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The differences between optical instrument specialists and hearing instrument specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become an optical instrument specialist, becoming a hearing instrument specialist takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, an optical instrument specialist has an average salary of $64,049, which is higher than the $50,442 average annual salary of a hearing instrument specialist.
The top three skills for an optical instrument specialist include fiber optic, customer service and schedule appointments. The most important skills for a hearing instrument specialist are patients, patient care, and customer service.
| Optical Instrument Specialist | Hearing Instrument Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $64,049 | $50,442 |
| Hourly rate | $30.79 | $24.25 |
| Growth rate | 8% | - |
| Number of jobs | 22,415 | 3,529 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 44% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Average age | 48 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 2 |
Optical instrument specialists and hearing instrument specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Optical Instrument Specialist | Hearing Instrument Specialist | |
| Average salary | $64,049 | $50,442 |
| Salary range | Between $40,000 And $102,000 | Between $28,000 And $90,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | - |
| Highest paying state | - | - |
| Best paying company | - | - |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between an optical instrument specialist and a hearing instrument specialist in terms of educational background:
| Optical Instrument Specialist | Hearing Instrument Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 44% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between optical instrument specialists' and hearing instrument specialists' demographics:
| Optical Instrument Specialist | Hearing Instrument Specialist | |
| Average age | 48 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 66.0% Female, 34.0% | Male, 58.5% Female, 41.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 2.9% Unknown, 3.4% Hispanic or Latino, 8.1% Asian, 7.2% White, 77.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | 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 | 24% | 8% |