Hearing Care Industry Statistics 2026
How many audiology, hearing aid and hearing clinic openings are live right now, where they are, and what federal data says about the people who test hearing and fit hearing aids.
BLS counts audiologists and hearing aid specialists exactly, but not audiology assistants or most clinic staff, so every federal figure below names the BLS occupation it describes and labels each stand-in.
Live Hearing Care Openings
These numbers are HearingHires’s own: every active listing on the board, from employer career sites and direct postings.
Every other figure on this page comes from a federal agency or a named professional body.
| Role | Listings with hourly pay | Median posted low | Median posted high |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audiologists | 20 | $46.50/hr | $59.50/hr |
| Patient Care Coordinators | 17 | $18.00/hr | $20.00/hr |
Roles with at least 15 hourly-pay listings are shown; each column is the median of the posted range’s low or high end.
Posted ranges are what employers advertise, which may leave out commission or bonus, not what workers earn, so they do not compare directly with the BLS wages below.
How to read these numbers.
This is a live sample of the openings HearingHires tracks, not a count of every hearing care job in the country.
Roles follow our job categories, not BLS occupations, and listings we cannot place in a state count only in the total.
If you cite them, include the date shown and link to this page.
How Big Is the Hearing Care Workforce?
BLS counts two hearing care occupations exactly: audiologists and hearing aid specialists, the occupation that includes hearing instrument specialists. Audiology assistants and clinic staff have no BLS occupation of their own, so they appear only through labelled proxies.
Payroll counts leave out self-employed workers. Projection counts include them, and the two come from separate BLS programs.
| BLS occupation | Payroll jobs, May 2025 | Employment 2025 | Projected 2035 | Browse |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Audiologists SOC 29-1181An exact match. BLS does not report pediatric, educational, vestibular, cochlear implant or other audiology specialties separately. | 13,660 | 14,200 | 15,700 | Audiologist openings |
| Hearing Aid Specialists SOC 29-2092An exact match for hearing instrument specialists and hearing aid dispensers. Audiologists are counted separately. | 11,270 | 11,200 | 13,400 | Hearing instrument specialist openings |
| Proxies and comparison occupations | ||||
| Healthcare Support Workers, All Other SOC 31-9099A catch-all proxy for audiology assistants, who have no BLS occupation. It spans many support jobs in every industry, so it is not a count of audiology assistants. | 109,740 | 113,900 | 119,400 | Audiology assistant openings |
| Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants SOC 43-6013A broad proxy for patient care coordinators and front-desk staff, in every kind of medical office, not only hearing care. | 961,610 | 979,000 | 1,026,100 | Patient care coordinator openings |
| Medical and Health Services Managers SOC 11-9111A proxy for audiology practice managers. It also covers hospital administrators, so it overstates typical small-practice manager pay. | 597,080 | 640,400 | 795,500 | Practice manager openings |
| Speech-Language Pathologists SOC 29-1127Shown for comparison only: the other profession ASHA certifies. Its national median is slightly higher than the audiologist median. | 183,390 | 193,400 | 225,500 | Comparison only |
Payroll jobs are BLS OEWS wage-and-salary estimates for all industries. Employment 2025 and 2035 are BLS Employment Projections figures, which also count the self-employed. The two programs estimate separately, so the 2025 projections base can sit slightly above or below the payroll count.
Share of all audiologists, self-employed included (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook). Largest employers only. This is a different count from the payroll figures in the table above.
Payroll hearing aid specialists only (BLS OEWS industry estimates), so the self-employed are not counted. Largest industries only; shares are of the 11,270 national payroll total.
BLS OEWS state estimates, SOC 29-1181. Payroll employees only. Some states have no published employment estimate.
BLS OEWS state estimates, SOC 29-2092. Payroll employees only. Some states have no published employment estimate.
