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The differences between audiologists and hearing instrument 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 instrument specialist. Additionally, an audiologist has an average salary of $55,657, which is higher than the $50,442 average annual salary of a hearing instrument specialist.
The top three skills for an audiologist include patients, rehabilitation and patient care. The most important skills for a hearing instrument specialist are patients, patient care, and customer service.
| Audiologist | Hearing Instrument Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $55,657 | $50,442 |
| Hourly rate | $26.76 | $24.25 |
| Growth rate | 10% | - |
| Number of jobs | 1,121 | 3,529 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 48% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| 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 instrument specialist specializes in assessing people who have hearing problems. They must match these persons with the best assistive hearing device available. They are responsible for attending to people who have hearing problems and carrying out hearing tests such as pure tone screening or immittance screening. They also also select, dispense, and fit hearing aids.
Audiologists and hearing instrument specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Audiologist | Hearing Instrument Specialist | |
| Average salary | $55,657 | $50,442 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $121,000 | Between $28,000 And $90,000 |
| 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 instrument specialist in terms of educational background:
| Audiologist | Hearing Instrument Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 48% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Speech-Language Pathology | Business |
| Most common college | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between audiologists' and hearing instrument specialists' demographics:
| Audiologist | Hearing Instrument Specialist | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 23.2% Female, 76.8% | Male, 58.5% Female, 41.5% |
| 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, 8.1% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 15.0% Asian, 7.6% White, 63.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 23% | 8% |