Hearing Instrument Specialist Degrees (2026 stats)
TL;DR
Hearing Instrument Specialist maps to BLS occupations averaging about $71,552, with roughly 42,220 workers nationwide in those roles. Median in-state published tuition is about $5,060; common paths include Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners and Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers.
Key Statistics
Hearing Instrument Specialist: what the data shows
Common questions about hearing instrument specialist degrees, answered from IPEDS, College Scorecard, BLS OEWS, and O*NET in this repository—not program marketing copy.
What is a hearing instrument specialist degree?
A Hearing Instrument Specialist program is classified under NCES CIP 51.0918 in the Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions field family (51.09).
A program that prepares individuals to test the hearing of, and to select, fit and dispense appropriate hearing aids for, patients. Includes instruction in acoustics, anatomy and physiology of the ear, hearing testing, hearing aid fitting and technology, health promotion and rehabilitation, counseling and communication, business management, and professional ethics
Types of hearing instrument specialist degrees and related programs
Other NCES program codes in the 51.09 family with pages on EDsmart Data:
- Athletic Training/Trainer (CIP 51.0913)
- Cardiopulmonary Technology/Technologist (CIP 51.0915)
- Cardiovascular Technology/Technologist (CIP 51.0901)
- Diagnostic Medical Sonography/Sonographer and Ultrasound Technician (CIP 51.0910)
- Electrocardiograph Technology/Technician (CIP 51.0902)
- Electroneurodiagnostic/Electroencephalographic Technology/Technologist (CIP 51.0903)
- Emergency Medical Technology/Technician (EMT Paramedic) (CIP 51.0904)
- Gene/Genetic Therapy (CIP 51.0914)
- Hyperbaric Medicine Technology/Technician (CIP 51.0921)
- Intraoperative Neuromonitoring Technology/Technician (CIP 51.0922)
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Technology/Technician (CIP 51.0920)
- Mammography Technology/Technician (CIP 51.0919)
- Medical Radiologic Technology/Science - Radiation Therapist (CIP 51.0907)
- Nuclear Medical Technology/Technologist (CIP 51.0905)
- Orthopedic Technology/Technician (CIP 51.0923)
- Perfusion Technology/Perfusionist (CIP 51.0906)
- Physician Associate/Assistant (CIP 51.0912)
- Polysomnography (CIP 51.0917)
- Radiation Protection/Health Physics Technician (CIP 51.0916)
- Radiologic Technology/Science - Radiographer (CIP 51.0911)
- Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist (CIP 51.0908)
- Surgical Technology/Technologist (CIP 51.0909)
How long does it take to get a hearing instrument specialist degree?
Award levels reported to IPEDS for CIP 51.0918 in our file:
- 12 Associate (100.0% of IPEDS total)—about two years of full-time study
Time to completion depends on enrollment intensity and transfer credits; figures above describe credential type, not calendar time for every student.
What degree do you need?
For Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners (top mapped occupation), O*NET incumbent surveys in our career profile report these education credentials most often: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
O*NET education distributions describe incumbent workers, not minimum legal or employer requirements.
What jobs can you get with a hearing instrument specialist degree?
Our degree→occupation mapping links Hearing Instrument Specialist to the BLS roles below. Employment is U.S. OEWS; median wage is national May 2024 where published in our extract.
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners | 5,730 | $45,320 |
| Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers | 16,230 | $115,230 |
| Hearing Aid Specialists | 10,580 | $61,560 |
| Precision Instrument and Equipment Repairers, All Other | 9,680 | $67,080 |
See Careers & Jobs for mean wages and industry context.
Is a hearing instrument specialist degree worth it?
College Scorecard national medians for the Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions bachelor's program family: median debt $23,791, median earnings $70,786 four years after enrollment. Debt-to-earnings proxy: 0.39.
About 1.3% of graduates in this field family were not working and not enrolled one year after completion in Scorecard's national program medians.
Among schools reporting in our Scorecard extract, median published in-state tuition is $5,060 and median net price is $12,844.
