Hearing Instrument Specialist Salary by State
BLS OEWS May 2025 · BLS occupation: SOC 29-2092 Hearing Aid Specialists
Hearing Instrument Specialists earned a median $65,160 a year ($31.33 an hour) in May 2025 (SOC 29-2092 Hearing Aid Specialists).
The middle half earned between $48,390 and $80,010.
BLS counts hearing instrument specialists and hearing aid dispensers as hearing aid specialists (29-2092).
OEWS covers payroll employees only.
The figures count licensed staff and trainees together; BLS publishes no separate trainee figure.
Annual figures are BLS hourly wages × 2,080 hours. OEWS covers wage-and-salary workers only, so it leaves out the self-employed (including practice and franchise owners), workers in private households, overtime pay and most bonuses.
How pay spreads across Hearing Aid Specialists
| Percentile | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $38,400 | $18.46 |
| 25th | $48,390 | $23.27 |
| 50th (median) | $65,160 | $31.33 |
| 75th | $80,010 | $38.47 |
| 90th | $94,020 | $45.20 |
| Mean (average) | $66,370 | $31.91 |
SOC 29-2092 Hearing Aid Specialists: 11,270 wage-and-salary jobs, BLS OEWS May 2025.
Hearing Instrument Specialist Salary by State
Median annual wage for SOC 29-2092 Hearing Aid Specialists in each state, BLS OEWS May 2025, alphabetical. "vs. U.S." compares the state median with the national median of $65,160; it is not adjusted for living costs.
| State | Median | Hourly | 10th–90th | Jobs | vs. U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $46,530 | $22.37 | $31,040–$80,680 | 50 | −29% |
| Alaska | $75,300 | $36.20 | $60,390–$81,990 | 30 | +16% |
| Arizona | $76,750 | $36.90 | $63,720–$84,820 | 110 | +18% |
| Arkansas | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | — |
| California | $80,060 | $38.49 | $50,770–$97,010 | 990 | +23% |
| Colorado | $77,540 | $37.28 | $52,760–$94,990 | 140 | +19% |
| Connecticut | $74,520 | $35.83 | $52,760–$84,090 | 110 | +14% |
| Delaware | $59,160 | $28.44 | $35,430–$64,050 | Not published | −9% |
| District of Columbia | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | — |
| Florida | $67,010 | $32.22 | $44,930–$82,510 | 1,150 | +3% |
| Georgia | $56,010 | $26.93 | $36,370–$84,110 | 320 | −14% |
| Hawaii | $74,800 | $35.96 | $38,280–$113,090 | 90 | +15% |
| Idaho | $75,300 | $36.20 | $44,290–$91,000 | 160 | +16% |
| Illinois | $63,050 | $30.31 | $31,200–$82,890 | 360 | −3% |
| Indiana | $60,900 | $29.28 | $37,010–$100,380 | 310 | −7% |
| Iowa | $59,550 | $28.63 | $38,400–$94,530 | 200 | −9% |
| Kansas | $46,820 | $22.51 | $34,760–$80,680 | 100 | −28% |
| Kentucky | $75,200 | $36.15 | $36,970–$104,590 | 100 | +15% |
| Louisiana | $64,580 | $31.05 | $47,280–$133,270 | 80 | −1% |
| Maine | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | — |
| Maryland | $77,460 | $37.24 | $58,240–$90,770 | 50 | +19% |
| Massachusetts | $75,310 | $36.21 | $46,290–$80,020 | Not published | +16% |
| Michigan | $55,100 | $26.49 | $35,120–$105,560 | 460 | −15% |
| Minnesota | $61,390 | $29.52 | $35,110–$80,230 | 530 | −6% |
| Mississippi | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | — |
| Missouri | $51,680 | $24.84 | $36,860–$79,500 | 210 | −21% |
| Montana | $75,300 | $36.20 | $49,620–$88,680 | 60 | +16% |
| Nebraska | $45,660 | $21.95 | $40,250–$77,930 | 90 | −30% |
| Nevada | $81,800 | $39.33 | $44,660–$97,880 | 60 | +26% |
| New Hampshire | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | — |
| New Jersey | $75,720 | $36.41 | $44,310–$96,960 | 470 | +16% |
| New Mexico | $74,510 | $35.82 | $36,740–$81,920 | 40 | +14% |
| New York | $82,990 | $39.90 | $47,710–$136,580 | 380 | +27% |
| North Carolina | $75,810 | $36.45 | $52,110–$94,000 | 240 | +16% |
| North Dakota | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | — |
| Ohio | $62,680 | $30.14 | $43,680–$80,880 | 260 | −4% |
| Oklahoma | $47,840 | $23.00 | $32,340–$75,300 | 80 | −27% |
| Oregon | $66,350 | $31.90 | $50,390–$87,510 | 170 | +2% |
| Pennsylvania | $58,080 | $27.92 | $39,150–$89,840 | 870 | −11% |
| Rhode Island | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | — |
| South Carolina | $47,190 | $22.69 | $33,610–$76,850 | 220 | −28% |
| South Dakota | $54,910 | $26.40 | $37,430–$79,490 | Not published | −16% |
