Applicants With Criminal Convictions
If you have ever been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor or pleaded guilty or no contest to any in-state, out-of-state or federal criminal offense, you must provide a completed Criminal History Questionnaire along with your application materials.
The department will conduct a criminal history background check on all persons who apply for a hearing instrument fitter and dispenser license. Criminal convictions are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Licenses may be denied based on the nature of the conviction and how long prior to the application the conviction occurred. Depending on your criminal history, a review can take from one to six weeks to complete.
Individuals may request TDLR review their criminal background before actually applying for a license. TDLR uses the same process for this pre-application evaluation as the process described below. See the Criminal History Evaluation Letter page for more information.
Please see the Guidelines for License Applicants with Criminal Convictions, which describe the process that TDLR uses to determine whether a criminal conviction renders an applicant an unsuitable candidate for the license, or whether a conviction warrants revocation or suspension of a license previously granted.
Learn How You Can Enroll In This 100% Online Program Today And Complete Your Educationas A Hearing Instrument Specialist In Just 12 Weeks
The Hearing Aid Academy is the most complete and advanced 100% online education program for Hearing Aid Specialists. The HAA arms you with all the tools you need to successfully pass the state license exam and start your new career in the fast growing hearing instrument services industry.
Did you knowHearing Aid Specialists are in high demand as nearly one in three people over the age of 65 suffer from some level of hearing loss and may require hearing aid services? A career as a Hearing Aid Specialist provides long term stability, a highly respected career in the medical profession, and excellent income potential with an average starting salary at over $50,000 per year .
The average completion time is as little as 3-6 months working at your own pace through a 100% online curriculum. The Hearing Aid Academy allows you to connect directly with instructors one on one , offering you a truly individualized education. The curriculum covers every aspect required for passing the state license exam but also provides you with targeted training on all aspects of a successful career in the hearing health industry.
How Much Does It Cost To Become A Hearing Aid Specialist
A hearing aid specialist is a health care professional who helps the patient in diagnosing, fitting and using the hearing aids. They are often the first point of contact for a person who is hard of hearing. Are you interested to become a hearing aid specialist? Want to learn more about hearing aid dispenser training programs available to you?
The First Step
The first step to choosing a career is to make sure you are passionate about something and are willing to commit to pursue a career.
Hearing loss is often encountered among the elderly, but a person falling in any age group can suffer from hearing loss. Although age is considered as the primary cause of hearing loss, a person can experience loss of hearing due to infection, loud noise, a ruptured eardrum, accumulation of excessive earwax and other reasons.
It is estimated that more than 30 percent of people aged between 65 and 75 suffer from hearing loss to some extent. And because such a significant portion of the elderly population suffers from age-caused hearing loss, the demand for hearing aid specialists is high.
What Does Hearing Aid Specialist Do?
Hearing aid specialist serves a vast majority of people who are suffering from hearing loss. They evaluate each case and often employ a hearing test to determine the extent of hearing loss.
Should You Become a Hearing Aid Specialist?
Before enrolling in one of the best hearing aid dispenser training programs, it is important to explore your options.
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What Does A Hearing Aid Specialist Do
When it comes to the most important skills required to be a hearing aid specialist, we found that a lot of resumes listed 34.3% of hearing aid specialists included financial aid, while 18.3% of resumes included personal care, and 12.4% of resumes included hearing loss. Hard skills like these are helpful to have when it comes to performing essential job responsibilities.
What Is A Hearing Aid Specialist
A hearing aid specialist is a healthcare professional who cares for people with hearing difficulties and recommends the best hearing aid solution to these patients. To do this, hearing aid specialists test the extent of a patient’s hearing loss and identify the likely cause behind it. Also known as a hearing instrument specialist, many of these professionals continue their training and education to become audiologists.
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Apprentice In Charge Of Office
Please note that per NAC 637B.0398 “An apprentice shall not maintain, run or operate an office or a satellite office in which hearing aids are fitted and dispensed without the approval of the Board.”Any application indicating this will be scheduled for a review by the Board at its next regular meeting.
Three Pathways To Licensure:
Option #1
Applicant/Written Exam – No License
This pathway to licensure requires you to pass both the California written and practical exams to obtain your full license. You are not allowed to work without a license.
Option #2
Trainee with Supervision – Temporary License
This pathway to licensure requires you to find a hearing aid dispenser who has been licensed at least three years in California to become your supervisor. The trainee temporary license is issued for six months and can be renewed two times. As a trainee, you must take the written exam within the first 10 months of issuance.
