Atlanta supports a well-developed audiology market serving a metropolitan population with significant hearing health needs across all age groups, from newborn hearing screening coordination through the vast senior demographic managing age-related hearing loss, tinnitus, and balance disorders. The city’s large geriatric population in affluent northern suburbs including Dunwoody, Sandy Springs, and Alpharetta creates particularly strong demand for hearing aid evaluation and fitting, cochlear implant candidacy assessment, and tinnitus management from independent audiology practices that can offer more personalized fitting and follow-up than retail hearing aid chains. Atlanta’s academic audiology infrastructure includes the Emory Audiology Program, which handles complex diagnostic cases including pediatric hearing loss evaluation, central auditory processing disorder testing, and vestibular assessment for balance disorders requiring instrumental evaluation. Georgia requires audiologists to hold a Doctor of Audiology (AuD) degree and pass the Praxis examination for state licensure, and board certification through the American Board of Audiology (ABA) represents an additional voluntary credential indicating advanced professional standing.
When selecting an audiologist in Atlanta, confirm that the provider holds a Doctor of Audiology (AuD) degree and active Georgia licensure, and look for board certification through the American Board of Audiology or Fellow of the American Academy of Audiology (FAAA) designation as quality indicators above the licensure minimum. Ask whether the practice is independently owned or affiliated with a hearing aid manufacturer or retail chain, since independent audiologists are generally free to recommend any manufacturer’s technology that best fits your hearing profile and lifestyle, while manufacturer-affiliated retail audiologists may be incentivized to fit their affiliated brands. For complex cases including pediatric hearing loss, cochlear implant evaluation, central auditory processing disorder, or vestibular disorders, an academic center audiology program like Emory’s offers access to specialized diagnostic equipment and subspecialty consultation. Red flags include practices that provide minimal audiometric testing before recommending hearing aids, offices that apply high-pressure sales tactics around hearing aid purchasing decisions, and audiologists who do not provide real-ear measurement verification of hearing aid fittings.
Top Audiologist Companies in Atlanta
1. Atlanta Hearing Associates
Address: 1713 Mount Vernon Road, Suite 4, Dunwoody, GA 30338 (main location)
Phone: (770) 394-9499
Website: https://www.hearatlanta.com
Hours: Monday–Thursday 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM, Friday 8:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Service Area: Dunwoody, Sandy Springs, Decatur, and surrounding Atlanta metro; five total office locations
Licenses & Certifications: All audiologists state licensed and members of national professional organizations; Sandy Springs office offers vestibular (VNG) testing
Services:
- Comprehensive hearing evaluations for all ages including pediatric
- Annual audiometric evaluations
- Hearing aid evaluation and fitting including Bluetooth and rechargeable devices
- Hearing aid repair for most makes and models
- Custom earmold impressions
- Cerumen (ear wax) removal
- Tinnitus evaluation and management
- Balance testing including Videonystagmography (VNG) at Sandy Springs
- Cochlear implant candidacy evaluation and post-implant programming
- Vestibular assessment including Epley Maneuver
About: Atlanta Hearing Associates provides the full scope of audiology services across five metropolitan Atlanta locations in Dunwoody, Sandy Springs, Decatur, Milledgeville, and Lake Oconee, making it one of the most geographically distributed independent audiology practices in the region. The practice partners with the physicians of Atlanta ENT to coordinate diagnosis and treatment of conditions that require both ENT physician care and audiological management, enabling patients to have hearing and ear problems addressed by coordinated specialists rather than navigating separate referral systems. The Sandy Springs office’s Videonystagmography (VNG) testing capability provides instrumental vestibular assessment for patients with balance disorders and dizziness, extending the practice’s scope beyond standard hearing care into the vestibular subspecialty that many audiology offices do not offer. The five-location structure provides metro-wide access for Atlanta patients from the northern suburbs through the Decatur and south metro areas.
2. Atlanta Hearing Doctor – Dr. Maria Wynens
Website: https://www.atlantahearingdoctor.com
Services:
- Comprehensive hearing testing
- Personalized hearing aid fittings
- Hearing aid repair for most makes and models
- Ongoing hearing care and follow-up
About: Dr. Maria Wynens has been helping patients in the Atlanta area hear better since 1988, establishing one of the longest-running independent audiology practices in the market built on personalized hearing testing and individualized hearing aid fitting rather than a high-volume retail model. The practice’s longevity across nearly four decades reflects a sustained track record of patient satisfaction in a field where patients typically maintain long-term relationships with their audiologist through ongoing device programming, maintenance, and follow-up audiometric monitoring. Dr. Wynens’ reputation for thorough hearing testing and personalized fitting care, rather than standardized device recommendations, distinguishes the practice from retail hearing aid chains where fitting protocols tend to be more standardized and time-constrained. The breadth of hearing aid repair capability across most makes and models makes the practice useful for patients who acquired hearing aids elsewhere and need ongoing repair and programming support.
