Australia has a shortage of audiologists nationwide, according to Jobs and Skills Australia’s latest data, but audiometry bodies dispute the agency’s claim that there is no shortage of audiometrists.
The Australian Government agency also said there were shortages of otolaryngologists in all states but sufficient ear, nose and throat (ENT) surgeons in Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory (Canberra).
Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA) is an independent government agency that provides the government with expert advice on the nation’s current, emerging, and future workforce and skills needs. Its reports provide a ‘point-in-time’ assessment of occupations shortages in the Australian labour market.
Its latest data from 2024 and 2025 was updated on 28 July 2025. It was the first edition of a new job classification standard, the Occupation Standard Classification for Australia (OSCA) which replaces the former Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO).
JSA said that in 2024 and 2025 there were shortages of audiologists nationwide and in every Australian state and territory but no shortages of audiometrists nationwide or in any state or territory.
The Australian College of Audiology incorporating the Hearing Aid Audiology Society of Australia (ACAud inc. HAASA), disputed this point, stating there was an audiometrist shortage in rural areas.
Conclusion doesn’t reflect lived reality
ACAud inc. HAASA is the only professional membership body representing audiologists and audiometrists in Australia, with most members being audiometrists.
“The latest Jobs and Skills shortage list suggests there is no shortage of audiometrists in Australia,” ACAud inc. HAASA told HPA. “That conclusion doesn’t reflect the lived reality in rural and regional practices.”
Mr Mark Paton, ACAud inc. HAASA board member with extensive experience in rural and regional practice, added: “Most rural audiology businesses have essentially given up trying to attract clinicians. They would certainly employ anyone who was available but they tend to just work harder and do it themselves.”
ACAud inc. HAASA said that, in practice, smaller providers often invested heavily in training their own staff, only to face the risk that those newly skilled clinicians leave for metropolitan centres.
“Larger employers, meanwhile, continue to run international recruitment programs precisely because they cannot fill rural and provincial roles locally,” it said.
“This disconnect highlights a deeper issue: the data may not be asking the right people about gaps in the profession. On paper, the workforce looks sufficient. On the ground, however, the shortage is felt acutely in communities outside the cities, where access to hearing care is most needed.
“Ahpra’s new regulation of audiologists — which excludes audiometrists — is already having negative consequences in rural communities, worsening an already difficult situation.”
AuCA says data could be skewed
The Australasian College of Audiometry (AuCA), a Registered Training Organisation for audiometrists, also disputed there were enough audiometrists, suggesting JSA’s data could be skewed due to the new audiometrist classification scheme.
Mr Chedy Kalach, AuCA managing director, said JSA asked those advertising for positions to complete a survey to see if their ads were successful and asked about their employment history. “The hit rate for such surveys is very low, and I know large employers from other fields are never approached to complete the survey,” he said. “The survey is open for a short period of time and doesn’t have great reach, making the data unreliable. I haven’t found the data behind this, but I suspect the data sample size is not valid.”
Kalach said that, more importantly, the ANZSCO code had changed to OSCA recently, debuting the newly created audiometrist standard through OSCA.
“Previously audiometrists were classified under medical technicians which included audiometrists, dialysis technicians, electroencephalographic technicians, mortuary technicians, ophthalmic technicians, respiratory technicians, orthotic and prosthetic technicians, perfusionists, and renal and sleep technicians,” he said.
“This was a vast range of professions and industries, with some having shortages and others not, hence the data wasn’t specific.”
Looking at the history of the new audiometrist OSCA standard, he believed JSA may have used the previous data for medical technicians.
“I’ll be waiting for mid 2026 data to be released as that will give us a better understanding,” Kalach said.
Upskilling fills many audiometry roles
He said many audiometry roles were filled by upskilling current front of house staff to become audiometrists so there weren’t as many job adverts for audiometrists as jobs being filled compared to audiologists being hired.
Ms Heather Joseph, AuCA general manager, said it was difficult to read from parameters used by JSA. “I expect that audiologists are definitely advertised for much more than audiometrists,” she said. “Most of our students are already working in hearing clinics with audiometry used as an opportunity for people who are working in administration or reception to progress their career and become audiometrists.
“Not everyone is able to take two years full time to complete a Master’s degree in audiology so audiometry fills this gap to support the industry but often flies under the radar as it’s not regularly advertised outside of the clinic.”
Joseph said that, with an aging population, the hearing industry would need more clinicians and if there was a job shortage in audiology, it made sense that there was also a shortage of audiometrists, albeit not recognised.
JSA obtains data from sources including surveys like the Recruitment Experiences and Outlook Survey where employers are surveyed about labour market conditions. It analyses online job ads and uses data from government agencies and other organisations including the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
