29-1121.00 - Audiologists

Updated 2008

Summary Report for:
29-1121.00 - Audiologists

Assess and treat persons with hearing and related disorders. May fit hearing aids and provide auditory training. May perform research related to hearing problems.

Sample of reported job titles: Audiologist, Clinical Audiologist, Audiology Doctor (AUD), Dispensing Audiologist, Audiology Director, Certificate of Clinical Competence in Audiology Licensed Audiologist (CCC-A Licensed Audiologist), Clinical Director, Educational Audiologist, Hearing Instrument Specialist, Pediatric Audiologist

View report: Summary Details Custom

Tasks

Evaluate hearing and speech/language disorders to determine diagnoses and courses of treatment.
Administer hearing or speech/language evaluations, tests, or examinations to patients to collect information on type and degree of impairment, using specialized instruments and electronic equipment.
Fit and dispense assistive devices, such as hearing aids.
Maintain client records at all stages, including initial evaluation and discharge.
Refer clients to additional medical or educational services if needed.
Counsel and instruct clients in techniques to improve hearing or speech impairment, including sign language or lip-reading.
Monitor clients' progress and discharge them from treatment when goals have been attained.
Plan and conduct treatment programs for clients' hearing or speech problems, consulting with physicians, nurses, psychologists, and other health care personnel as necessary.
Recommend assistive devices according to clients' needs or nature of impairments.
Participate in conferences or training to update or share knowledge of new hearing or speech disorder treatment methods or technologies.

Tools & Technology

Tools used in this occupation:

Audiometers or accessories — Audiometers; Automatic impedance audiometers; Two-channel audiometers

Auditory function screening units — Auditory brainstem response ABR screening systems; Caloric irrigators; Portable auditory screeners; Speech mapping systems

Aural probes — Ear probes; Electroacoustic impedance bridges

Hearing aid analyzers or test systems — Hearing aid analyzers; Hearing aid test boxes

Ophthalmoscopes or otoscopes or scope sets — Otoscopes; Video otoscopes

Technology used in this occupation:

Medical software — Abacus Data Solutions HearWare; Chart Links software; Ear Works; Vestibular Technologies ScreenTRAK

Office suite software — Microsoft Office

Presentation software — Microsoft PowerPoint

Spreadsheet software — Microsoft Excel

Word processing software — Microsoft Word

Knowledge

Customer and Personal Service — Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

English Language — Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

Therapy and Counseling — Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.

Medicine and Dentistry — Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.

Psychology — Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

Computers and Electronics — Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

Education and Training — Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

Sales and Marketing — Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

Administration and Management — Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

Clerical — Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.

Skills

Active Listening — Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Reading Comprehension — Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Speaking — Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Service Orientation — Actively looking for ways to help people.

Social Perceptiveness — Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Active Learning — Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

Instructing — Teaching others how to do something.

Critical Thinking — Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Writing — Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Time Management — Managing one's own time and the time of others.

Abilities

Oral Comprehension — The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

Oral Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

Speech Clarity — The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

Problem Sensitivity — The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.

Speech Recognition — The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.

Written Comprehension — The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

Deductive Reasoning — The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

Inductive Reasoning — The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).

Written Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

Auditory Attention — The ability to focus on a single source of sound in the presence of other distracting sounds.

Work Activities

Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge — Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.

Performing for or Working Directly with the Public — Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.

Assisting and Caring for Others — Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.

Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.

Documenting/Recording Information — Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.

Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.

Interacting With Computers — Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.

Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others — Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.

Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships — Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.

Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events — Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.

Work Context

Telephone — How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?

Face-to-Face Discussions — How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?

Contact With Others — How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?

Freedom to Make Decisions — How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer?

Structured versus Unstructured Work — To what extent is this job structured for the worker, rather than allowing the worker to determine tasks, priorities, and goals?

Deal With External Customers — How important is it to work with external customers or the public in this job?

Importance of Being Exact or Accurate — How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job?

Indoors, Environmentally Controlled — How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions?

Frequency of Decision Making — How frequently is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization?

Letters and Memos — How often does the job require written letters and memos?

Job Zone

Title	Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
Education	Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Related Experience	Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Job Training	Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
Job Zone Examples	These occupations often involve coordinating, training, supervising, or managing the activities of others to accomplish goals. Very advanced communication and organizational skills are required. Examples include librarians, lawyers, aerospace engineers, wildlife biologists, school psychologists, surgeons, treasurers, and controllers.
SVP Range	(8.0 and above)

Interests

Interest code: IS

Investigative — Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

Social — Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.

Work Styles

Integrity — Job requires being honest and ethical.

Concern for Others — Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.

Dependability — Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.

Attention to Detail — Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.

Self Control — Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.

Cooperation — Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.

Initiative — Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.

Stress Tolerance — Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.

Independence — Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.

Adaptability/Flexibility — Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.

Work Values

Relationships — Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.

Achievement — Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.

Working Conditions — Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.

Related Occupations

21-1091.00	Health Educators
29-1122.00	Occupational Therapists
29-1123.00	Physical Therapists
29-1125.00	Recreational Therapists
29-1126.00	Respiratory Therapists

Wages & Employment Trends

National

Median wages (2008)	$29.82 hourly, $62,030 annual
Employment (2006)	12,000 employees
Projected growth (2006-2016)	Average (7% to 13%)
Projected need (2006-2016)	3,000 additional employees

State & National

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 2008 wage data and 2006-2016 employment projections . "Projected growth" represents the estimated change in total employment over the projections period (2006-2016). "Projected need" represents job openings due to growth and net replacement.

Summary Report for: 29-1121.00 - Audiologists