Summary Report for:
29-2099.02 - Hearing Aid Specialists
Select and fit hearing aids for customers. Administer and interpret tests of hearing. Assess hearing instrument efficacy. Take ear impressions and prepare, design, and modify ear molds.
This title represents an occupation for which data collection is currently underway.
Tasks | Interests | Work Values | Wages & Employment
Tasks
- Select and administer tests to evaluate hearing or related disabilities.
- Administer basic hearing tests including air conduction, bone conduction, or speech audiometry tests.
- Train clients to use hearing aids or other augmentative communication devices.
- Create or modify impressions for earmolds and hearing aid shells.
- Maintain or repair hearing aids or other communication devices.
- Demonstrate assistive listening devices (ALDs) to clients.
- Diagnose and treat hearing or related disabilities under the direction of an audiologist.
- Perform basic screening procedures such as pure tone screening, otoacoustic screening, immittance screening, and screening of ear canal status using otoscope.
- Assist audiologists in performing aural procedures such as real ear measurements, speech audiometry, auditory brainstem responses, electronystagmography, and cochlear implant mapping.
- Read current literature, talk with colleagues, and participate in professional organizations or conferences to keep abreast of developments in audiology.
Interests
Interest code: SIR
| Social — Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others. |
| 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. |
| Realistic — Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others. |
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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
Wages & Employment Trends
National
Median wages data collected from Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other.
Employment data collected from Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other.
| Median wages (2008) | $18.25 hourly, $37,950 annual |
| Employment (2006) | 79,000 employees |
| Projected growth (2006-2016) | 
Faster than average (14% to 20%)
|
| Projected need (2006-2016) | 18,000 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.