How much does an audiologist make?

The median audiologist salary in the United States is $95,780 per year ($46.05/hour). Salaries range from $64,610 (10th percentile) to $133,120 (90th percentile). There are 13,660 audiologist jobs in the U.S. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS.

Which state pays audiologists the most?

The highest paying state for audiologists is Nevada at $133,110 median salary.

Is audiologist a good career?

Audiologist employment is projected to grow 9.5% from 2024 to 2034 (faster than average). There are approximately 700 job openings per year. Typical education required: Doctoral or professional degree.

What interview questions are asked for audiologist roles?

Common audiologist interview questions include: "Walk me through your workup for a new adult hearing loss patient.", "How do you handle a patient dissatisfied with their hearing aids?", "Describe a challenging case and outcome.". Interview format at top employers ranges from behavioral panels (STAR method) to technical case rounds — for example ENT medical groups (Mount Sinai, Cleveland Clinic Head & Neck, private ENT practices) typically uses 3 rounds.

What is the career ladder for audiologists?

The typical audiologist career ladder: 4th-year Extern / New AuD (0-2 yrs, $40-72k (externship $40-58k, first year $75-92k)) → Established Audiologist (2-8 yrs, $85-115k) → Sr Audiologist / Specialty Lead / Practice Owner (6-15 yrs, $115-175k+) → Audiology Director / Multi-location Owner / Clinical Director (manufacturer) (12+ yrs, $155-235k+).

What certifications should audiologists get?

Top-ROI certifications for audiologists: Doctor of Audiology (AuD) ($90-180k tuition for 4-year program); State audiology license ($200-500 initial + $150-400 annual renewal); ASHA CCC-A (Certificate of Clinical Competence in Audiology) ($511 initial + $250 annual).

How do you negotiate a audiologist salary?

Anchor on documented market data (BLS median $95,780, p75 $111,300), specific outcomes you've delivered, and the specific band for your years of experience. Given my AuD, 5 years of full-time practice, ASHA CCC-A, and specialty focus on vestibular assessment, market for an established audiologist in this metro is $95-118k plus productivity or benefits. I'd like to land at $...

Audiologist Salary

Bureau of Labor Statistics title: Audiologists

The median audiologist salary in the United States is $95,780 per year ($46.05/hour). Salaries range from $64,610 at the entry level to $133,120+ for the top 10% of earners. There are 13,660 audiologist jobs nationwide. Employment is projected to grow 9.5% through 2034.

Last updated: June 2026 · Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Also known asAudiologistHearing Doctor

Median Salary

$95,780

per year

Hourly Rate

$46.05

per hour

Employment

13,660

jobs in the U.S.

Salary Distribution

10th percentile

$64,610

25th percentile

$79,340

Median

$95,780

75th percentile

$111,300

90th percentile

$133,120

Job Growth (2024-2034)

+9.5%

Faster than average

Annual Openings

700

jobs/year (growth + replacements)

Education Required

Doctoral or professional degree

Audiologist Career Guide

Interview questions, resume templates, and a career ladder written specifically for audiologists.

Audiologists diagnose and treat hearing and balance disorders — fitting hearing aids and cochlear implants, treating tinnitus, and running vestibular assessments. Careers span private practice, ENT medical groups, hospitals, VA, schools, and increasingly manufacturer clinical support. Entry $75-92k; established $92-115k; senior clinical or private-practice owner $115-165k; audiology director or manufacturer clinical director $150-215k+. Requires an AuD (doctorate) plus state licensure; residency-equivalent 4th-year externship is part of most programs.

Core Skills Hiring Managers Screen For

Diagnostic audiology (ABR, OAE, VNG, vHIT)

Air, bone, speech, and immittance audiometry as baseline. ABR for newborn screening and retrocochlear differentiation; OAE for cochlear function; VNG and vHIT for vestibular.

Hearing aid fitting and verification (REM)

Real-ear measurement is the standard — first-fit software isn't verification. Adjust to prescriptive targets (NAL-NL2, DSL v5) and refine with patient feedback.

Cochlear implant candidacy and programming

Growing scope with expanded Medicare criteria. Programming (MAP creation, T/C-levels, MCL) requires manufacturer-specific training.

Vestibular assessment and BPPV treatment

Vestibular batteries, canalith repositioning maneuvers (Epley, Semont), and balance therapy referrals. Vestibular audiology is a growing subspecialty.

Tinnitus management

Tinnitus Retraining Therapy, sound therapy, CBT-informed counseling. Referral to mental health when indicated.

Pediatric audiology

VRA, CPA, behavioral testing for infants and children. Pediatric caseload common in schools, hospitals, and EI programs.

