An audiologist is a licensed healthcare professional who specializes in evaluating, diagnosing, and managing hearing and balance disorders. They hold a doctoral degree (Au.D.), and their work spans everything from mapping your hearing ability to fitting hearing aids to treating conditions like tinnitus and vertigo. All 50 U.S. states license audiologists to assess and manage hearing, tinnitus, auditory processing, and vestibular (balance) disorders.
What Audiologists Do
The profession started with a narrower focus on testing hearing and managing hearing loss without surgery or medication. It has since expanded considerably. Today, audiologists perform detailed hearing evaluations to identify exactly what you can and cannot hear, fit and program hearing aids, manage tinnitus, provide auditory training and rehabilitation, and assess balance disorders caused by inner ear problems.
Think of an audiologist as your primary partner for hearing health. They run the diagnostic tests, interpret the results, recommend a course of action, and handle the ongoing management of your hearing or balance condition. If your situation requires medical or surgical treatment, they refer you to the appropriate physician.
Conditions They Treat
The Mayo Clinic lists the core conditions managed in audiology departments: hearing loss, tinnitus (ringing or buzzing in the ears), balance problems, auditory processing disorder, and certain nerve-related tumors that affect hearing. Of these, hearing loss and tinnitus are by far the most common reasons people visit an audiologist.
Balance disorders are a less well-known part of the job. Your inner ear plays a major role in keeping you steady on your feet, and when something goes wrong there, it can cause dizziness or vertigo. Audiologists use specialized tests to figure out whether the problem is in one ear, both, or somewhere else in the balance system.
Common Diagnostic Tests
A standard hearing evaluation involves sitting in a soundproof booth while tones are played at different pitches and volumes. The result is an audiogram, a chart showing exactly where your hearing drops off. Audiologists also test how well you understand speech, not just detect sound, which matters because those two abilities don’t always decline together.
For balance concerns, one of the key tools is videonystagmography (VNG). You wear special goggles with a built-in camera that tracks your eye movements while your inner ear is stimulated with warm or cool air or water. The test has three parts: following lights with your eyes, moving your head and body into different positions, and having each ear tested individually with temperature changes. Specific eye movement patterns tell the audiologist whether one ear’s balance system is working better than the other, which helps pinpoint the cause of dizziness or vertigo.
Audiologist vs. ENT
An ENT (also called an otolaryngologist) is a medical doctor and surgeon who treats diseases of the ear, nose, and throat. Audiologists are not physicians and do not perform surgery or prescribe medication. The distinction matters when deciding who to see first.
If your hearing has faded gradually over time, an audiologist is the right starting point. They can assess your hearing levels, determine the type and degree of loss, and fit you with hearing aids if needed. If hearing aids aren’t providing enough benefit, particularly with severe hearing loss, the audiologist will refer you to an ENT to discuss surgical options like cochlear implants.
Go directly to an ENT if your hearing loss came on suddenly (this is treated as a medical emergency), or if you have ear pain, drainage, recurring infections, or significant dizziness. Some ENTs specialize even further as otologists or neurotologists, completing an additional two-year fellowship to handle complex ear conditions and surgeries.
Education and Licensing
Becoming an audiologist requires a Doctor of Audiology (Au.D.) degree. For anyone who earned their degree after January 1, 2007, a doctoral-level education is mandatory for licensure. The programs typically take four years after a bachelor’s degree and include extensive supervised clinical experience under an audiologist who holds at least nine months of full-time clinical practice and has completed professional development in clinical supervision.
Every state requires licensure to practice. The specific requirements vary, but they generally include the Au.D. degree, evidence of supervised clinical practicum, and passing a national exam. Many states accept professional certifications as an alternative pathway. The two main certifications are the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Audiology (CCC-A) from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and board certification from the American Board of Audiology. States like Arkansas, Delaware, Georgia, Nevada, and Virginia, among others, allow these certifications to satisfy some or all examination and educational requirements for state licensure.
Where Audiologists Work
Audiologists practice in a variety of settings. Private audiology clinics are common, as are hospital-based audiology departments and outpatient medical centers. You’ll also find audiologists in schools, where they screen children for hearing problems that could affect learning, and in Veterans Affairs facilities, where noise-induced hearing loss is widespread. Some work in research or for hearing aid manufacturers, developing and testing new devices.
The profession is growing. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 9 percent employment growth for audiologists from 2024 to 2034, well above the average for all occupations. The median annual salary was $92,120 as of May 2024. An aging population and greater awareness of hearing health are driving demand.
What to Expect at Your First Visit
A typical first appointment takes 60 to 90 minutes. You’ll go over your medical history, discuss your specific concerns (trouble hearing in noisy restaurants, ringing in your ears, episodes of dizziness), and then undergo a series of tests tailored to your symptoms. The audiologist reviews results with you the same day and explains what they mean in practical terms: which sounds you’re missing, how it affects conversation, and what your options are.
If hearing aids are recommended, the audiologist handles the fitting, programming, and follow-up adjustments. Modern hearing aids are digital and highly customizable, and getting them dialed in to your specific hearing profile usually takes a few appointments. Audiologists also provide counseling on communication strategies, helping you and your family adapt to hearing changes in everyday life.