Pay Scale

• Audiologists treat those with hearing disorders, and may prescribe hearing aids and/or training. The average salary for an audiologist in the United States is $66,850. On the pay scale, the median salary for this occupation is $63,230. Those in the 10th percentile earn $40,650, those in the 25th percentile earn $51,230, those in the 75th percentile earn $79,420, and those in the 90th percentile earn $100,480, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics as of May 2009.
  
  

Industry

• The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that around 64 percent of audiologists work in healthcare facilities, while others work in educational services. Audiologists employed in the offices of physicians earn $65,780 a year on average, while those in the offices of other health practitioners earn higher at $71,330 on average. In hospitals, the average annual pay is $70,970, while outpatient care centers offer the highest pay at $79,210. In health and personal care stores, audiologists earn $62,430 a year, while those working in elementary and secondary schools earn $64,740.
  
  

Location

• The metropolitan area of San Francisco, California, offers the highest pay in the country for audiologists at $132,680 annually, followed distantly by the Dallas, Texas, area at $107,470. The top-paying state for audiologists is New Jersey at a mean annual wage of $92,150. California, Massachusetts, Kentucky and Texas follow with salary averages ranging from $75,650 to $80,770. The state of West Virginia has the highest concentration of audiologists, but offers a lower-than-average salary of $56,840 annually.
  
  

Certification and Advancement

• In addition to the doctoral degree, audiologists seeking to move ahead in their careers may seek credentials by earning the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Audiology (CCC-A) offered by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, or they may seek other credentials through the American Board of Audiology. All 50 states require licensure for audiologists, with rules as far as degree level, practice and the dispensing of hearing aids varying from state to state. Higher salaries may be found by those audiologists who open their own private practice, while those employed by medical institutions may advance to managerial or supervisory positions.