How to become an Audiologist

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Career progression and salary expectations for an Audiologist

Trainee Audiologist

| Up to £25,000

This entry-level role involves working under supervision while completing a degree or apprenticeship in audiology. Trainees assist in conducting hearing tests and fitting hearing aids, gaining foundational skills in diagnosing and managing hearing and balance disorders.

Specialist Audiologist

| Up to £35,000

After gaining experience and completing additional training, Audiologists become specialists. They perform more complex assessments and provide tailored rehabilitation plans for patients with hearing loss or balance disorders, working more independently.

Consultant Audiologist

| Up to £85,000

In this senior position, Consultant Audiologists lead a team of Audiologists, manage advanced cases, and often oversee clinical research and training programs. They provide expert advice and shape audiological care within hospitals or private practices.

The role of an Audiologist

What does an Audiologist do?

Not sure whether becoming an Audiologist is your true calling? Depends what you've heard…

Audiologists treat patients who have issues with their hearing or balance, specialising in identifying and diagnosing a range of problems which affect the ears.

The work they do is absolutely vital in improving the quality of life of patients of all ages, ensuring that people aren't limited to living in a world without hearing. Aside from general audiology, Audiologists may specialise in a particular area of the field, such as implants, paediatrics or auditory rehabilitation.

So whether it’s fitting hearing aids, installing assistive listening devices, or simply providing advice for someone suffering from hearing loss, it’s all in a day’s work for a good Audiologist.

Typical day-to-day duties for an Audiologist may include:

Examining patients to evaluate their condition
Administering tests to assess their level of hearing
Examining ears for any physical abnormalities
Diagnosing problems
Producing moulds and fitting patients with hearing aids or cochlear implants
Prescribing speech or physical therapy to help alleviate hearing difficulties
Giving counselling to patients with severe hearing loss, and helping with lip reading

Is a career as an Audiologist right for me?

In order to become an Audiologist, you’ll need a keen interest in science and technology, not to mention excellent interpersonal skills.

You’ll often be working with patients who significantly struggle with their hearing, and your ability to communicate with them clearly and efficiently will similarly be key to your success.

Finally, getting your point across won’t always be an easy job. Being able to put your patients at ease, without the need to repeat yourself or make them feel uncomfortable, is of paramount importance. Patience will also be a virtue in this profession.

Other key skills for an Audiologist include:

Excellent attention to detail
A caring and sensitive bedside manner
Tact
Empathy
Problem solving skills
Counselling skills
The ability to motivate despondent patients

What's it like to be an Audiologist?

"It’s easy to overlook just how scary it is for someone to lose their hearing. Working as an Audiologist, I get to help incredibly isolated and frustrated individuals get back to some sense of normality. It isn’t always easy, especially if their hearing is so severely affected that all I can do is provide them with ongoing support. But there are so many technological advancements in audiology happening all the time, which means more people are being treated than ever before. If the work I do helps even a few people get their lives back on track and not feel so alone, it makes it all worthwhile."

Get qualified as an Audiologist

To become an Audiologist, you need to complete a degree in audiology which is accredited by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). Alternatively, if you already have a degree in a related field, you can pursue a master's degree in audiology. Gaining practical experience through clinical placements during your training will also help you to develop hands-on skills. After completing your degree, you'll need to register with the HCPC to practice as an Audiologist legally.

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