title: Audiologists' professional satisfaction.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The authors surveyed currently practicing audiologists to evaluate their professional satisfaction and compared the results to a similar survey conducted in 1997.
  
  
  METHODS
  The authors repeated an audiologist professional satisfaction survey conducted in 1997; 382 randomly chosen, currently practicing audiologists participated. Responses to 38 statements were on a 5-point Likert scale (5 =   strong agreement with a statement, 1 =   strong disagreement with a statement). The respondent sample was broken down into demographic subgroups, and statements were divided into subgroups reflecting 6 core reward areas that contribute to overall professional satisfaction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean group satisfaction was 3.9 (  n = 382;   SD = 1.01), which has remained unchanged since 1997 (  p < .05). Private practice audiologists' mean group satisfaction of 4.31 (  n = 80,   SD = 0.78) was higher than for other practice settings (  p < .05). AuD private practice owners' mean group satisfaction of 4.52 (  n = 46,   SD = 0.66) was higher than for other degrees and practice settings (  p < .05). Core reward area ratings differed for AuD, MA/MS, and PhD degree holders (  p < .05). Correlations between the average core reward area ratings and mean group satisfaction met statistical significance (  p < .05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results have implications for goal setting and planning within the profession and for audiologists' career choices.
authors.affiliation: VA Medical Center, West Palm Beach, FL, USA. patricia.saccone@va.gov
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Saccone
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Steiger
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001298:Audiology; D002321:Career Choice; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012737:Sex Factors; D055815:Young Adult