Audiologist Job Information | National Careers Service

Job profiles

Audiologist

Hours

37 per week
Starting salary

£21,200 + per year

An audiologist checks hearing or balance disorders in people, and suggests ways to manage them. If you want a varied job helping people and you are interested in hearing problems, this job could be ideal for you.

To do this job you will need to have a high level of clinical skill. You will have to be an excellent decision maker. And you’ll need a sympathetic and professional manner with patients.

In order to qualify to do this job you will need to gain a BSc in Healthcare Science (in neurosciences, with audiology as an option) or an MSc in Neurosensory Sciences.

The work

As an audiologist, your job would involve:

deciding on the best way to test a patient’s hearing
adapting diagnostic tests to suit the age and ability of the patient
checking hearing, including sound level and frequency range
investigating any related medical, physical and emotional symptoms.

Once you make a diagnosis, you would put together a rehabilitation plan, which could involve:

selecting a suitable hearing aid
producing an impression of the ear for an ear mould
fitting hearing aids and making modifications to ear moulds
reviewing progress and making changes to the fitting
teaching patients how to use the prescribed hearing aid
repairing faulty hearing aids
giving patients information and advice on how to manage their condition.

You may also work with technicians in a hospital and with audiology companies to find the best equipment.

Your work would sometimes include counselling patients, however you could also refer them to hearing therapists, ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialists and outside agencies for extra support.

Hours

You would normally work 37 hours a week. You would normally be based in a consultation room at an NHS or private hospital.

Income

Audiologists in the NHS earn between £21,200 and £27,500 a year.

Senior audiologists can earn up to £34,200 a year. Managers and consultants can earn between around £40,200 and £80,000 a year.

Figures are intended as a guideline only.

Entry requirements

You can qualify as an audiologist by completing either:

a BSc (Hons) in Healthcare Science (in neurosciences, with audiology as an option) – to do this degree you would need GCSEs (A-C) including English and science/maths, and three A levels including at least one in a science subject; or
an MSc in Neurosensory Sciences – at this level, you would need a science degree. You can achieve this through a university-based programme or the NHS Scientist Training Programme

Course providers are listed on the British Academy of Audiology website. You should check exact entry details with each provider as other qualifications may also be accepted.

British Academy of Audiology

When you have completed your degree or postgraduate programme, you will be eligible to register with the Council for Clinical Physiologists.

Council for Clinical Physiologists

If you have a 1st or 2:1 degree in a science subject, you could qualify as an audiologist through the NHS Scientist Training Programme. This involves doing paid supervised work while you study for an MSc. You would also work towards the British Academy of Audiology (BAA) Certificate of Competence and registration with the Health Professions Council as a Clinical Scientist in Audiology. See the NHS Scientist Training Programme web page on the NHS Careers website for more information.

NHS Scientist Training Programme

Whichever route you follow, you will need Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) clearance, as you could be working with children and other vulnerable groups. See the CRB website for more information.

Criminal Records Bureau (Home Office website)

Training and development

If you are registered as an audiologist with the Council for Clinical Physiologists, you may improve your promotion prospects by continuing your training to become a registered Clinical Scientist in Audiology with the Health Professions Council.

You would do this by taking the British Academy of Audiology (BAA) Higher Training Scheme (HTS), leading to the BAA Higher Award in Audiology. See the HTS page on the BAA website for more information.

British Academy of Audiology

Whichever organisation you are registered with as an audiologist, you will need to keep up to date with changes and developments in the sector throughout your career. You can get more advice and information on continuing professional development opportunities on the BAA website.

Skills and knowledge

To become an audiologist, you will need to have:

a high level of clinical skill in all areas of hearing and balance diagnosis
excellent decision-making skills
accuracy and attention to detail
good communication skills
a sympathetic and professional manner with patients
excellent organisational skills
good teamwork skills
counselling skills
the ability to motivate patients to follow rehabilitation programmes
the ability to analyse and deal with complex situations
a thorough understanding of patient confidentiality
basic IT skills.

More information

NHS Careers (Opens new window)
PO Box 2311
Bristol
BS2 2ZX
Tel: 0345 60 60 655
www.nhscareers.nhs.uk

Health Learning and Skills Advice Line (Opens new window)
Tel: 08000 150850

British Academy of Audiology (Opens new window)
PO Box 346
Peterborough
PE6 7EG
Tel: 01733 253 976
www.baaudiology.org

Opportunities

You will find most jobs in audiology or ear, nose and throat (ENT) departments at NHS or private hospitals.

With experience you could go on to lead a team, manage a unit, or move into a general management position in mainstream healthcare. You could also move into teaching and research work at a university.

You may find the following useful for vacancies and general reading (links open in a new window):

NHS Jobs
A-Z list of NHS Trusts
British Academy of Audiology (job vacancies page)

Job profiles are based on the latest information supplied to us by industry bodies, such as Sector Skills Councils. Please be aware that with the introduction of the Qualifications and Credit Framework there has been, and will continue to be, changes to vocational qualifications. For more information, please check with industry bodies directly.

We do not accept responsibility for the content of external sites.

