Pros and Cons of an Audiology Technician Career
With good job prospects, no formal education requirements and the chance to help people improve their hearing, being an audiology technician could be a rewarding and secure career. Here are some of the pros and cons of an audiology technician career:
| Pros of an Audiology Technician Career |
|---|
| Projected job growth faster than average (16% for health technicians and 27% for hearing aid specialists from 2014-2024)* |
| May not need a college degree *** |
| Help people preserve their hearing ** |
| Opportunity to use varied skills ** |
| Cons of an Audiology Technician Career |
|---|
| Lower salary than national average (about $45,620 for health technicians vs. $47,230 national average in 2014)* |
| No standardized training *** |
| Job duties/training may be limited by supervising audiologist ** |
| Possible exposure to infectious diseases ** |
Sources: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, **USAJobs, ***The Hearing Journal, January, 2012.
Essential Career Info
Duties and Job Descriptions
Audiology technicians, also called audiology assistants, health technicians in audiology or hearing aid specialists, generally work under the supervision of a licensed audiologist, helping with patient care and office management. Duties vary according to state regulations and individual supervisors, but diagnostic tasks and amplification tasks are the general categories. Diagnostic tasks may include doing basic hearing tests and examining the ear canal using an otoscope, as well as assisting with more complex tests done by the audiologist. In some jobs, you may be required to clean out patients' ear canals before tests or hearing aid fittings; with these duties, you'd be responsible for taking proper precautions to prevent the spread of infection.
Amplification tasks involve helping people with their hearing aids. You may discuss the types of devices available and teach patients how to use them. You might make molds for hearing aids. Other duties may include cleaning hearing aids, checking their function, and doing basic repairs if there are problems. Administrative duties might consist of filling out paperwork or using a computer to document patient information.
Job Prospects and Salary
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) includes audiology technicians in the general category of health technicians and technologists. It reported that, in 2014, the mean annual salary for this group was around $45,620 , while hearing aid specialists had an average salary of $47,820 (www.bls.gov). Projected job growth for health technicians is 16% during the 2014-2024 decade, and growth for hearing aid specialists is expected to be 27% in the same decade. Both of these are faster than the average for all occupations.
Career Skills and Requirements
There are no specific educational requirements for being an audiology technician, and only a few schools offer programs specifically for this job. However, the American Academy of Audiology recommends that candidates have at least a high school diploma or GED before being hired and trained by an audiologist (www.audiology.org). Beyond this level, the Academy defers to state regulations, which may include registration, certification or licensure. Some audiology technicians, like those working for the federal government or in certain states, must have an associate's or bachelor's degree.
Job Postings from Real Employers
Employers want audiology technicians who can help make their businesses run more efficiently, leaving the audiologist time to do higher-level tasks and patient care. Good communication and relationship skills, as well as the ability to work independently, are important. Here are a few of the job postings available in May 2012:
- The U.S. Army base in Hawaii wanted to hire a health technologist in audiology to help soldiers meet hearing requirements for deployment. Duties included checking patients in, performing hearing tests and examining ear canals. A bachelor's degree with 24 hours of audiology education was required, as was certification in three months from the Council for Accreditation in Occupational Hearing Conservation.
- A children's hospital in Pennsylvania sought an audiology technician to maintain and calibrate audiology equipment, keep track of supplies and record medical information. An associate's degree was required, along with good communication and social skills.
- A children's clinic in Florida looked for an audiology technician, preferably with experience in pediatrics. Responsibilities included programming hearing devices, cleaning test equipment and ordering supplies. Experience with spreadsheets and word processing was required.
- The Veteran's Administration wanted an audiology technician for a clinic in Texas. Major tasks were cleaning ear wax from patients' ears and making ear molds for hearing aids, as well as scheduling appointments. Requirements included one year of related experience or six months of related graduate-level education, plus U.S. citizenship.
How Can I Stand Out?
Increasing your knowledge about audiology is one of the ways you can stand out among your peers. Read professional articles to keep abreast of new developments in audiology and the developing role of audiology technicians. Consider going to audiology conferences or joining a professional organization. If you're in Massachusetts, for instance, you could become a member of the Massachusetts Speech Language Hearing Association.
Although most audiology technician jobs don't require a college degree, the U.S. News University Directory suggests that a bachelor's degree in audiology, or in a related field such as speech and hearing science, could help you enter the profession, as well as being a good starting point if you decide to become an audiologist (www.usnewsuniversitydirectory.com). If you're in the service, you might be able to take the health technology-audiology training program offered by the military.
Alternative Career Paths
Certified Audiometric Technician
If you enjoy audiology technology, you might become a certified audiometric technician, also called a hearing conservationist, and conduct hearing tests, interpret audiograms and diagnose hearing disorders. Audiometric tests can be part of occupational safety requirements, but they are done on people of all ages, including infants. Educational requirements range from a high school diploma to a bachelor's degree; certification rules vary by state. Certified audiometric technicians are in the same BLS category as audiology technicians, earning a mean salary of around $42,000 in 2011 and looking at job growth of up to 28% from 2010-2020.
Audiologist
If you like audiology and can continue your education, you could decide to become an audiologist, diagnosing and treating ear problems such as hearing and balance difficulties. Audiologists work in a wide variety of settings, including doctor offices, audiology clinics, schools and hospitals. Following your undergraduate schooling, you'd need to earn a Doctor of Audiology (Au.D.) degree and become licensed. According to the BLS, in 2011 the mean annual wage for audiologists was $71,000, and a very favorable job growth rate of 37% was predicted during the 2010-2020 decade.
