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The differences between audiologists and hearing aid dispensers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both an audiologist and a hearing aid dispenser. Additionally, an audiologist has an average salary of $55,657, which is higher than the $50,821 average annual salary of a hearing aid dispenser.
The top three skills for an audiologist include patients, rehabilitation and patient care. The most important skills for a hearing aid dispenser are hearing loss, patients, and hearing evaluations.
| Audiologist | Hearing Aid Dispenser | |
| Yearly salary | $55,657 | $50,821 |
| Hourly rate | $26.76 | $24.43 |
| Growth rate | 10% | - |
| Number of jobs | 1,121 | 25,014 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 48% | Bachelor's Degree, 44% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
An audiologist is responsible for conducting hearing examinations with patients, diagnosing their hearing problems, and identifying treatment plans for immediate recovery. Audiologists operate advanced technologies and devices to determine the patients' hearing abilities and limitations. They also evaluate results accurately, respond to the patients' inquiries and concerns, and advise patients on proper ways to take care of their hearing balances. An audiologist must have excellent communication skills, especially extensive knowledge of the medical industry, to discuss the patients' condition properly.
Hearing aid dispensers are medical professionals who are responsible for evaluating the case of patients with hearing problems while recommending the best hearing aid to help improve their condition. These specialists must employ the hearing test called audiogram test that indicates the different degrees of hearing loss of their patients. They must guide their patients to go through the entire process of choosing the appropriate hearing aid. Hearing aid dispensers must also create ear impressions and earmolds to make the necessary adjustments to device settings to ensure a comfortable level of hearing.
Audiologists and hearing aid dispensers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Audiologist | Hearing Aid Dispenser | |
| Average salary | $55,657 | $50,821 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $121,000 | Between $27,000 And $94,000 |
| Highest paying City | Redwood City, CA | - |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | - |
| Best paying company | Gundersen Lutheran Medical Foundation Inc. | - |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between an audiologist and a hearing aid dispenser in terms of educational background:
| Audiologist | Hearing Aid Dispenser | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 48% | Bachelor's Degree, 44% |
| Most common major | Speech-Language Pathology | Speech-Language Pathology |
| Most common college | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between audiologists' and hearing aid dispensers' demographics:
| Audiologist | Hearing Aid Dispenser | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 23.2% Female, 76.8% | Male, 50.6% Female, 49.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 1.0% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 5.0% Asian, 5.1% White, 82.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 13.2% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 19.0% Asian, 10.3% White, 51.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 23% | 8% |