| Tennessee | $78,270 | $37.63 | $34,760–$110,800 | 190 | +20% |
| Texas | $59,140 | $28.43 | $35,310–$79,210 | 970 | −9% |
| Utah | $57,940 | $27.85 | $44,570–$81,740 | 200 | −11% |
| Vermont | $57,850 | $27.81 | $57,840–$79,750 | Not published | −11% |
| Virginia | $75,300 | $36.20 | $37,390–$82,800 | 210 | +16% |
| Washington | $77,510 | $37.26 | $53,000–$97,510 | 280 | +19% |
| West Virginia | $35,110 | $16.88 | $26,910–$105,740 | 50 | −46% |
| Wisconsin | $76,750 | $36.90 | $51,530–$117,630 | 170 | +18% |
| Wyoming | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | — |
BLS does not publish this figure for Arkansas, District of Columbia, Maine, Mississippi, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Wyoming. BLS suppresses estimates it cannot publish reliably, which is common for small occupations; no figure is estimated for them here.
Job outlook for Hearing Aid Specialists
BLS projects employment of hearing aid specialists to grow from about 11,200 in 2025 to 13,400 in 2035 (BLS Employment Projections 2025–35).
The projection counts include the self-employed and come from a different BLS program, so they are not directly comparable with the OEWS payroll job count above.
Pay by hearing care role
BLS publishes wages by occupation, not job title.
Audiologists and hearing aid specialists are the two hearing care titles that match a BLS occupation of their own.
Audiologist specialties are counted with all audiologists, and hearing aid apprentices with all hearing aid specialists.
Clinic staff titles have no BLS occupation of their own, so their job pages name the closest available group or show no figure.
| Role | Median shown | What the number is |
|---|---|---|
| Audiologist | $95,780 | BLS occupation (SOC 29-1181) |
| Hearing Instrument Specialist | $65,160 | BLS occupation (SOC 29-2092) |
Hearing Instrument Specialist salary questions
01How much do hearing instrument specialists make a year?
The median annual wage for hearing aid specialists (SOC 29-2092) was $65,160 in May 2025 (BLS OEWS).
Half earned more and half earned less.
The 10th percentile was $38,400 and the 90th percentile $94,020.
02How much do hearing instrument specialists make an hour?
The median hourly wage for hearing aid specialists was $31.33 in May 2025.
BLS converts between hourly and annual figures at 2,080 hours a year, so this is the same median per hour, before overtime or bonuses.
03Which state pays hearing aid specialists the most?
New York had the highest median in May 2025 at $82,990.
West Virginia had the lowest at $35,110.
These are not adjusted for living costs; the state table above lists every state BLS published.
04What is the average hearing instrument specialist salary?
The mean (average) annual wage for hearing aid specialists was $66,370 in May 2025, against a $65,160 median.
The median is the better guide to a typical salary, because a smaller number of high earners pull the average up.
05Is demand for hearing instrument specialists growing?
BLS projects employment of hearing aid specialists to grow 19.4% from 2025 to 2035, from about 11,200 to 13,400 jobs, with about 900 openings a year (BLS Employment Projections 2025–35).
Those projection counts include the self-employed and come from a different BLS program, so they are not directly comparable with the OEWS payroll job count on this page.
06Does this figure include trainees and apprentices?
Yes.
BLS counts hearing instrument specialists, hearing aid dispensers and trainees together as hearing aid specialists (SOC 29-2092).
BLS publishes no separate figure for trainees or apprentices.
07Does BLS have a career profile for hearing aid specialists?
Not a detailed one.
The BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook lists hearing aid specialists only on its page for occupations not covered in detail, with summary data and no sections on duties or how to become one.
The wage figures on this page come from the separate OEWS wage survey.
08Does this include store and franchise owners?
No. OEWS counts wage-and-salary workers only, so self-employed specialists and franchise owners are not in these figures.
BLS Employment Projections put the self-employed at 0.5% of hearing aid specialists in 2025.
BLS publishes no owner income, and this page does not estimate one.