Audiology job changes and attrition (Emanuel, 2025)

Purpose: This study examined the lived experiences of former audiologists to examine career journeys within and after audiology. The long-term goal of this research is to help academic audiologists create optimal ways to recruit future audiologists who will thrive in the profession and help the profession improve the lived experience of audiologists in the workplace, to improve retention.

Method: A qualitative (grounded theory) approach was used. Virtual interviews were completed by 28 participants (25 former audiologists, three in the departure planning stage).

Results: The theoretical model developed from audiologists’ career stories includes Origin Story, Audiology Career Story, and Post-Audiology Story. Three main themes are described as part of the Audiology Career Story: Link Between Family & Career, Confluence of Experiences, and Self-Evolution & Pondering Change. The Confluence of Experiences subthemes were as follows: Wanting More, Bad Management, Compensation, Lack of Desirable Jobs, Burnout & Workload, Desire for Flexibility, and Sales Emphasis. This model suggests there are complex and interconnected reasons why audiologists change jobs within audiology and leave the profession. The most common post-audiology position was that of full-time, at-home caregiver (n = 5). For those employed in the workforce, most stayed in health care–related professions and 73% reported post-audiology compensation was equal to or greater than compensation as an audiologist.

Conclusions: Personal and professional factors, and connections among these factors, influence the lived experiences of former audiologists. Awareness of former audiologists’ career stories provide insights that may help the profession improve recruitment and retention.

Supplemental Material S1. Origin story, audiology story, and post-audiology story themes, sub-themes, and a sample of exemplar quotes.

Emanuel, D. C. (2025). Factors influencing audiology job changes and attrition: An interview study. American Journal of Audiology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1044/2025_AJA-24-00209