Will hearing aid specialists be replaced by AI?
Updated
Hearing aid specialists score 22 of 100 for AI exposure. 65% of their task time still needs a person. AI speeds up the other 35%.
- 35% AI helps
- 65% Needs a person
Low exposure
Lower than 76% of the 923 occupations we scored.
Task by task
We graded 11 tasks, listed here from most to least exposed. AI can't do any of them end to end yet. It speeds up 4 and leaves 7 to people.
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Read current literature, talk with colleagues, and participate in professional organizations or conferences to keep abreast of developments in audiology. AI summarizes papers well; conferences and colleague talks stay human. | 55% AI helps |
| Select and administer tests to evaluate hearing or related disabilities. AI aids test choice and notes; administration stays in person. | 30% AI helps |
| Counsel patients and families on communication strategies and the effects of hearing loss. Handouts can be drafted, but live emotional counseling stays human. | 25% AI helps |
| Diagnose and treat hearing or related disabilities under the direction of an audiologist. AI flags patterns; diagnosis and treatment need clinical judgment. | 25% AI helps |
| Maintain or repair hearing aids or other communication devices. Physical repairs need hands and tools; AI only aids troubleshooting. | 18% Needs a person |
| Train clients to use hearing aids or other augmentative communication devices. Hands on device coaching needs live demonstration and patient practice. | 15% Needs a person |
| Demonstrate assistive listening devices (ALDs) to clients. Demonstrating devices in person means handling equipment with the client. | 15% Needs a person |
| Administer basic hearing tests including air conduction, bone conduction, or speech audiometry tests. Live patient testing with physical equipment needs a person present. | 12% Needs a person |
| Perform basic screening procedures, such as pure tone screening, otoacoustic screening, immittance screening, and screening of ear canal status using otoscope. Otoscope and probe screening requires hands on work with patients. | 12% Needs a person |
| Create or modify impressions for earmolds and hearing aid shells. Taking ear impressions and shaping molds is physical craft work. | 10% Needs a person |
| Assist audiologists in performing aural procedures, such as real ear measurements, speech audiometry, auditory brainstem responses, electronystagmography, and cochlear implant mapping. Procedures like ABR and cochlear mapping need skilled hands on equipment. | 8% Needs a person |
How hearing aid specialists compare
All occupations (923)
Healthcare practitioners and technical (89)
Pay and outlook in the US
- Median pay
- $65,160 a year, May 2025
- People employed
- 11,270 in the US, May 2025
- Projected change in jobs
- +19.4% from 2024 to 2034
Skills to build
- Fit and program hearing aids in HIMSA Noah
- Run pure tone and speech tests in Otometrics OTOsuite
- Take ear impressions and modify earmolds manually
- Coach clients in person on hearing aids and assistive listening devices
- Attend HIMSA conferences and read current audiology literature
- Hold a state hearing aid dispensing license
Safer roles nearby
5 related occupations with lower scores.
Questions about hearing aid specialists and AI
Will AI replace hearing aid specialists?
Partly. About 2 in 10 working hours go to tasks AI can already do, mostly keeping up with audiology literature and selecting hearing tests. Ear impressions, live testing, device fitting, and client coaching stay with people because they need hands on equipment and a person in the room.
Which tasks is AI taking over for hearing aid specialists?
Reading current literature is the most exposed task, with an exposure score of 55, because AI summarizes papers well. Selecting and administering hearing tests follows at 30, since AI can help choose tests and draft notes, while the testing itself still runs in person.
Which hearing aid specialist tasks stay human?
Assisting with aural procedures such as ABR and cochlear implant mapping scores lowest, with an exposure score of 8, because it needs skilled hands on equipment. Taking ear impressions and shaping earmolds scores 10 because it is physical craft work. Basic screening and demonstrating assistive listening devices also stay with people.
How can hearing aid specialists stay valuable as AI spreads?
Get fast and accurate in HIMSA Noah for fitting and OTOsuite for testing. Keep impression taking and earmold modification sharp, since hands on craft is hard to automate. Coach clients in person on devices, use Microsoft Word and Excel to build counseling handouts and outcome logs, and check AI-drafted notes before you sign off on them.
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