Roles BLS does not count on their own
- Audiology assistants. BLS has no occupation for them. The nearest is a catch-all, healthcare support workers, all other, shown above only as a labelled proxy. ASHA's 2025 assistant survey drew just 28 audiology assistant respondents; the 17 paid by the hour reported a median of $20.67 an hour, and ASHA warns the results may not be representative. Source
- Hearing instrument specialists. BLS does count them, as hearing aid specialists, but the Occupational Outlook Handbook has no detailed profile for the occupation. It publishes only summary figures on its page for occupations not covered in detail. Source
- Pediatric, vestibular, cochlear implant and other specialty audiologists. BLS reports all audiologists together, and neither BLS nor the ASHA and AAA surveys we use break out pediatric, vestibular or cochlear implant pay, so no specialty-level pay figure is shown.
- Hearing aid technicians and hearing conservationists. Neither has a BLS occupation. The nearest codes, medical equipment repairers and occupational health and safety technicians, are weak proxies that mostly count other work, so no figure is shown for them here. Source
- Self-employed audiologists and practice owners. OEWS counts payroll employees only, so self-employed owners are not in the payroll counts or wages. BLS Employment Projections do include them: about 2.2% of audiologists and 0.5% of hearing aid specialists were self-employed in 2025. Source
Where BLS has no occupation for a role, we name the closest group and label it, or show no figure at all.
Sources: BLS OEWS May 2025, BLS OEWS May 2025 industry estimates, BLS OEWS May 2025 state estimates, BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, ASHA 2025 Audiology Assistant Survey
BLS Pay and Growth Benchmarks
BLS projects employment growth from 2025 to 2035 of 19.4% for hearing aid specialists and 11.0% for audiologists, a rate BLS calls much faster than average.
Speech-language pathologists are shown for comparison: their national median was slightly higher than the audiologist median in May 2025.
| BLS occupation | Median wage, May 2025 | 10th to 90th percentile | Growth 2025–35 | Openings a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Audiologists SOC 29-1181 | $95,780$46.05/hr | $64,610 to $133,120 | +11.0% | 600 |
| Hearing Aid Specialists SOC 29-2092 | $65,160$31.33/hr | $38,400 to $94,020 | +19.4% | 900 |
| Proxies and comparison occupations | ||||
| Healthcare Support Workers, All Other SOC 31-9099 | $48,430$23.28/hr | $34,770 to $71,470 | +4.8% | 14,100 |
| Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants SOC 43-6013 | $45,930$22.08/hr | $35,930 to $60,530 | +4.8% | 89,200 |
| Medical and Health Services Managers SOC 11-9111 | $123,860$59.55/hr | $73,390 to $224,340 | +24.2% | 62,300 |
| Speech-Language Pathologists SOC 29-1127 | $97,870$47.05/hr | $62,900 to $134,160 | +16.6% | 12,500 |
Wages are BLS OEWS national estimates for wage-and-salary workers in all industries, so they leave out the self-employed. Growth and openings are BLS Employment Projections, which include the self-employed; openings include replacements for workers who leave the occupation. Proxy rows describe the whole BLS group, not the hearing care role.
| Industry | Payroll jobs | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Audiologists (SOC 29-1181) | ||
| Offices of physicians | 3,660 | $92,620 |
| Offices of physical, occupational and speech therapists, and audiologists | 3,620 | $81,730 |
| General medical and surgical hospitals | 2,060 | $103,700 |
| Health and personal care retailers | 1,370 | $87,990 |
| Elementary and secondary schools | 860 | $97,790 |
| Outpatient care centers | 720 | $132,390 |
| Hearing Aid Specialists (SOC 29-2092) | ||
| Health and personal care retailers | 3,820 | $65,530 |
| General merchandise retailers | 3,640 | $77,310 |
| Offices of physical, occupational and speech therapists, and audiologists | 2,250 | $59,990 |
| Offices of physicians | 540 | $39,110 |
| General medical and surgical hospitals | 330 | $45,010 |
BLS OEWS industry estimates, payroll employees only. Only the largest or most relevant industries are shown. Small industry rows carry wide error margins.