Option #3
Licensed in Another State – Temporary License
You must possess an active and current hearing aid dispensing license from another state. This temporary license is issued for 12 months and allows you to work as a hearing aid dispenser. It is not renewable. During these 12 months you must take and pass both the California written and practical exams. If you fail either exam, you must immediately surrender your temporary license.
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What Skills Do You Need To Be A Hearing Aid Specialist
Hearing specialist benefit from having these skills:
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Knowledge of medical terminology: Though these professionals do not need to complete medical school, they benefit from understanding medical lingo when collaborating with audiologists and educating patients.
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Communication: Hearing aid specialists often use their strong communication skills to work with doctors and other medical staff and interact with patients.
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Proficiency in ASL: Though many employers do not require hearing specialists to be fluent in ASL, these professionals benefit from this knowledge when communicating with their patients. Being fluent in ASL may give professionals an advantage in the job application process.
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Collaboration: Hearing aid specialists use collaboration and teamwork skills to work with a team of professionals in order to provide the best care for patients.
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Problem-solving skills: Much of a hearing aid specialist’s work revolves around addressing issues that arise with a patient’s hearing aid. Because of this, these professionals benefit from having problem-solving skills.
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Technical proficiency: Having technical proficiency enables these professionals to manually fix hearing aids and other communicative devices.
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What Is The Difference Between A Hearing Instrument Specialist And An Audiologist
Education and scope of service are the two major differences between the two types of hearing care professionals. While hearing instrument specialists are trained to administer hearing evaluations to fit hearing aids, audiologists are trained to perform full diagnostic evaluations of the auditory system from the outer ear to the brain. Audiologists often work closely with otolaryngologists to diagnose and treat complex hearing problems.
To become an audiologist in the United States today, a person must earn a Doctorate in Audiology , and become licensed by the state they are practicing in. Audiologists are authorized to work with infants, children, adults, the elderly and patients with special needs.
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Is Becoming A Hearing Aid Specialist Right For Me
The first step to choosing a career is to make sure you are actually willing to commit to pursuing the career. You dont want to waste your time doing something you dont want to do. If youre new here, you should read about:
Still unsure if becoming a hearing aid specialist is the right career path?Take the free CareerExplorer career test to find out if this career is right for you. Perhaps you are well-suited to become a hearing aid specialist or another similar career!
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What Is The Job Outlook For Hearing Aid Specialists
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics does not have specific data on the job outlook for hearing aid specialists but predicts a 13% increase in jobs for audiologists between 2019 and 2029. This is a higher-than-average increase and compares to hearing aid specialists because audiologists often work alongside these professionals.
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How Much Do Hearing Aid Specialists Earn
Hearing aid specialists earn an average of $59,837 per year. However, the actual amount a professional earns depends on their experience, education level, location and employer. Hearing aid specialists who wish to increase their earning potential may want to consider obtaining a bachelor’s degree or pursuing a career as an audiologist.
How To Become A Hearing Aid Specialist
A hearing aid specialist is a healthcare professional who focuses on hearing aid distribution and maintenance. These professionals assist audiologists to provide care to patients with hearing loss and can often start practicing after two years of training. If this career path sounds interesting to you, it is helpful to understand the training process for these professionals. In this article, we explore the career of a hearing aid specialist, including what they do, how much they earn and how to become one.
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Continuing Education Required For Renewal
At least 10 hours annually based on the license expiration date and directly pertaining to the profession in which the individual is licensed. At least 1 of the 10 hours must relate to ethics, cultural competence, cultural humility, culturally responsive practices or diversity, equity and inclusion. More information may be found on our Continuing Education page.
Hearing Aid Specialist Career Video Transcript
Hearing aid specialists assist customers with using and learning about hearing aids. For individuals with hearing loss, hearing aids can help them recover the ability to communicate, perform their work or hobbies, and enjoy a variety of life activities. Hearing aid specialists administer hearing tests for customers, and interpret the results. If hearing aids are a suitable option, specialists take ear impressions, and then may design, prepare and fit hearing aids to the patients ears. They also adjust the aids to a customers needs or preferences and train patients on how to use and care for their new hearing aids. Specialists may also repair the devices when necessary. Typically, hearing aid specialists learn their skills on the job. Licensure may be required.
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Finish High School Or Earn A Ged
The minimum educational requirement to be a hearing instrument specialist is a high school diploma or GED. If you are still in school, consider taking courses that may help you learn the knowledge necessary for this field, such as anatomy and chemistry. It is also helpful to develop strong research and communication skills. If your high school offers it, consider taking classes to learn American Sign Language as many of your patients may communicate with this language.
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The Roadmap To Become A Licensed Hearing Aid Dispenser
In order to become a licensed hearing aid dispenser and start practicing in the United States, you need to either choose an academic training model or the workplace training approach.
