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.Maintain patient records at all stages, including initial and subsequent evaluation and treatment activities.
2. 2.Evaluate hearing and balance disorders to determine diagnoses and courses of treatment.
3. 3.Fit, dispense, and repair assistive devices, such as hearing aids.
4. 4.Administer hearing tests and examine patients to collect information on type and degree of impairment, using specialized instruments and electronic equipment.
5. 5.Monitor patients' progress and provide ongoing observation of hearing or balance status.
6. 6.Instruct patients, parents, teachers, or employers in communication strategies to maximize effective receptive communication.
7. 7.Counsel and instruct patients and their families in techniques to improve hearing and communication related to hearing loss.
8. 8.Refer patients to additional medical or educational services, if needed.

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.

How to become audiologist: step by step

The typical education and licensing pathway from high school into this profession. Total time to entry is about Approximately 7-8 years post-high-school. Steps marked optional are common for advancement but not required to start.

1. 1

   Bachelor's Degree

   ~4 years

   Any bachelor's is technically accepted for AuD admission, but a communication sciences and disorders or related science/pre-health major best positions the applicant. Prerequisite coursework in biology, physics/acoustics, statistics, and intro CSD is standard.

   • •Complete a bachelor's degree, ideally in communication sciences and disorders or speech and hearing sciences
   • •Complete AuD prerequisite coursework such as biology, physics/acoustics, statistics, and introductory CSD courses
2. 2

   Doctor of Audiology (AuD)

   ~4 years

   The AuD is a four-year clinical doctorate (three-year accelerated options exist). The fourth year is a full-time 12-month externship. Under the 2020 audiology standards, the required supervised clinical experience is fulfilled within the AuD program itself rather than as a separate post-degree fellowship.

   • •Graduate from a program accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation (CAA), the accrediting arm of ASHA recognized by the US Department of Education
   • •Complete the embedded supervised clinical experience, on the order of ~1,820 hours across the program, including the full-time 12-month fourth-year externship
   • •Earn conferral of the AuD
3. 3

   National Examination: Praxis in Audiology (Test 5343)

   ~0.25 years

   The Praxis in Audiology (Test 5343), administered by ETS, is required for licensure in all US states and jurisdictions. A score of 162 is the standard passing threshold.

   • •Register for and pass the Praxis in Audiology, administered by Educational Testing Service (ETS)
   • •Achieve a passing score of 162 on the 100-200 scale, required for ASHA certification and essentially all state licensing boards

   Praxis in Audiology, Test 5343 (passing score 162)
4. 4

   State License to Practice

   ~0.5 years

   Every state requires a license issued by its board (for example the California Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology and Hearing Aid Dispensers Board or the New York State Education Department Office of the Professions). The common framework is a CAA-accredited AuD plus a passing Praxis plus documented clinical experience. Some states add a hearing-aid dispensing license, a jurisprudence exam, or a post-graduate supervised/provisional period.

   • •Hold an AuD from a CAA-accredited program
   • •Pass the Praxis 5343 (162)
   • •Submit documented supervised clinical experience
   • •Meet any state-specific add-ons such as a hearing-aid dispensing license, a jurisprudence exam, or a provisional supervised period

   State jurisprudence exam (some states)
5. 5

   ASHA Certificate of Clinical Competence in Audiology (CCC-A)

   Optional~0.25 years

   Optional but standard and credential-enhancing. Issued by ASHA and maintained with 30 professional development hours every three years. The American Board of Audiology, through the American Academy of Audiology, offers board certification as an alternative or additional credential.

   • •Hold an AuD from a CAA-accredited program
   • •Pass the Praxis 5343
   • •Complete the supervised clinical experience
   • •Maintain the credential with 30 Professional Development Hours every 3 years

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Common questions parents ask about audiologists