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Hearing Aid Specialists
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.
Other titles employers use
Audioprosthologist · Hearing Aid Consultant · Hearing Aid Specialist · Hearing Care Practitioner · Hearing Care Specialist · Hearing Instrument Dispenser · Hearing Instrument Specialist (HIS) · Hearing Specialist
Inside the work
What you would actually do.
6 responsibilities that define the role, before job titles and workplaces change the details.
- 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.
Who it suits
Would this work hold your attention?
This career often appeals to people drawn to helping, organizing and analytical work.
- Organizing
- Creating order, checking details, and keeping work accurate
- Analytical
- Investigating questions, testing ideas, and solving problems
Skills and strengths
What you would get good at.
Compare the skills the work relies on, the subjects behind it, and the abilities that make it easier to learn.
Core skills
- Active Listening
- Service Orientation
- Instructing
- Speaking
- Reading Comprehension
- Social Perceptiveness
Subjects to know
- Customer and Personal Service
- Sales and Marketing
- Therapy and Counseling
- Medicine and Dentistry
- Computers and Electronics
Useful strengths
- Oral Comprehension
- Oral Expression
- Speech Clarity
- Problem Sensitivity
- Speech Recognition
Working day
Picture yourself doing it.
These measures show how much of the day involves people, movement, conversation, and hands-on work.
| Measure | Out of 5 | What that means here |
|---|---|---|
| Close to other people | 4.0 | Arm’s length or closer, most of the day |
| On your feet | 2.2 | Mostly seated |
| Talking face to face | 4.1 | A regular part of the day |
| Working with your hands | 3.5 | Some of the day |
Preparation
How people prepare for this work.
Employers usually ask for a high school diploma. Other routes may also lead into the field.
- A doctorate or professional degree 44%
- High school or less 22%
- A master's degree 13%
- A certificate or some college 12%
- A two-year degree 9%
Tools of the work
Technology you may use.
- Spreadsheet software
- Office suite software
- Electronic mail software
- Presentation software
- Word processing software
- Medical software
Opportunity near you
See where this work is growing.
Choose a state to compare the size of the field, annual openings, and expected hiring change.
- People doing this work
- 1,020
- Job openings each year
- 80
- Expected hiring change, 2022–2032
- 25.9%
Compare every available state
| State | People doing it | Job openings each year | Expected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | 1,020 | 80 | 25.9% |
| Georgia | 810 | 60 | 19.1% |
| Texas | 710 | 60 | 29.1% |
| Pennsylvania | 590 | 50 | 15.7% |
| Virginia | 530 | 40 | 23.3% |
| New Jersey | 450 | 40 | 21.6% |
| Minnesota | 370 | 30 | 12.1% |
| Missouri | 370 | 30 | 19.4% |
| Illinois | 290 | 20 | 11.5% |
| North Carolina | 290 | 20 | 20.8% |
| Wisconsin | 270 | 20 | 17.4% |
| Oregon | 260 | 20 | 4.0% |
| Utah | 260 | 20 | 36.8% |
| Indiana | 250 | 20 | 8.7% |
| South Carolina | 230 | 20 | 35.3% |
| Iowa | 220 | 20 | 15.8% |
| Kentucky | 190 | 10 | 18.8% |
| Connecticut | 180 | 10 | 12.5% |
| Ohio | 180 | 10 | 12.5% |
| Washington | 180 | 20 | 12.5% |
| Arizona | 140 | 10 | 27.3% |
| Tennessee | 140 | 10 | 27.3% |
| Arkansas | 110 | 10 | 10.0% |
| Colorado | 110 | 10 | 22.2% |
| Oklahoma | 110 | 10 | 22.2% |
| Alabama | 100 | 10 | 11.1% |
| Idaho | 100 | 10 | 42.9% |
| Kansas | 70 | 10 | 16.7% |
| Maryland | 70 | 10 | 16.7% |
| Montana | 60 | 10 | 20.0% |
| Nebraska | 60 | 10 | 20.0% |
| West Virginia | 50 | 0 | — |
| Rhode Island | 40 | 0 | — |
| New Hampshire | 20 | 0 | — |
Career to college
Build a path toward this work.
Start with a related major, then compare colleges where students complete that field.
Where to study
Colleges with strong activity in these fields.
Start with program size, admission, and likely cost. Open a college for the full picture.
Boise State University
- Degrees each year
- 272
- Admit rate
- 84%
- Annual cost after aid
- $21,000
Midwestern State University
- Degrees each year
- 218
- Admit rate
- 87%
- Annual cost after aid
- $11,000
Oregon Institute of Technology
- Degrees each year
- 168
- Admit rate
- 92%
- Annual cost after aid
- $14,000
University of Missouri-Columbia
- Degrees each year
- 93
- Admit rate
- 77%
- Annual cost after aid
- $14,000
Ohio State University-Main Campus
- Degrees each year
- 87
- Admit rate
- 51%
- Annual cost after aid
- $10,000
Sacred Heart University
- Degrees each year
- 86
- Admit rate
- 68%
- Annual cost after aid
- $42,000
Georgia Southern University
- Degrees each year
- 84
- Admit rate
- 90%
- Annual cost after aid
- $15,000
MCPHS University
- Degrees each year
- 76
- Admit rate
- 85%
- Annual cost after aid
- $38,000
Compare every college offering allied health diagnostic, intervention, and treatment professions