Career Profile: Hearing Aid Specialists

Salary and Outlook

According to the US Department of Labor, there are 11,300 people employed as hearing aid specialists in the United States. The median annual salary is $59,500. Entry level employees earn approximately $33,040 per year and senior employees earn approximately $84,150 per year.

Estimates do not include other potential benefits such as health insurance, overtime, or retirement benefits that may be offered by employers.

Job Duties

• 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.
• Demonstrate assistive listening devices (ALDs) to clients.
• Assist audiologists in performing aural procedures, such as real ear measurements, speech audiometry, auditory brainstem responses, electronystagmography, and cochlear implant mapping.
• Diagnose and treat hearing or related disabilities under the direction of an audiologist.
• Train clients to use hearing aids or other augmentative communication devices.

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