Audiologist
Audiology resists automation because effective hearing care requires human judgment, counseling, and fine motor skills that technology cannot replicate.
In real usage data, AI shows up in this job about as often as the average occupation: not high, not negligible.
Technical detail
Based on Microsoft's "Working with AI" study of real Copilot conversations mapped to O*NET tasks (arXiv 2507.07935): Audiologists scored 0.149 on AI applicability, within one standard deviation of the cross-occupation mean (0.159, stdev 0.098) across all 785 SOC codes studied — banded here as Medium real-world AI usage relative to other occupations.
What a audiologist actually does
Audiologists diagnose, manage, and treat hearing and balance disorders in patients of all ages. The work involves conducting comprehensive hearing evaluations using specialized equipment, identifying the type and degree of hearing loss, fitting and programming hearing aids and cochlear implants, providing aural rehabilitation to help patients maximize their hearing ability, counseling patients and families on communication strategies, and treating balance disorders through vestibular rehabilitation.
Audiologists work with diverse populations—newborns being screened for congenital hearing loss, children whose hearing affects speech development, adults experiencing age-related hearing decline, and patients with tinnitus or dizziness. The role requires sophisticated diagnostic skills to interpret audiometric results and identify underlying causes, technical expertise to select and program appropriate hearing devices, counseling skills to help patients accept and adapt to hearing loss, and the patience to work with patients who may be frustrated by communication difficulties.
Modern audiology increasingly incorporates digital hearing technology, telehealth consultations, and integration with other healthcare providers.
Why it reads this way
Audiology resists automation because effective hearing care requires human judgment, counseling, and fine motor skills that technology cannot replicate. Hearing loss affects communication, relationships, and quality of life in deeply personal ways. Audiologists don't just test hearing and dispense devices—they counsel patients through the emotional process of accepting hearing loss, help couples navigate communication challenges, guide parents whose children have hearing impairments, and support patients adapting to life-changing cochlear implants.
Programming hearing aids requires understanding each patient's lifestyle, listening priorities, and tolerance for sound—adjustments that require dialogue and interpretation of patient feedback that they often struggle to articulate. Physical fitting of ear molds and hearing devices requires dexterity and adaptation to each person's unique ear anatomy. Balance assessment and rehabilitation involve observing patient movement, providing hands-on guidance, and making real-time adjustments to therapy based on patient responses.
The combination of technical expertise, counseling skills, and hands-on care places audiology among the most automation-resistant healthcare professions.
Skills this role draws on
We don't yet have task-by-task time-share data for this occupation, so we can't show which specific tasks carry the exposure score above. This is the real skill set instead.
Typical salary range (USD)
$62,000–$130,000
Average: $97,740/yr
Range source: BLS Occupational Employment Statistics, May 2024
Average source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (Annual Mean Wage)
Related careers
Head-to-head comparisons
Audiologist is currently assessed as AI-resistant. Core tasks — earwax management, balance (vestibular) testing, and custom ear impressions — require in-person physical procedures with no automated equivalent. A 2022 rule allowing over-the-counter hearing aids created a real exception for mild hearing loss, but a 2025 study found no drop in audiologist visits afterward, suggesting people still want a professional for anything beyond the simplest cases. This is a moderate-confidence read given that mixed picture; we'll check back within six months.
This is a researched judgment (checklist v1.2), not a statistical measurement — it sits alongside, not instead of, the structural exposure signal above. Next scheduled review: 2027-02-08.
Sources (14)
- https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/08/17/2022-17230/medical-devices-ear-nose-and-throat-devices-establishing-over-the-counter-hearing-aids
- https://www.asha.org/news/2022/fda-releases-final-rule-for-otc-hearing-aids/
- https://www.audiology.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/OTC-HA-FAQS-Audiologists-Updated-8.31.22-Final.pdf
- https://pubs.asha.org/doi/10.1044/2025_AJA-25-00069
- https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacodefull/title54.1/chapter26/
- https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAc/default.aspx?cite=246-828-095
- https://www.audiology.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/scopePracticeDocument.pdf
- https://www.asha.org/policy/scope-of-practice-for-audiology-assistants/
- https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3109/14992020903092608
- https://grason-stadler.com/products/audiometers/gsi-amtas
- https://careers.asha.org/getting-started/future-job-outlook-audiology/
- https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/audiologists.htm
- https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.12.12.22283331.full.pdf
- https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/audiology-and-otology/articles/10.3389/fauot.2024.1397604/full
Data sources & methodology
Salary data: BLS Occupational Employment Statistics, May 2024. Min/max figures represent the 10th–90th percentile annual wage range across the United States. Average figure sourced separately: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (Annual Mean Wage).
Automation Risk Score: Based on O*NET occupational analysis (29-1181.00) evaluating task complexity, physical requirements, social intelligence, and environmental variability. Methodology based on research from Frey & Osborne (Oxford, 2017).
Growth projections: 9% (2024-2034), based on BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook.