Become an Audiologist: Audiology Schools and Careers
Read about audiology schools and careers, including job description and salary information.
The Basics
What you'll do: You'll specialize in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of patients—ranging from infants to the elderly—who suffer from hearing, central auditory processing, and balance disorders.
Where you'll work: Hospitals and rehabilitation centers, private practice, elementary and secondary schools, colleges and universities, state and local health departments, home health agencies, private industry non-profit clinics
Degree you'll need to practice: Master's degree
Median annual salary: $66,660*
Cities with highest employment level: Los Angeles, Chicago, Denver, Atlanta, New York, Baltimore, St. Louis
Audiologist Education and Licensing
If you're planning to become an audiologist, you should earn your bachelor's degree in communication sciences and disorders or a related discipline, and then enter a graduate program in audiology.
If you've already completed your bachelor's degree, but didn't take general communication sciences and disorders coursework during your undergraduate years, you can enter a one-to-two year post-baccalaureate program to complete the required prerequisites for graduate school. In order to practice, audiologists must complete a two-year master's or a four-year doctoral (AuD) program in audiology.
According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, audiologists will need to have a bachelor's degree and complete 75 hours of credit toward a doctoral degree in order to seek certification. As of 2012, audiologists will have to earn a doctoral degree in order to be certified.
All states now require licensing for audiologists in addition to a master's degree. Most also require continuing education units to renew your license. You'll also need to meet the following criteria:
- Complete 300 to 375 hours of supervised clinical experience.
- Earn a passing score on a national examination.
- Complete nine months of post-graduate professional clinical experience.
Audiologist Job Description
In the field of audiology, you can expect your general responsibilities to include the following tasks:
- Measuring hearing ability, including central auditory processing function of children and adults.
- Providing aural rehabilitation to reduce the effects of hearing loss on communication, learning, and job performance.
- Assessing and fitting amplification and assistive listening devices.
- Administering and interpreting hearing screening, assessment, and diagnostic procedures.
- Designing hearing conservation programs in industry and schools to prevent hearing loss from occupational or environmental noise exposure.
- Initiating clinical (applied) and /or basic research related to hearing loss and its effects.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data published March 27, 2012; Audiologists.
*The salary information listed is based on a national average, unless noted. Actual salaries may vary greatly based on specialization within the field, location, years of experience and a variety of other factors.
Did You Know?
In 1995, Heather Whitestone became the first deaf woman to be crowned Miss America.
Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone while experimenting with various devices to aid the hearing-impaired. Both his mother and wife were deaf.