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The differences between audiologists and hearing aid specialists 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 specialist. Additionally, a hearing aid specialist has an average salary of $56,107, which is higher than the $55,657 average annual salary of an audiologist.
The top three skills for an audiologist include patients, rehabilitation and patient care. The most important skills for a hearing aid specialist are patients, financial aid, and developmental disabilities.
| Audiologist | Hearing Aid Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $55,657 | $56,107 |
| Hourly rate | $26.76 | $26.97 |
| Growth rate | 10% | - |
| Number of jobs | 1,121 | 25,051 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 48% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| 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.
A hearing aid specialist is required to provide hearing tests to clients and to interpret the results. Once results come in, if there is a need to recommend hearing aids, they take ear impressions and prepare hearing aids that are a perfect fit for the patient's ears. A hearing aid specialist's sole task is to select and fit hearing aids for clients.
Audiologists and hearing aid specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Audiologist | Hearing Aid Specialist | |
| Average salary | $55,657 | $56,107 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $121,000 | Between $27,000 And $112,000 |
| 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 specialist in terms of educational background:
| Audiologist | Hearing Aid Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 48% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Most common major | Speech-Language Pathology | Business |
| Most common college | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between audiologists' and hearing aid specialists' demographics:
| Audiologist | Hearing Aid Specialist | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 23.2% Female, 76.8% | Male, 48.9% Female, 51.1% |
| 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, 9.5% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 18.5% Asian, 9.6% White, 56.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 23% | 8% |