Hearing aid specialists are technicians who fit hearing aids, but they're not the same as audiologists. While audiologists must complete a doctoral degree, hearing aid specialists don't necessarily need a degree. They typically learn through a combination of post-secondary classes, distance learning and on-the-job training. Some states also require an examination and licensing. The salary of hearing aid specialists depends on several factors, including the industry and job location.
Annual Salary Range
Eighty percent of hearing aid specialists earned between $23,300 and $76,850 per year as of 2013, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Their average annual wage came to $47,900.
Major Employers
Approximately two out of five hearing aid specialists worked in health and personal care stores as of 2013, averaging yearly pay of $53,330 according to the BLS. Other major employers included general merchandise stores, where pay averaged $54,900 annually, and other health practitioner offices, where wages averaged $42,640 per year. In physicians' offices, however, the average annual pay was $28,660.
Top-Paying States
Montana, with average annual wages of $74,230 for hearing aid specialists, led the nation for pay in 2013, according to the BLS. Hawaii came second, reporting an average annual wage of $68,950, followed by Pennsylvania with $68,560 and Minnesota with $68,220 annually.
Hearing Aid Tech Outlook
The BLS predicts a 25 percent growth in jobs for hearing aid specialists between 2012 and 2022. This is much faster than the 11 percent average increase for all jobs and reflects the hearing needs of an aging U.S. population.