Audiologist Salary
An audiologist is a medical professional who deals with the testing and treatment of various medical conditions that affect the auditory sensors of the body. These can include hearing issues, balance problems, and their therapeutic and medical treatment. In addition to these tasks, they also offer medical and therapeutic treatment for those who have lost their ability to hear, many of those who have lost their hearing later in life. Audiologists also work to enhance the safety many people use in industrial workplaces, and help to promote audio safety for those who may be at high risk for hearing loss.
As an audiologist, you are in charge of administering tests and treatments for a number of medical conditions concerning the auditory sensors of the body. The ears, the primary audio receptors of the body, are very complex, containing bone, cartilage, and soft tissue elements that work together to create one of the most complex systems in the human body. An audiologist must understand how these things work and the common conditions they can develop.
This is a medical position, but a doctorate is not needed. All that is required to become an audiologist is a master's degree and fellowship training. Fellowship training is type of medical training done in a professional setting as a practicing doctor (very similar to a residency). During the fellowship, which takes and additional 9 months, doctors are trained to work in this particular field of medicine.
The average audiologist salary in the United States is around $66,000, with the range going from between $57,000 up to 75,000. The general average will fluctuate based on the hospital you are working at, the area, and the average number of years you have had in the field. Starting out, most will consider the medical school you attended and where you completed your residency and fellowship.
The outlook for audiologists is good. Many find jobs and keep them, and this area of medicine is expected to grow at a fairly steady rate over the next ten years, primarily due to the rapid expansion of the industrial field, which can increase the rate of hearing loss and damage.