Related industry information

Industry summary

The health sector is represented by Skills for Health Sector Skills Council, which comprises three sub‐sectors:

National Health Service (NHS)
Independent Healthcare Sector (such as private and charitable healthcare providers)
Third Sector (healthcare) (such as small local community and voluntary groups, registered charities, foundations, trusts, social enterprises and co‐operatives)

The health sector is made up of hospitals, doctors’ surgeries, dental practices, the ambulance service, nursing homes, residential care homes, complementary medicine and a huge range of other health related activities, from sight tests in opticians to research in medical laboratories. Most people in the health sector work in the publicly funded National Health Service (NHS), which includes:

primary care (organisations which the public goes to first) – Doctors/General Practitioners (GPs), NHS Walk in Centres, NHS Direct, Out of Hours Emergency Care
secondary care (organisations which the public are referred onto) – Ambulance Trusts, NHS Trusts/hospitals, NHS Foundation Trusts/hospitals, Mental Health Trusts, Care Trusts (provide joint health and social care activities)

NHS policy in England is directed from the centre by the Department of Health. Local organisations, known as Primary Care Trusts (PCTs), are in charge of providing and commissioning services, controlling the majority of the budget. PCTs are overseen by 10 regional organisations called Strategic Health Authorities (SHAs).

The independent sector includes companies and charities that offer hospital and specialist services usually after referral from a doctor. Operations and other work are carried out in private hospitals, independent treatment centres, mental health units and hospices.

Key facts:

The health sector is the largest employer in the UK, representing 5.5% of the working age population of the UK and 7.3% of the working age population that are currently in employment.
It is estimated that the sector employs over 2 million people, including:
- over 1.5 million people in the NHS (72%)
- over 0.5 million people in the Independent Healthcare sector (26%)
- almost 40,000 in the voluntary sector (2%)
56% of the workforce has a higher education qualification (or equivalent).
The age profile for the sector shows an older than average workforce, which is due in part to the fact that it takes some professions a long time to train and can mean that people enter the sector later.

There is a varied list of jobs in the sector ranging from a diverse number of clinical roles, to support and infrastructure staff, for instance: Allied Health Professionals (AHPs); Ambulance Staff; Dental Staff; Doctors/Medical staff; Nursing staff; Midwifery Staff; Healthcare Scientists; Health Informatics Staff; Management; Wider Healthcare Team; Complementary Therapists.

National and regional data

High proportions of the health sector workforce are located in:

London
South East
North West

East Midlands

The health sector employs 131,515 people, which accounts for 7% of all employment in the region.
The East Midlands employs 8% of the total health sector workforce for England.
The private sector accounts for 29% of all employment across the sector or 41,200 employees.
Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 133,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.

East of England

The health sector employs 164,720 people, which accounts for 7% of all employment in the region.
The East of England employs 9.8 % of the total health sector workforce for England.
The private sector accounts for 30% of all employment across the sector or 52,300 employees.
Vacancies in the health and social work sector account for 14% of all industry vacancies.
Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 103,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.

London

The health sector employs over 249,524 people, which accounts for 6% of all the employment in the region.
London employs 15% of the total health sector workforce for England.
The private sector accounts for 33% of all employment across the sector or 78,500 employees.
Vacancies in health and social work account for 12% of all industry vacancies.
Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 146,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.

North East

The health sector employs 89,201 people, which accounts for 8.7% of all employment in the region.
The North East employs 5.3 % of the total health sector workforce for England.
The private sector accounts for 25% of all employment across the sector or 23,800 employees.
Vacancies in the health and social work sector account for 12% of all industry vacancies.
Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be almost 46,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.

North West

The health sector employs 251,960 people, which accounts for 8% of all employment in the region.
The North West employs 15% of the total health sector workforce for England.
The private sector accounts for 23.5% of all employment across the sector or 59,200 employees.
Vacancies in the health and social work account for 11% of all industry vacancies.
Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 133,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.

South East

The health sector employs 264,071 people, which accounts for 7.1% of all employment in the region.
The South East employs 15.7% of the total health sector workforce for England.
The private sector accounts for 23.5% of all employment across the sector or 59,200 employees.
Vacancies in the health and social work sector account for 12% of all Industry vacancies.
Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 164,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.

South West

The health sector employs 182,187 people, which accounts for 8.2% of all employment in the region.
The South West employs 10.8 % of the total health sector workforce for England.
The private sector accounts for 30% of all employment across the sector or 60,700 employees.
Vacancies in the health and social work sector account for 12% of all Industry vacancies.
Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 105,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.

West Midlands

The health sector employs 168,746 people, which accounts for 7.2% of all employment in the region.
The West Midlands employs 10% of the total health sector workforce for England.
The private sector accounts for 25% of all employment across the sector or 43,000 employees.
Vacancies in the health and social work sector account for 9% of all industry vacancies.
Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 108,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.

Yorkshire and the Humber

The health sector employs 182,848 people, which accounts for 8.2% of all employment in the region.
Yorkshire and the Humber employ 10.9 % of the total health sector workforce for England.
The private sector accounts for 24% of the total health care workforce or 42,000 employees.
Vacancies in health and social work account for 11% of all industry vacancies.
Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 97,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.

Northern Ireland