BLS OEWS state estimates, SOC 29-1181, annual median. Some small states have few audiologists, so their medians move a lot from year to year. The lowest published state medians were Louisiana ($75,200) and Oklahoma ($76,880).
BLS OEWS state estimates, SOC 29-2092, annual median. Not every state has a published figure. The lowest published state medians were West Virginia ($35,110) and Nebraska ($45,660).
Medians reported by ASHA-certified audiologists paid primarily a salary (1,011 full-time respondents overall). A survey median of base salary, not a BLS figure: the two are not comparable, and neither is comparable with total-compensation surveys.
Sources: BLS OEWS May 2025, BLS OEWS May 2025 industry estimates, BLS OEWS May 2025 state estimates, BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, ASHA 2025 Audiology Survey
Hiring Demand and Workforce Indicators
ASHA surveys audiologists about their local job market, recruiting and burnout, and federal rules shape who can enter and move within the field.
These figures come from each named source, not from HearingHires listings. BLS ties projected audiologist demand to an aging population and earlier identification of hearing disorders in infants.
| Indicator | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Audiologists in nonresidential health care who saw more openings than job seekersAudiology and physician offices, in their own facility type and area; 34% of all respondents said openings and job seekers were in balance | 46% | ASHA 2025 Audiology Survey, workforce report |
| Audiologists who said recruiting and retaining audiologists was not at all or only slightly challengingIn their facility type and area | 38% | ASHA 2025 Audiology Survey, workforce report |
| Audiologists considering leaving the profession because of burnoutA further 20% were considering a different work setting because of burnout; 47% reported no burnout | 13% | ASHA 2025 Audiology Survey, workforce report |
| Audiologists who saw more openings than job seekers, 2023All facility types; 31% said the market was in balance and 25% saw fewer openings than seekers (1,273 respondents) | 44% | ASHA 2023 Audiology Survey |
| Median full-time audiologist salary, 2016 to 2025ASHA survey base-salary medians, up from $91,113 in 2023; not comparable with BLS wages | $78,000 to $95,000 | ASHA Audiology Survey salary trends, 2016–2025 |
| Jurisdictions in the audiology and speech-language pathology interstate compactOnly four states (Louisiana, West Virginia, Ohio and Tennessee) were issuing compact privileges as of October 2026 | 37 | ASLP Interstate Compact |
| Annual federal Direct Unsubsidized loan limit for AuD students from July 1, 2026$100,000 aggregate; new Grad PLUS loans end, and the AuD was not added to the professional-degree list | $20,500 | U.S. Department of Education final rule, May 2026 |
Survey figures describe the people who answered each survey, in the period shown, not the whole workforce. Joining the interstate compact does not by itself let an audiologist practise in another member state.
Statistics by Role
Each role page combines live listing figures with the BLS data for that role.
A role page is published once the board tracks at least 300 of its listings from 25 employers.
- Audiologist statistics503 live listings from 170 employers
- Hearing Instrument Specialist statistics513 live listings from 41 employers
Frequently Asked Questions
How many hearing care openings are live right now?
HearingHires listed 1,376 live audiology, hearing aid and hearing clinic openings from 268 employers on November 5, 2026. The count covers every active listing on the board and is refreshed every six hours.
How many audiologists are there in the U.S.?
Employers reported 13,660 audiologists on payroll in May 2025, a count that leaves out the self-employed (BLS OEWS). BLS Employment Projections, which include the self-employed, put 2025 employment at about 14,200; about 2.2% of audiologists were self-employed.
How many hearing aid specialists are there?
BLS counts hearing instrument specialists and hearing aid dispensers as hearing aid specialists. Employers reported 11,270 of them on payroll in May 2025 (BLS OEWS), and BLS Employment Projections put 2025 employment at about 11,200, with about 0.5% self-employed. The two figures come from separate BLS programs, so they do not add up exactly.
