CareerFacts

All careers › Audiologists

Audiologist: pay, job outlook and how to become one

Updated October 23, 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET data. Published by Humblebee.

$95,780median pay per year, or $46.05 an hour, May 2025[1]
  1. $64,610lowest 10% earn less
  2. $79,34025th percentile
  3. $95,780median
  4. $111,30075th percentile
  5. $133,120top 10% earn more
Middle half of workers in the inner band[3]Median for all US jobs, $50,980[4]

The median pay for audiologists was $95,780 a year in May 2025[1]. Jobs are projected to grow 11% from 2025 to 2035[2].

Job growth, 2025–35
+11%[2]
Openings per year
600[5]
Typical entry education
Doctoral or professional degree[6]

How much do audiologists make?

The median audiologist wage was $95,780 a year, or $46.05 an hour[1]. Half of workers earned more and half earned less. The mean (average) was $97,740 a year, or $46.99 an hour[7].

For comparison, the median for all occupations in the US was $50,980 a year[4].

Pay varies a lot within the job. Here is how the wage boundaries look:

Wage boundary Annual Hourly
10th percentile[3][8] $64,610 $31.06
25th percentile[3][8] $79,340 $38.14
Median[1] $95,780 $46.05
75th percentile[3][8] $111,300 $53.51
90th percentile[3][8] $133,120 $64.00

The lowest-paid 10% of audiologists earned less than $64,610 a year, and the highest-paid 10% earned more than $133,120[3]. A percentile is a boundary, and BLS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary[9].

These figures cover wage and salary workers. They leave out the self-employed, and they do not include nonproduction bonuses or the employer cost of benefits such as health insurance[10]. About 2.2% of audiologists were self-employed in 2025[11].

Pay by state and city

Among the 48 states and DC with published data, Nevada had the top median at $133,110, followed by New Jersey at $119,230 and North Dakota at $118,750[12]. California was fourth at $114,910[12]. Louisiana had the lowest published median at $75,200[12].

California also had the most audiologist jobs, with 1,740[13]. Ohio (1,230), Texas (1,020), Florida (700) and New York (690) followed[13].

Among metro areas with at least 100 jobs, the top medians were in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA at $132,390, Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA at $128,350 and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA at $128,110[14]. The New York-Newark-Jersey City area had the most jobs at 530, with Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim next at 520[15]. San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad had 390 jobs and a median of $83,200[15].

Show median pay in 48 states and DC
StateMedian per yearJobs
Nevada[12]$133,110n/a
New Jersey$119,230210
North Dakota$118,75040
California$114,9101,740
Alaska$114,170n/a
Hawaii$113,85090
Connecticut$113,18070
Oregon$109,560140
Washington$108,580320
New Hampshire$105,59050
Utah$104,450120
Massachusetts$104,130220
Wisconsin$102,840280
District of Columbia$102,50040
Colorado$102,270430
Minnesota$102,130290
Maine$102,06060
Vermont$101,730n/a
New York$100,860690
Missouri$99,450220
Georgia$98,470470
Michigan$97,790250
Nebraska$97,46090
Kansas$97,250200
Iowa$97,180270
Arkansas$96,980110
Idaho$95,120200
Texas$93,5701,020
Illinois$93,510330
Florida$93,480700
Kentucky$92,52090
Maryland$91,260160
South Dakota$91,19040
Tennessee$90,540270
Indiana$90,280410
Pennsylvania$89,480460
North Carolina$88,920450
Montana$86,99060
Alabama$86,300190
Delaware$85,70070
Arizona$83,210240
New Mexico$83,05080
South Carolina$82,330200
Ohio$81,3901,230
Mississippi$80,740n/a
Virginia$80,010260
West Virginia$79,990120
Oklahoma$76,880210
Louisiana$75,200140

How to become an audiologist

Audiologists typically need a doctor of audiology (Au.D.) degree[16]. The steps look like this[16]:

1) Earn a bachelor's degree[17]. Students need one to enter an Au.D. program[17]. 2) Complete the doctoral program[17]. It typically takes 4 years[17]. Coursework covers anatomy and physiology, diagnosis and treatment, and statistics, and students also do supervised clinical practice[18]. 3) Get licensed[16]. All states require audiologists to be licensed[16]. Rules differ by state, but they typically include an Au.D. from an accredited program[19]. Your state's licensing board can give the exact requirements[19]. 4) Consider other credentials[20]. Certificates or certifications usually require an accredited Au.D. program and an exam. Some employers want them, and in some states they can help meet licensure requirements[20].

BLS lists no work experience or on-the-job training as typical for entry[6]. In an O*NET survey of 22 workers, 95% said a doctoral degree is required[21].

Soft skills matter too. BLS points to communication, compassion, critical thinking, interpersonal skills, patience and problem solving[22][23][24][25][26][27].

What audiologists do

Audiologists assess and treat people with hearing and related disorders[28]. Tasks reported by O*NET include:

Where they work

Offices of physicians were the largest employer group in 2025, at 26% of audiologists[30]. Some audiologists, such as those contracted by a school system, travel between several facilities[31]. They may work closely with physicians, nurses, speech-language pathologists and audiology assistants[31].

Most audiologists work full time, and some work weekends and evenings to fit patients' needs[32].

