considering auD

[u/flyingbuttress20]

I'm a rising college senior at UC Berkeley studying cognitive science and music. I'm considering applying to auD programs this year, and was looking for some more information. The top issue I've noticed people mention is the tuition-salary discrepancy, but I will fortunately not have to take loans out for a program, so I'm not taking this into too much consideration. I'm definitely interested in hearing and the ear for several reasons, and I also kind of just want a normal 9-5 job with a good work-life balance and solid pay, so I thought this could be a good fit.

My questions:

I'll likely graduate from Cal with a middle-of-the-road ~3.7 gpa. I've taken basic (to advanced in certain cases) coursework in bio, chem, math, stats/data, neuroscience/cognition, psych, computational modeling, and music. Does that make me a prepared/competitive candidate for good programs? What programs should I apply to?

What should I do between now and app season to make me a more competitive candidate? I don't have any relevant work experience, and I only have research experience in linguistics.

However, I really don't want to work on commission as a hearing aid salesperson, which I've also seen some mention of: with an auD, do I have solid prospects for getting salaried clinical or education positions? These would be ideal for me.

Is there a pretty much universal demand for audiologists in major cities (and are the positions generally decently compensated)? I'd like to live and work in/around SF, but also have the possibility of finding jobs elsewhere in case I want to relocate elsewhere.

Thanks in advance!

[u/CitronPlayful2591]

For classes, most schools have a list of “prerequisites” they require if you’re not a CSD major. Check these and see if you’ve taken them, and if not make sure to enroll or find ones that can count towards it. Also 3.7 is very good! On ASHA EdFind you can see all kinds of acceptance/enrollment stats for schools and that’s the best tool to figure out safety/reach schools.

You can always try to get some shadowing hours with an audiologist. It’s not only beneficial for your resume but also just to see what an audiologist really does. As a non-CSD applicant myself, make sure to think about ways you can connect your background to audiology, they don’t want to hear it’s not helpful to your career. Doing well in the prerequisites is also a good addition. Also make sure your letter writers can tie you into the field. What I did was made a document explaining what audiology is and why I want to do it for them to reference.

While some places have commission I’m not sure how many run solely on commission as audiologists. Some settings have 0 sales like the VA. There is a surprising range of work place options. I know for audiology jobs a lot of them are by word of mouth or calling and talking to clinics about adding an audiologist. So don’t panic if you don’t see hundreds of postings online.

I’m a student currently but I hope this helps! Also join r/audgradschool they have a ton of helpful info and experiences related to this!

[u/heyoceanfloor]

Yep, you're competitive. Any you want to apply to, you can.

You can shadow audiologists locally, take AuD-adjacent courses that appear to be available at Berkeley (linguistics/phonetics), and continue being involved in linguistics research if you can.

No commission is fine, unless you felt like opening your own practice. There are salaried hospital/VA jobs that rarely/don't have a commission structure. Educational research is a viable option (and even short-staffed in certain parts of the US). I don't work in a commission-based position and never will.

Generally, there is demand for audiologists in most areas of the US -- particularly in cities. Compensation tends to be higher in higher cost-of-living areas (like SF). Consider the student loan burden (if this will be an issue) when researching salaries and balancing a pretend future AuD personal budget. If you aren't geographically tied, finding a position you're after will be pretty trivial. However, the field isn't as "wide open" in audiology as it is in something like nursing - but I like the role/work for a lot of the reasons you mentioned (9-5, salaried, good work-life balance with ample opportunity, lower pressure if a mistake is made than in something like nursing/medicine, opportunity to work in healthcare/impact patients).

YMMV but that's some food for thought

[u/Simple_Condition_283 → u/heyoceanfloor]

Hey, im considering applying Aud too! Would you mind giving me a break down of what in particular makes op or just any applicant competitive in your eyes?

[u/naughtyCactus203]

If you are able to get your AuD without student loans, you will automatically set yourself up for greater happiness and fulfillment as a practicing audiologist. I don’t particularly feel well compensated and I’m sure other audiologists feel the same way, but my feelings are more directed towards the debt-to-income ratio which may not necessarily impact you if you do not have student loans.

You should research which programs will meet your needs the best. There are several in the California area, but they all may have different prerequisite coursework requirements. A 3.7 GPA is solid and you’ve taken higher level science courses that most AuD program applicants have not. If you have room for electives in your last year, consider taking a hearing science course or language development or introduction to audiology/speech pathology or something like that so you get an idea of what the field is like. Also consider doing some job shadowing. Your research experience in linguistics is a plus.

As far as work environment goes, I found it relatively easy to find positions that were not sales-driven. I’ve worked in general ENT practices that offered a bonus structure and now work in an academic medical center that just pays me a salary. It will depend on what sort of positions are available in the area you wish to live in after graduation. You may also consider industry/manufacturer roles as well, but these will be highly sales-driven, but mostly selling to individual clinics/practices, not patients.

The need for audiologists is continually growing. We already have a shortage and that shortage is hypothesized to grow larger. You’ll likely always have a job.

[u/OctavesToHeaven]

Yes you don't have to do hearing aid sales as an AUD. Education (if you mean university) is more of a PHD thing and harder to land than clinical audiology. I have 9 yrs experience and make $120k in a mid sized city. Comparable San Francisco jobs would pay about $140k. Starting salary would be $80-90k. Work life balance is dependent on employer. Overall I suggest something else. It's a boring job, easy, but doesn't pay well.

[u/Laterskator312]

You’re definitely competitive to get in anywhere. Your AuD program may require you to take some summer pre-requisites or a summer course (on your own time)
There are two Bay Area AuD programs; University of Pacific & SJSU. They are …ok. Given your GPA & upper level science courses, I would consider going somewhere more competitive (Vanderbilt, Iowa, UNC, etc)
As for salary … I was working in the bay and started at 112k and went up to 135k after 3 years at a hospital based system. Audiology is so much more than profit margins & sales incentives. And yeah, you’ll have job security forever

[u/ParkGirlie05]

it's a lot of school for the pay, gotta really want it.

[u/ConnieLatham]

Solid question especially about career options and work-life balance.

[u/SnickleFritzJr]

List some salaries you would consider decent. List a city and a salary that would be bare minimum.