Business acumen (private practice)

Insurance credentialing, hearing-aid margin management, patient acquisition, and practice-management software. Owner audiologists live and die on business fundamentals.

How to Become a Audiologist

1
Earn a bachelor's in communication sciences, speech and hearing, or a related field
Undergraduate in communication sciences and disorders (CSD) is the most direct path. Biology, psychology, or linguistics also acceptable.
2
Complete a Doctor of Audiology (AuD)
4-year AuD program at ASHA-accredited institution. Includes clinical rotations. $90-180k total tuition.
3
Complete 4th-year clinical externship
12-month full-time externship in the final year of AuD. Paid at 25-50% of new-grad salary; some VA and hospital sites pay competitively.
4
Pass the Praxis exam and obtain state licensure
ASHA Praxis in Audiology; state license fees $200-500. CCC-A optional but adds mobility.
5
Start in private practice, ENT medical group, hospital, or VA
$75-115k entry. VA offers strong benefits and pension; private practice offers ownership path; ENT groups pay strongly at senior levels.

Career Progression

4th-year Extern / New AuD

0-2 yrs$40-72k (externship $40-58k, first year $75-92k)

•Diagnostic audiology under supervising audiologist
•Hearing aid fittings and follow-ups
•Learn insurance workflow and clinic documentation
•Begin building patient case load

Next: Established Audiologist at 2-4 years.

Established Audiologist

2-8 yrs$85-115k

•Independent caseload of 25-45 patients/week
•Specialty focus (pediatric, vestibular, tinnitus, or cochlear implants)
•Insurance credentialing and billing
•Contribute to clinic marketing and referral relationships

Next: Sr Audiologist, specialty lead, or private-practice owner at 5-12 years.

Sr Audiologist / Specialty Lead / Practice Owner

6-15 yrs$115-175k+

•Complex diagnostic and treatment cases
•Own referral relationships with ENT and PCP practices
•Practice ownership ($400k-$2M revenue) or lead role in medical group
•Mentor externs and new grads

Next: Director, multi-location owner, or manufacturer clinical director at 12-20 years.

Audiology Director / Multi-location Owner / Clinical Director (manufacturer)

12+ yrs$155-235k+

•Multi-clinic ownership or hospital audiology department leadership
•Regional or national clinical support at hearing aid manufacturer (Phonak, Oticon, ReSound, Signia)
•Board and industry leadership
•Speak at AAA, ASHA conferences

Next: Regional VP, executive at manufacturer or health system.

Interview Questions & Answers

5 free questions below. Career Kit unlocks 13 total plus resume bullets for every level.

Q1. Walk me through your workup for a new adult hearing loss patient.technical

Case history — onset, progression, tinnitus, dizziness, medical history, noise exposure. Otoscopy. Comprehensive audiometry (air, bone, speech). Immittance including reflexes. If asymmetry or single-sided loss, ABR to rule out retrocochlear pathology. Counseling and hearing-aid orientation if candidate. Referral to ENT for medical clearance if red flags.

Q2. How do you handle a patient dissatisfied with their hearing aids?situational

Diagnose the problem — physical fit, acoustic setup, or expectations. Real-ear measurement to verify prescriptive targets. Discuss lifestyle needs and specific listening situations. Consider trial of different technology level, style, or brand. Some patients need counseling on realistic expectations more than device changes.

Q3. Describe a challenging case and outcome.behavioral

STAR. Situation: 6-year-old newly diagnosed with bilateral moderate SNHL; parents in denial and delayed intervention. Task: get amplification on the child. Action: multi-visit family counseling with pediatric ENT, involved school SLP and audiologist, provided low-pressure trial. Result: hearing aids fit at 8 weeks; child's language age matched biological age by 18-month follow-up. Family counseling is 50% of pediatric audiology.

Q4. Why audiology?culture

Clinical work with tangible outcomes — patients who couldn't hear their grandkids can now. Long-term relationships, technical depth, and reasonable hours make it a sustainable career. And the profession is growing with aging demographics.

Q5. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?closer

Sr Audiologist with a cochlear implant or vestibular subspecialty. Long term I'd consider practice ownership or manufacturer clinical support work. AAA involvement long-term.

Resume Template — Established Audiologist (2-8 yrs)

Copy these bullets into your resume as a starting point. Career Kit includes bullets for every level of the ladder.

