Audiologist work to test for, diagnose, assess, and recommend treatment for hearing and balance conditions. Audiologists also fit patients with hearing aides and other devices and act as counselors for people adjusting to hearing loss. Many audiologists work at specialized audiology clinics, while others work in other healthcare settings, such as hospitals.
Especially at hospitals, audiologists, along with other healthcare professionals, seek to plan and implement a course of treatment for affected patients.
Specialization is commonplace for audiologist careers; some, for example, work with children or with the elderly. Those audiologists who choose to work in private practice are also responsible for many of the administrative and business duties that come with running a medical office.
Audiologist Careers Path
The standard educational background for audiologists is a specialized Master’s degree; however, these days more and more audiologists are obtaining Doctorates-Au.D-instead. Undergraduates intending to enroll in either type of audiology program should take a broad range of Bachelor’s coursework covering math, the sciences, English, and psychology.
Master’s programs will take two years, Doctorate programs four, and graduate coursework will involve the specific skills and knowledge needed to practice, including anatomy, physiology, physics, chemistry, audio technology, and treatments, all oriented around the human hearing and balance systems. Licensure largely depends on the requirements of a particular state; most states require a Master’s degree, but a few require Doctorates.
In many states, graduation from an accredited program and certification through the American Speech-Language Hearing Association or the American Board of Audiology will be sufficient for a license to practice. Aspiring audiologists should contact their state’s licensing board for more details.
Audiologist Careers: Compatible Personality Traits
Caring, considerate, careful, calm, friendly, knowledgeable, observant, charismatic, reliable, trustworthy.
Audiologist Interview
To discover words of wisdom for a audiologist career, Read More from an Audiologist…
Audiologist Careers: Salary Expectations
According to the Department of Labor, the median annual salary for audiologists is $66,660 per year. A significant source of advancement is the move to private practice, which can make for substantial increases in both earnings and quality of life.
Audiologist Careers: Job Outlook
The Department of Labor projects 37% growth in employment for audiologist, which is much faster than the economy as a whole. This is due to the expected, significant rise in the number of patients requiring audiologist’s services as the general population ages. Those holding doctorates will likely see better job opportunities than Master’s graduates.
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