We do not score "worth" on opinion—compare debt, earnings, wages for mapped occupations, and completion data above against your cost and career target.
Institutions
Information about the types of higher education institutions that grant degrees in Hearing Instrument Specialist and the types of students that study this field.
Tuition Costs for Common Institutions
$5,060 Median In-State Public
$33,745 Median Out of State Private
Tuition costs for Hearing Instrument Specialist majors are, on average, $5,060 for in-state public colleges, and $33,745 for out of state private colleges.
Tuition costs comparison for Hearing Instrument Specialist programs.
Degrees Awarded Over Time
100,000 Total Degrees Awarded in 2023
This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in Hearing Instrument Specialist from 2015 to 2023.
Historical trend of degrees awarded in Hearing Instrument Specialist.
Top 5 Schools by Enrollment
| # | School | State | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grand Canyon University | AZ | 73,371 |
| 2 | Grand Canyon University | AZ | 73,371 |
| 3 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | AZ | 64,674 |
| 4 | Texas A&M University-College Station | TX | 59,615 |
| 5 | University of Central Florida | FL | 59,146 |
Schools with the largest enrollment offering Hearing Instrument Specialist programs.
Top 5 Most Affordable Tuition
| # | School | State | Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Barstow Community College | CA | $1,104 |
| 2 | Antelope Valley Community College District | CA | $1,124 |
| 3 | Woodland Community College | CA | $1,124 |
| 4 | Yuba College | CA | $1,128 |
| 5 | Yuba College | CA | $1,128 |
Schools with the lowest tuition costs for Hearing Instrument Specialist programs.
Top 5 Lowest Net Price
| # | School | State | Net Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Canada College | CA | $32 |
| 2 | New Mexico State University-Grants | NM | $68 |
| 3 | College of the Sequoias | CA | $480 |
| 4 | College of the Sequoias | CA | $480 |
| 5 | College of San Mateo | CA | $536 |
Schools with the lowest average net price for Hearing Instrument Specialist programs.
Graduation Rates
Graduation rate data is not available for this degree program.
Graduation/completion rates for Hearing Instrument Specialist programs across institutions.
Related specializations
Other NCES program codes in the 51.09 CIP family with dedicated pages on EDsmart Data.
- Athletic Training/Trainer CIP 51.0913
- Cardiopulmonary Technology/Technologist CIP 51.0915
- Cardiovascular Technology/Technologist CIP 51.0901
- Diagnostic Medical Sonography/Sonographer and Ultrasound Technician CIP 51.0910
- Electrocardiograph Technology/Technician CIP 51.0902
- Electroneurodiagnostic/Electroencephalographic Technology/Technologist CIP 51.0903
- Emergency Medical Technology/Technician (EMT Paramedic) CIP 51.0904
- Gene/Genetic Therapy CIP 51.0914
- Hyperbaric Medicine Technology/Technician CIP 51.0921
- Intraoperative Neuromonitoring Technology/Technician CIP 51.0922
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Technology/Technician CIP 51.0920
- Mammography Technology/Technician CIP 51.0919
- Medical Radiologic Technology/Science - Radiation Therapist CIP 51.0907
- Nuclear Medical Technology/Technologist CIP 51.0905
- Orthopedic Technology/Technician CIP 51.0923
- Perfusion Technology/Perfusionist CIP 51.0906
- Physician Associate/Assistant CIP 51.0912
- Polysomnography CIP 51.0917
- Radiation Protection/Health Physics Technician CIP 51.0916
- Radiologic Technology/Science - Radiographer CIP 51.0911
- Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist CIP 51.0908
- Surgical Technology/Technologist CIP 51.0909
Degree Levels (IPEDS)
Completions reported to IPEDS for CIP 51.0918 in the survey year used in our extract (12 total across levels below).
- 12 Associate (100.0% of IPEDS total)
Source: IPEDS Completions (c2024_a), summed by award level for this CIP.
Careers & Jobs
Occupations linked to this major in our degree→career mapping, with wages and employment from processed BLS career profiles in this repo.
