate/Assistant	13,046
Radiologic Technology/Science - Radiographer	11,777
Surgical Technology/Technologist	7,626
Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist	6,686
Medical Radiologic Technology/Science - Radiation Therapist	4,111
Athletic Training/Trainer	3,132
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions, Other	2,445
Cardiovascular Technology/Technologist	1,540
Electrocardiograph Technology/Technician	677
Nuclear Medical Technology/Technologist	596

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.