Job outlook

BLS projects audiologist employment to grow 11% from 2025 to 2035, from about 14,200 to 15,700 jobs, a gain of 1,600[2]. Employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% over the same years[33]. These projection counts include self-employed workers[2]. The OEWS count of about 13,660 jobs covers wage and salary workers only[34].

About 600 openings a year are projected on average from 2025 to 2035[5]. Openings include jobs created when workers retire or move to other occupations, not only new jobs[5]. Each year, 2% of audiologists leave the labor force and 0.8% move to a different occupation[35].

Is it a good fit?

The facts show a job with pay well above the all-occupations median[1][4] and growth faster than average[2][33]. The cost is a long path. It takes a bachelor's degree, then an Au.D. that typically takes 4 years, then a state license[17][19]. Tuition costs are not covered by these facts. The work involves testing hearing, fitting devices and counseling patients and families[29], and BLS names patience and compassion among the useful qualities[23][26]. Pay depends on where you work, with state medians ranging from $75,200 to $133,110[12].

Related occupations from O*NET, with BLS median pay and projected growth[36].

Frequently asked questions

How much does an audiologist make an hour?
The median was $46.05 an hour in May 2025, and the mean was $46.99[1][7]. The 10th percentile was $31.06 and the 90th was $64.00[8].
How long does it take to become an audiologist?
The Au.D. degree typically takes 4 years, and students need a bachelor's degree to enter a program[17]. All states also require a license[16].
What degree do you need to be an audiologist?
Audiologists typically need a doctor of audiology (Au.D.) degree[16].
Is audiology in demand?
Employment is projected to grow 11% from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5% for all occupations[2][33]. About 600 openings a year are projected[5].
What is the highest paying state for audiologists?
Nevada had the top median at $133,110 a year, followed by New Jersey at $119,230[12].

Facts and sources

  1. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Audiologists in the US was $95,780 per year and $46.05 per hour. Half of workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  2. BLS Employment Projections: employment of Audiologists is projected to grow 11% from 2025 to 2035, from about 14,200 to 15,700 jobs (a change of +1,600). These counts include self-employed workers. BLS Employment Projections
  3. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Audiologists: 10th percentile $64,610, 25th percentile $79,340, 75th percentile $111,300, 90th percentile $133,120. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  4. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in the US was $50,980. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  5. BLS Employment Projections: about 600 openings for Audiologists are projected each year, on average, from 2025 to 2035. Openings include jobs that open when workers retire or move to other occupations, not only new jobs. BLS Employment Projections
  6. BLS Employment Projections, typical path into Audiologists: education needed for entry: Doctoral or professional degree; work experience in a related occupation: None; typical on-the-job training: None. BLS Employment Projections
  7. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Audiologists was $97,740 per year and $46.99 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  8. BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wage percentiles for Audiologists: 10th percentile $31.06, 25th percentile $38.14, 75th percentile $53.51, 90th percentile $64.00. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  9. BLS OEWS FAQ: a percentile wage is a boundary. The median (50th percentile) separates the highest-paid 50% from the lowest-paid 50% of workers in the occupation. OEWS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  10. BLS OEWS FAQ: OEWS covers part-time and full-time workers paid a wage or salary. It does not cover the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers or unpaid family workers. OEWS wages do not include nonproduction bonuses or employer costs of benefits such as health insurance or retirement contributions. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  11. BLS Employment Projections: 2.2% of Audiologists were self-employed in 2025. BLS Employment Projections
  12. Median annual wage for Audiologists in every state with published data, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  13. BLS OEWS, May 2025, states with the most Audiologists jobs: California 1,740; Ohio 1,230; Texas 1,020; Florida 700; New York 690. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  14. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the highest median annual wage for Audiologists (areas with at least 100 jobs): San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $132,390; Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $128,350; Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $128,110; New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $115,070; Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO $114,730; Jacksonville, FL $111,280; Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $108,960; Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX $105,430. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  15. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the most Audiologists jobs: New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ 530 (median $115,070); Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 520 (median $128,110); San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA 390 (median $83,200); Cleveland, OH 300 (median $80,640); Columbus, OH 260 (median $75,400); Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 250 (median $91,970). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  16. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  17. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Education. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  18. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Education. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  19. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  20. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  21. O*NET 29-1181.00 survey of workers (22 respondents), education level they say is required: Doctoral Degree 95% (levels under 5% not listed). O*NET OnLine
  22. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Important Qualities. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  23. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Important Qualities. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  24. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Important Qualities. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  25. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Important Qualities. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  26. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Important Qualities. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  27. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Important Qualities. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  28. O*NET description of Audiologists. O*NET OnLine
  29. O*NET task list for Audiologists. O*NET OnLine
  30. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, largest employers of audiologists in 2025: Offices of physicians 26%. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  31. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  32. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment: Work Schedules. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  33. BLS Employment Projections: employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035. BLS Employment Projections
  34. BLS OEWS, May 2025: about 13,660 people were employed as Audiologists in the US (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  35. BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35 annual average for Audiologists: 2% of workers leave the labor force each year and 0.8% move to a different occupation. BLS Employment Projections
  36. Related occupations (O*NET) with BLS pay, growth and entry education. O*NET OnLine

Notes are for reading the data only. They are not facts and cannot be cited: use the wage_scope and percentile_meaning facts instead. OEWS employment (jobs in May 2025) and Employment Projections employment (2025, includes self-employed) are different measures and can differ. O*NET education shares come from a small survey of workers in the occupation, not from all workers.

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerFacts has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.