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Audiologist
HealthcareYou diagnose and treat hearing and balance disorders, which means you spend your days in a soundproof booth testing whether people can hear beeps — and then gently telling them they can't. Half your patients are elderly people in denial about their hearing loss, and the other half are musicians who destroyed theirs. You'll fit hearing aids that cost more than a used car.
Salary Range
Low
$65k
Median
$87k
High
$120k
10-Year Growth
faster than average
US Workers
15K
Education
Doctorate in Audiology (Au.D.) — 4 years post-bachelor's + state license
Environment
indoor
Tools & Technical Skills
- ▸Audiometric testing (pure tone, speech, OAE, ABR)
- ▸Hearing aid fitting and programming (Phonak, Oticon, Widex)
- ▸Tympanometry and immittance testing
- ▸Vestibular assessment (VNG, ENG)
- ▸Cochlear implant programming
- ▸Real ear measurement (REM)
People & Mindset Skills
- ▸Patient counseling
- ▸Empathy
- ▸Clear verbal communication
- ▸Patience with reluctant patients
- ▸Adaptability
What you'll actually do
- 01Conduct hearing tests in a soundproof booth while patients insist 'I can hear fine, my wife just mumbles'
- 02Fit and program hearing aids that cost $4,000+ and patients will lose in the couch cushions
- 03Counsel patients on hearing loss progression with more empathy than a therapist and more data than a scientist
- 04Treat balance disorders and dizziness, which involves making patients intentionally dizzy — it's as fun as it sounds
- 05Clean earwax out of hearing aids because patients treat $4,000 devices like disposable earbuds
- 06Navigate insurance companies that consider hearing aids 'elective' even though hearing is kind of important
Related Shifts
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