Hearing aid specialists
SOC Code: 29-2092
Hearing aid specialists carries a 22% AI exposure score (Medium automation risk), with a median annual wage of $61,560 and +18.4% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 10,700 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 22% AI exposure, Hearing aid specialists sits 15 points below the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 9% of them. It ranks among the more AI-resilient roles in the dataset.
Career outlook score
81/100
Hearing aid specialists, weighted across 3 of 3 tracked dimensions
A weighted composite of median wage, projected growth, and AI-automation security (inverted exposure), each benchmarked against every other tracked occupation. It describes this occupation's standing across those three dimensions, not a guarantee of future outcomes.
- Median wage C $61,560
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth A+ +18.4%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) A+ 22% exposure
Lower O*NET task-automability scores lower risk; this dimension scores security, not exposure
Home health and personal care aides is #1 of 832 occupations by employment (4.3M, AI exposure rank #392 at 35%) vs. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks #1 by AI task exposure (95%, employment rank #17 at 1.6M).
Automation-risk inventory
Exclusive cut of 832 occupations by PlainWorkforce automation-risk band. Orthogonal to the continuous AI-exposure distribution chart below and to this occupation's single risk badge, this is the corpus band mix, with Hearing aid specialists in the Medium band.
Credential × growth standing
Open entry with non-declining BLS pace
Hearing aid specialists keeps an HS / some college bar (333 of 832) and sits in Much faster (31 of 832). Lower formal gates with a non-shrinking employment line - skill and AI desks matter more than credentials here.
Where Hearing aid specialists sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Hearing aid specialists sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
22% Among the lowest lower than 91% of 832 occupations
Occupations, banded by AI-exposure score
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor) · BLS 2024–2034
Source: O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor); AI-exposure scores are PlainWorkforce's analysis. As of BLS 2024–2034.
Hearing aid specialists vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Hearing aid specialists is marked in rose; the top-left corner is the most future-proof.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 (growth) and O*NET (AI-exposure analysis by PlainWorkforce).
Employment Projections
Where This Score Comes From
Hearing aid specialists's Medium automation-risk tier is computed from O*NET Database 30.0 task-level analysis, where each documented task the occupation performs is evaluated against current generative AI, robotic process automation, and machine-learning capabilities. A score below 40% reflects tasks anchored in physical dexterity, unstructured environments, or high-touch human interaction that current AI cannot reliably replicate.
The employment, wage, and education figures above come from a second, separate federal source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034, matched to the O*NET task data by Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 29-2092) code, with the wage figure cross-validated against the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 survey. BLS figures are presented exactly as published, with no adjustment on our part; the SOC-code match is what lets Hearing aid specialists be compared directly against every other tracked occupation on the same basis, not just roles that happen to share a job title.
For career planners, this profile should be read alongside the task, skill, and knowledge breakdowns below and the list of employers whose workforce composition includes Hearing aid specialists. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Train clients to use hearing aids or other augmentative communication devices.
- 2. Counsel patients and families on communication strategies and the effects of hearing loss.
- 3. Select and administer tests to evaluate hearing or related disabilities.
- 4. Administer basic hearing tests including air conduction, bone conduction, or speech audiometry tests.
- 5. Maintain or repair hearing aids or other communication devices.
- 6. Perform basic screening procedures, such as pure tone screening, otoacoustic screening, immittance screening, and screening of ear canal status using otoscope.
- 7. Create or modify impressions for earmolds and hearing aid shells.
- 8. Assist audiologists in performing aural procedures, such as real ear measurements, speech audiometry, auditory brainstem responses, electronystagmography, and cochlear implant mapping.
- 9. Diagnose and treat hearing or related disabilities under the direction of an audiologist.
- 10. Read current literature, talk with colleagues, and participate in professional organizations or conferences to keep abreast of developments in audiology.
Key Skills Required
- Active Listening
- Service Orientation
- Instructing
- Speaking
- Reading Comprehension
- Social Perceptiveness
- Writing
- Critical Thinking
- Active Learning
- Monitoring
Knowledge Areas
- Customer and Personal Service
- Sales and Marketing
- Therapy and Counseling
- Medicine and Dentistry
- Computers and Electronics
- Administrative
- English Language
- Administration and Management
- Economics and Accounting
- Psychology
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Hearing aid specialists?
Hearing aid specialists has an AI exposure score of 22%, indicating a medium level of automation risk. The majority of tasks in this role require human judgment, creativity, or physical presence that AI cannot easily replicate.
What is the job outlook for Hearing aid specialists?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Hearing aid specialists is projected to grow by 18.4% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 10,700 workers.
What skills are needed for Hearing aid specialists?
Key skills for Hearing aid specialists include Active Listening, Service Orientation, Instructing, and others. Typical entry-level education is High school diploma or equivalent.
How much do Hearing aid specialists earn?
The median annual wage for Hearing aid specialists is $61,560, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024). Actual earnings vary by location, experience, industry, and employer. The BLS publishes detailed wage percentiles by region in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
What education is required for Hearing aid specialists?
The typical entry-level education for Hearing aid specialists is High school diploma or equivalent. Employers generally expect None of related work experience. On-the-job training typically involves Moderate-term on-the-job training. Requirements can vary by employer and specialization.
Which companies employ Hearing aid specialists?
Hearing aid specialists roles exist across many industries and employers. Workforce composition is estimated from BLS industry-occupation employment distributions matched to SEC-registered public companies.
AI Exposure Rating
Medium automation risk based on 10 analyzed tasks. Most tasks require human judgment and are resistant to automation.
Nationwide occupations with similar workforce profiles
Two data-derived peer sets for Hearing aid specialists: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (22% here).
- Exercise physiologists · AI exposure 22%
- Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners · AI exposure 22%
- Logging equipment operators · AI exposure 22%
- Obstetricians and gynecologists · AI exposure 22%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (+18.4% here).
- Financial examiners · growth +18.5%
- Occupational therapy assistants · growth +19.2%
- Health specialties teachers, postsecondary · growth +17.3%
- Computer and information research scientists · growth +19.7%
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published BLS + O*NET metrics among occupations with ≥10,000 workers in 2024; corpus ranks above sort the full tracked set.
Related Occupations
Showing 6 of 45 occupations with a comparable automation-risk profile.
What to do with this
Use Hearing aid specialists' numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Hearing aid specialists side by side against another occupation on wage, growth, and AI exposure. Workforce comparison tool
- Understand how the AI exposure score above is actually calculated before treating it as a verdict. Reading AI exposure scores
- See the full ranked list of occupations with the lowest automation exposure nationwide. Safest occupations from AI
AI exposure scores estimate task automatability from O*NET data; they are not a certainty of job loss, and BLS growth projections are estimates, not guarantees.
Data sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET Database 30.0. Employment figures are rounded. Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (OES).