Audiologist

From Free net encyclopedia

An audiologist is the professional specializing in disorders of the auditory and vestibular portions of the body; an audiologist diagnoses and treats hearing and equilibrioception(balance) problems. Most audiologists have received an Au.D. (Doctorate in Audiology), or a Master's or Doctoral degree from an accredited university graduate program in audiology. Most states license audiologists as an allied health professional, and audiologists may also carry one of two forms of national certification (the CCC-A or the ABA).

Audiologists are trained to diagnose, manage and treat hearing or balance problems for individuals from birth through adulthood.

48 states in the US license audiologists and most require at least a master's degree and several hundred hours of supervised clinical experience. Starting in 2007 it is expected that new audiologists will be required to get a doctoral degree in audiology before practicing.

The average salary for an audiologist is approximately $50,000 in the US. If audiologists are required to get doctoral degrees this may result in a shortage in the future which could push up the average salary higher.

References

Audiology Online - Audiology news, careers, education and information