Audiologists: Salary, Job Outlook & How to Become One (2026 Parent Guide)

Audiologists fall under the Healthcare Practitioners and Technical category in the U.S. occupational classification. Audiologists earn a median salary of $92,120 per year, ranking in the top 17% of all U.S. occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects +9.5% job growth through 2034, projected to grow faster than the US average. Entry into this field typically requires a bachelor's degree followed by a master's or doctoral degree, with specific licensing or certification depending on the state and employer. For parents whose teenager is exploring this path, the most actionable step is mapping the education requirements to specific colleges and majors before junior year — not waiting until application season.

What do audiologists earn?

The median annual wage for audiologists is $92,120. That puts audiologists at #141 on the BLS ranked list of all U.S. occupations by median pay. This salary is above the U.S. median for individual workers and reflects a stable, credentialed occupation. Actual pay varies meaningfully by state, employer type, and years of experience — entry-level salaries are typically 30–40% below the median, while top-decile earners often exceed it by 50% or more.

Is audiologists a growing career?

The 10-year outlook for audiologists is +9.5%, projected to grow faster than the US average. Employment is projected to move from approximately 15K positions in 2024 to 17K in 2034, a net change of 2K. Faster-than-average growth means hiring is consistently outpacing the labor market overall. New entrants generally find their first roles faster than peers in stable fields.

What do audiologists do every day?

According to O*NET task surveys of working audiologists, these are the core responsibilities most professionals perform. This is what your teen would actually be doing in this role.

1. 1.Refer patients to additional medical or educational services, if needed.
2. 2.Participate in conferences or training to update or share knowledge of new hearing or balance disorder treatment methods or technologies.
3. 3.Advise educators or other medical staff on hearing or balance topics.
4. 4.Work with multidisciplinary teams to assess and rehabilitate recipients of implanted hearing devices through auditory training and counseling.
5. 5.Perform administrative tasks, such as managing office functions and finances.
6. 6.Engage in marketing activities, such as developing marketing plans, to promote business for private practices.
7. 7.Evaluate hearing and balance disorders to determine diagnoses and courses of treatment.
8. 8.Examine and clean patients' ear canals.

Top skills for audiologists

O*NET ranks these as the most important skills for this occupation, on a 1–5 importance scale derived from worker surveys.

What education does my child need to become audiologist?

Becoming a audiologist typically requires a bachelor's degree followed by a master's, doctoral, or professional degree, plus state licensure or board certification depending on specialty. For parents helping a teen prepare, the highest-leverage step before junior year is identifying colleges and programs that feed reliably into this occupation — Solyo's college search lets parents filter by major and admissions data side by side.

Related careers your child might also consider

• Family Medicine Physicians
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• Dentists, All Other Specialists
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• Nurse Anesthetists
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• Pediatricians, General
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• Dentists, General
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Common questions parents ask about audiologists