What should I pay my Audiology Assistant? It's one of the most common questions I hear. The answer isn't so easy. According to Payscale.com, the median salary for an Audiology Assistant is $14.00 per hour or roughly $29,000 per year. But, the actual salary that you decide on will depend on a few things:
Your Location
An Audiology Assistant in rural Georgia will have a much different salary than an Audiology Assistant in San Francisco. To determine what an acceptable wage is in your area, look at the salaries being offered for Medical Assistants without certification. This will give you a good idea for a starting point.
The Candidate's Education
Audiology Assistants who have obtained certification or who have some sort of higher education experience have larger salaries than those without. The requirements for education and/or certification vary by state. ASHA has a great resource on what each state requires for minimum educational experience. You can find it here. Most states will list the requirements under "Support Staff" and the requirements can vary depending on the type of employment (school vs. private clinic).
Amount of Experience
The more experience the candidate has, the higher their beginning salary will be. The type of previous experience will also help to determine the salary that you offer. For instance, someone coming from another clinic with even a year of experience will have valuable assets to offer your clinic. In particular, the training for such a person will be much easier than someone who might simply have previous experience in an allied health position. Or, consider this scenario: Suppose your candidate has finished a Bachelor's degree in Speech and Hearing Sciences but is unsure of whether or not to continue to the Au.D. program. The education that they received in their undergraduate course of study will be invaluable toward getting them acclimated to your hearing clinic.
The Job Description
The more responsibilities your Audiology Assistant has, the greater their salary should be. Determine your Audiology Assistant's job description prior to beginning your search for the ideal candidate. If you are unsure of what an Audiology Assistant Job Description should entail, I've written a full Audiology Assistant Protocol that will be helpful in determining what your Audiology Assistant can and cannot do. Click here for a preview of the Audiology Assistant Best Practices Protocol.
With a little planning and a bit of research, you can be confident that you can offer a great opportunity to your new team member. Adding an Audiology Assistant to your practice, no matter the size, can become one of the best decisions you've ever made.