Is the hearing care workforce growing?
Yes, by BLS projections. Employment of hearing aid specialists is projected to grow 19.4% from 2025 to 2035, with about 900 openings a year, and employment of audiologists 11.0%, which BLS calls much faster than average, with about 600 openings a year. BLS ties audiologist demand to an aging population, earlier identification of hearing disorders in infants and awareness of advances in hearing aid technology.
What do audiologists earn?
The national median wage for audiologists was $95,780 a year ($46.05 an hour) in May 2025 (BLS OEWS). It was $103,700 in general medical and surgical hospitals, $92,620 in offices of physicians and $81,730 in offices of therapists and audiologists. Speech-language pathologists had a slightly higher national median, $97,870. These figures cover payroll employees only.
What do hearing aid specialists earn?
The national median wage for hearing aid specialists was $65,160 a year ($31.33 an hour) in May 2025 (BLS OEWS). By industry it was $77,310 at general merchandise retailers and $65,530 at health and personal care retailers. These figures cover payroll employees only.
Does BLS count audiology assistants?
No. BLS has no audiology assistant occupation. The nearest is a catch-all, healthcare support workers, all other, which had a median of $48,430 a year in May 2025 but is only a proxy. In ASHA's 2025 assistant survey, 17 hourly-paid audiology assistants reported a median of $20.67 an hour, from a sample ASHA warns may not be representative.
Do BLS figures include self-employed audiologists and practice owners?
Not the OEWS payroll counts and wages, which cover wage-and-salary workers only. BLS Employment Projections do include the self-employed, which is one reason their counts differ: about 2.2% of audiologists and 0.5% of hearing aid specialists were self-employed in 2025.
Methodology and Sources
Live figures count every active, paid listing on HearingHires when the page was generated, and the page refreshes every six hours.
Federal figures are quoted as BLS published them: OEWS May 2025 for payroll employment and wages, and Employment Projections 2025–35 for growth and openings.
Audiologists and hearing aid specialists are exact BLS occupations. Audiology assistants, patient care coordinators and practice managers have none, so we show the closest BLS group and label it as a proxy.
Where BLS has no usable occupation for a role, such as hearing aid technicians or specialty audiologists, we show no BLS figure.
Survey and industry indicators are quoted from the named body, with the period each one covers. ASHA salary figures are survey medians of base salary and are never mixed with BLS wages.
Shares marked as calculated are our arithmetic on the published BLS counts.
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national fileWage-and-salary employment and annual and hourly wage percentiles for each occupation, all industries.
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, industry fileEmployment and median wages for audiologists and hearing aid specialists by industry.
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, state fileEmployment and median wages by state.
- BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, Table 1.22025 and 2035 employment (including the self-employed), percent change, average annual openings and self-employed shares.
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: AudiologistsWhere audiologists work and what BLS expects to drive demand.
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Data for Occupations Not Covered in DetailSummary data for hearing aid specialists, the only OOH coverage of the occupation.
- ASHA 2025 Audiology Survey: Workforce ReportJob market, recruitment and burnout as reported by ASHA-certified audiologists.
- ASHA 2025 Audiology Survey: Annual Salaries ReportMedian full-time base salary of audiologists by facility type.
- ASHA Audiology Survey: Annual Salary Trends, 2016–2025Median full-time audiologist salary over time.
- ASHA 2023 Audiology SurveyJob market ratings by employed audiologists in 2023.
- ASHA 2025 Audiology Assistant Survey ReportPay and work settings reported by a small sample of audiology assistants.
- Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Interstate Compact (ASLP-IC)Member jurisdictions and which states are issuing compact privileges.
- U.S. Department of Education final rule on federal student loans, May 1, 2026Graduate loan limits that apply to AuD students from July 1, 2026.
- HearingHires job listingsActive, paid listings on the board, queried live.