Established Audiologist (2-8 yrs)

▸Full-time audiologist at [ENT practice] with caseload of 35 patients/week; hearing aid uptake rate 62%.
▸Fit 480+ hearing aids in FY24 with 89% patient satisfaction on 3-month follow-up survey.
▸Cochlear implant candidate evaluations and programming for [manufacturer].
▸AuD from [ASHA-accredited institution] + state license + ASHA CCC-A.

What Gets You Rejected

✗Weak diagnostic rigor — misses subtle asymmetries or fails to refer red-flag cases to ENT.
✗Doesn't do real-ear measurement — first-fit software alone is below the standard of care.
✗Poor counseling — patients need education, not just device delivery.
✗Reluctant to embrace new technology (Bluetooth, rechargeable, OTC hearing aids).
✗Weak business fundamentals if in private practice — margin discipline and insurance credentialing are non-optional.
✗Doesn't stay current on CI candidacy expansion or vestibular assessment advances.

Salary Negotiation Levers

✓Specialty depth (vestibular, cochlear implants, pediatric) — 15-25% premium.
✓Insurance credentialing (Medicare, Medicaid, and top commercial payers) — expands referral flow and revenue.
✓Bilingual (Spanish especially) — direct pay bump in most metros.
✓Practice ownership — shifts income from salary to owner draw plus dispensing margin.
✓VA and federal — strong benefits and pension; GS-12 to GS-13 range for staff audiologists.
✓Manufacturer clinical roles (Phonak, Oticon, ReSound, Cochlear) — 20-40% premium over clinical practice.

Audiologist Resume Review — $29

Personalized resume review from someone who has hired audiologists. Purchase, email your resume to support@weblabra.com, and receive detailed written feedback within 7 days.

✓ Occupation-specific critique (not generic)
✓ Rewrite suggestions for weak bullets
✓ Missing skills / keywords flagged
✓ Formatting + ATS-readability feedback
✓ 7-day turnaround, 100% refund if we miss it

Audiologist Career Kit — $19

✓ All 13 interview questions with expert answers
✓ 6 real questions aggregated from Glassdoor, Blind, Reddit, LinkedIn
✓ Interview format intel for 6 top employers
✓ 3 copy-paste salary negotiation emails
✓ Resume bullets for every level of the career ladder
✓ 30–60–90 day plan for your first role
✓ Cover letter templates specific to this occupation
✓ Detailed salary negotiation script
✓ Ranked list of certifications with cost + ROI
✓ Downloadable PDF for offline access
✓ Instant access, no expiration, no subscription

✓ 7-day money-back guarantee — no questions asked

One-time purchase. 7-day refund guarantee.

Sample reviews — real customer reviews will appear here as they come in.

“The interview question bank saved me. I got the exact question about 'walking through a DCF' at my Goldman Sachs superday, verbatim.”

— Anonymous, Financial Analyst

“Copy-paste negotiation emails are worth the price alone. I used the 'accepting with counter' template and got an extra $8k signing bonus.”

— Anonymous, Software Developer

“The 30-60-90 day plan for a new grad RN was better than the orientation my hospital gave. Wish I'd bought this in nursing school.”

— Anonymous, Registered Nurse

Audiologist Salary by State

Best Cities (cost-adjusted) →

Salary Map — Click a state for details

$75K

$133K■ No data

Top Paying States

Vertical line = national median. Click a state for full details.

State	Median	vs. National	Employment
Nevada	$133,110	+39.0%	0
New Jersey	$119,230	+24.5%	210
North Dakota	$118,750	+24.0%	40
California	$114,910	+20.0%	1,740
Alaska	$114,170	+19.2%	0
Hawaii	$113,850	+18.9%	90
Connecticut	$113,180	+18.2%	70
Oregon	$109,560	+14.4%	140
Washington	$108,580	+13.4%	320
New Hampshire	$105,590	+10.2%	50

Showing 1–10 of 49

Audiologist Salary by Metro Area

Metro Area	Median	vs. National
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA	$134,990	+40.9%
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	$133,910	+39.8%
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	$132,390	+38.2%
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	$128,350	+34.0%
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	$128,110	+33.8%
Fresno, CA	$117,580	+22.8%
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	$115,070	+20.1%
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO	$114,730	+19.8%
Urban Honolulu, HI	$113,850	+18.9%
Jacksonville, FL	$111,280	+16.2%

Showing 1–10 of 83

Data Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Data reflects the most recent annual survey.

How does this compare to pro athletes?

A audiologist earning $95,780/year would need 622 years to match Stephen Curry's NBA salary, or 668 yearsto match Patrick Mahomes' NFL contract.

See all sports & celebrity salaries →

📈 See how audiologist salaries have changed over the past decade.

View Audiologist salary trend (2011–2024) →