Across these BLS occupations, employment-weighted mean pay is about $71,552. Figures are national OEWS estimates for the occupation—not earnings of Hearing Instrument Specialist graduates alone.
Related occupations (BLS OEWS)
| Occupation | Mean annual wage | U.S. employment |
|---|---|---|
| Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners | $48,935 | 5,730 |
| Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers | — | 16,230 |
| Hearing Aid Specialists | $78,250 | 10,580 |
| Precision Instrument and Equipment Repairers, All Other | $77,618 | 9,680 |
Open each occupation for full career profile charts and industry breakdowns on EDsmart Data.
Program outcomes (College Scorecard)
National medians across bachelor's programs in the Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions CIP family (46 programs reporting debt). Not specific to every Hearing Instrument Specialist graduate.
- $23,791 median federal loan debt among completers
- $70,786 median earnings four years after enrollment (national program median)
- 0.39 debt-to-earnings ratio (Scorecard proxy)
- 1.3% of graduates not working and not enrolled one year out (program cohort)
Source: College Scorecard program-level outcomes aggregated by 4-digit CIP family.
Employment
Wages and industry mix below use BLS OEWS data for occupations linked to this major in our mapping—not a graduate earnings survey.
Yearly Income for Common Jobs
$71,552 Average Wage in Workforce
The average salary for Hearing Instrument Specialist majors is $71,552.
Average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Hearing Instrument Specialist majors.
Occupations by Share
42,220 2023 Workforce
The number of Hearing Instrument Specialist graduates in the workforce has been growing.
Various jobs filled by those with a major in Hearing Instrument Specialist by share of the total number of graduates.
Diversity
Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Hearing Instrument Specialist in the United States.
Workforce Age
N/A Average Age in 2023
This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in Hearing Instrument Specialist.
Age distribution for Hearing Instrument Specialist degree holders in the workforce.
Gender Distribution
12 Total Degrees Awarded
2 Male (16.67%)
10 Female (83.33%)
Gender distribution of Hearing Instrument Specialist degree recipients.
Race and Ethnicity Distribution
9 White (75.00%)
2 Hispanic or Latino (16.67%)
1 Two or More Races (8.33%)
Racial and ethnic distribution of Hearing Instrument Specialist degree recipients.
Degrees Awarded
The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in Hearing Instrument Specialist are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Associates Degree.
Distribution of degree types awarded in Hearing Instrument Specialist.
Skills
Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Hearing Instrument Specialist field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Required Skills
Hearing Instrument Specialist majors need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and Reading Comprehension.
Rating of how necessary various skills are for Hearing Instrument Specialist majors.
Skills Bar Chart
This bar chart shows the same information as the radar chart, displaying the importance of each skill.
Skill importance ratings for Hearing Instrument Specialist majors.
About
A program that prepares individuals to test the hearing of, and to select, fit and dispense appropriate hearing aids for, patients. Includes instruction in acoustics, anatomy and physiology of the ear, hearing testing, hearing aid fitting and technology, health promotion and rehabilitation, counseling and communication, business management, and professional ethics
In 2023, 100,000 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs in Hearing Instrument Specialist.
CIP Code
51.0918 - Hearing Instrument Specialist
What the data shows
At the program-family level, College Scorecard reports median debt of $23,791 for bachelor's completers and median earnings near $70,786, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.39. Those figures describe national program cohorts in this CIP family—not every individual Hearing Instrument Specialist graduate.
Women earned 83.3% of 12 Hearing Instrument Specialist completions in the IPEDS file used here.
Mapped BLS occupations show employment-weighted mean pay of about $71,552. The largest mapped role by headcount is Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners (5,730 U.S. jobs in OEWS).
Published tuition medians in College Scorecard land at $5,060 in-state at public colleges and $33,745 at private institutions for programs in this field.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard dataset, IPEDS completion data, and Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data.
All financial figures are adjusted for inflation and represent the most recent available data. Employment and wage data are from the most recent Census Bureau ACS PUMS estimates.