However, instead of opting for the academic training model and spending thousands of dollar and two years of your life in a college, you should opt for the workplace training approach as it is a more common pathway for entry into the hearing aid dispensing profession.
What is the Workplace Training approach?
The workplace training approach is more of an on-the-job training program also called an apprenticeship program. This approach is not only supported by the International Hearing Society but by most states and provinces in their eligibility requirements.
Moreover, many American states have requirements for apprenticeship programs that must be completed for a person to appear for the licensing exam.
Licensing Requirements
Each U.S. state has different rules and regulations regarding the licensing requirements. Get in touch with the Hearing Aid Academy to learn more about the state requirements.
The Hearing Aid Academy
A career as a hearing aid specialist helps you enjoy a fulfilling career that comes with a great income potential and a chance to help people hear different sounds present around them. The Hearing Aid Academy offers you a chance to prepare for the hearing aid specialist licensing exam and start working as a licensed specialist in 3 to 6 months.
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Educational Requirements Of Hearing Instrument Specialists
Hearing instrument specialists educational requirements are less than audiologists requirements and vary by state. Every state establishes their own set of requirements, but at a minimum, hearing instrument specialists must have a high school diploma and complete a rigorous training program. Most of these training programs combine classroom or distance learning with a requisite number of hours of hands-on experience supervised by licensed hearing care professionals and can take up to two years. The required program of study for hearing instrument specialists includes anatomy of the ear, acoustics, assessment and testing of hearing, hearing aid selection and fitting, hearing aid technology, counseling and other topics.
Job Description Of A Hearing Aid Specialist
A hearing aid specialist would review a clients previous case history and perform various hearing tests on clients to determine their care needs. Sometimes, test outcomes may result in a referral to a different type of medical professional. Along with hearing tests, they also examine ears and may help with wax management when necessary. Ultimately, they help determine the most appropriate type of hearing aid for a client.
Fitting clients for their ear devices are also important and may need to take ear impressions for any prosthetic adaptation necessary. Along with knowing the technical aspect of hearing aids, they must also be good educators as they will train their clients how to properly wear hearing aids. They will also educate them on on proper maintenance. These specialists may also perform minor repairs when necessary.
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Get An Associate Degree
There are two education paths available for aspiring hearing specialists. The first is completing a two-year education program that focuses on hearing instruments as a specialty. Some professionals complete these courses online, though their are many programs across the United States that prepare professionals for a career as a hearing specialist.
These programs include courses on inner ear anatomy, medical ethics, hearing aid technology and counseling. Pursuing an associate degree for this field may be a good option for those who function well in a traditional school environment or are considering advancing their career later.
Is A Hearing Instrument Specialist Right For Me
As in any profession, there are variations in the skill level, experience and expertise of hearing instrument specialists. If youre an adult with common age-related hearing loss or noise-induced mild to severe hearing loss that cannot be corrected medically, a hearing instrument specialist may be the right professional to help you hear better with hearing aids.
If you have special needs, your hearing loss is more complex, or you could benefit from the additional education someone with a doctorate has, a licensed audiologist may be the best choice for you.
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What Is The Difference Between A Hearing Aid Specialist And An Audiologist
Hearing aid specialists perform basic hearing tests and sell hearing products. This position is more about marketing than medicine, though the emphasis is on finding products that work well for patients instead of trying to recommend specific products. Overall, the role is similar to other positions that tailor products to each customer, such as eye doctors. Audiologists are doctorate-level college graduates who help prevent, diagnose, and improve hearing loss and balance issues using a variety of advanced tools and diagnostic machines. Many audiologists also sell hearing aids, but audiologists do not perform surgery or prescribe medication. Ear-nose-and-throat doctors usually do those types of advanced treatments for hearing problems.
Salary And Job Outlook
Annual salaries average $37,370 to $74,530, depending on geographic location, employer, education and experience. Hearing aid specialists usually earn more in metropolitan areas, where the population is large and there is a significant percentage of elderly residents. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts job growth of around 6% through 2026, which is average growth compared to all other occupations.
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Hearing Aid Specialist Licensure
A hearing aid specialist is an individual licensed by DHEC to engage in the practice of measuring human hearing by an audiometer and by other established means for fitting, making selections, adaptations, or sale of hearing aids. It also includes the making of impressions for earmolds.
Temporary permits can be issued by DHEC to applicants in training to become a licensed hearing aid specialist. The temporary permit entitles the applicant to engage in the fitting and sale of hearing aids for one year. A licensed hearing aid specialist shall supervise and train the applicant, maintain adequate personal contact, and make quarterly reports to DHEC about the performance of the temporary permit holder.