3. Emory Audiology Program
Website: https://www.emoryhealthcare.org/centers-programs/audiology-program
Services:
- Comprehensive diagnostic hearing evaluations
- Pediatric hearing evaluation and management
- Hearing aid evaluation, fitting, and follow-up
- Cochlear implant evaluation and programming
- Central auditory processing disorder (CAPD) testing
- Vestibular and balance disorder assessment
- Tinnitus evaluation and sound therapy
- Aural rehabilitation
- Hearing conservation programs
About: The Emory Audiology Program operates within Emory Healthcare’s academic medical infrastructure, providing audiological services from diagnosis through rehabilitation with the subspecialty depth and diagnostic equipment access that comes with a major academic medical center affiliation. The program’s specially trained and uniquely qualified audiologists handle the full range of hearing and balance conditions with particular strength in complex cases requiring specialized diagnostic testing, cochlear implant candidacy and post-implant care, and coordination with Emory’s otolaryngology and neurology departments for patients whose hearing or balance disorders have a surgically or medically treatable cause. The academic setting also means Emory audiologists have access to the most current evidence on hearing technology, diagnostic protocols, and rehabilitation approaches through ongoing engagement with research literature and university training programs. Patients with complex pediatric hearing loss, treatment-refractory tinnitus, or balance disorders requiring multiple specialist coordination benefit most from the academic center model that Emory’s program provides.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: When should I see an audiologist versus my primary care doctor for hearing problems in Atlanta?
A: Your primary care doctor can provide an initial assessment and referral, but an audiologist is the appropriate specialist for any comprehensive hearing evaluation, hearing aid fitting, or diagnostic workup of tinnitus or balance disorders. If you notice gradual hearing loss over years, sudden hearing loss on one or both sides, persistent tinnitus, or balance and dizziness problems, an audiologist should conduct a full audiometric evaluation before any treatment decisions are made. Primary care physicians typically do not have the equipment for comprehensive audiometric testing, and the quick whisper test sometimes used in primary care is not sufficient for diagnosing or quantifying hearing loss. In Atlanta, most audiologists accept physician referrals and can see new patients within a few weeks, with urgent referral pathways for sudden hearing loss which is a medical emergency requiring evaluation within 24 to 48 hours.
Q: What does an audiology visit cost in Atlanta?
A: A comprehensive audiometric evaluation in Atlanta typically costs $150 to $400 without insurance. Most insurance plans, including Medicare Part B, cover diagnostic audiology evaluations when ordered by a physician for a specific medical indication, though routine hearing checkups without a medical referral may not be covered. Hearing aids are not covered by Medicare Part B, though some Medicare Advantage plans include a hearing aid benefit. Commercial insurance coverage for hearing aids varies widely, with some plans offering an allowance of $500 to $2,000 per pair every two to four years. Hearing aids in Atlanta typically cost $1,500 to $7,000 per pair depending on technology level, manufacturer, and the professional services included in the price, which should encompass fitting, verification, follow-up visits, and a trial period with return option.
Q: What is the difference between an audiologist and a hearing instrument specialist in Atlanta?
A: An audiologist in Georgia holds a Doctor of Audiology (AuD) degree representing four years of doctoral education following a bachelor’s degree, with clinical training across hearing loss diagnosis, balance disorders, cochlear implants, pediatric audiology, and full-scope audiological rehabilitation. A hearing instrument specialist holds a Georgia state license issued by the Georgia Board of Hearing Aid Dealers and Dispensers and is qualified to sell, fit, and dispense hearing aids, but does not have the diagnostic training to evaluate hearing loss causes, assess balance disorders, or fit cochlear implants. For most adults with straightforward age-related hearing loss, both an audiologist and a hearing instrument specialist can fit hearing aids competently. For pediatric hearing loss, balance disorders, cochlear implant evaluation, or any hearing condition with an unclear medical cause, an audiologist with AuD credentials is the appropriate provider rather than a hearing instrument specialist.
Conclusion
Atlanta’s audiology market gives patients access to independent doctoral-level audiological care across multiple geographic locations and clinical specialties. Atlanta Hearing Associates delivers comprehensive hearing, tinnitus, and vestibular care across five metro Atlanta offices with cochlear implant programming capability and vestibular testing at the Sandy Springs location. Atlanta Hearing Doctor brings nearly four decades of personalized independent audiology practice under Dr. Maria Wynens, with a reputation for thorough evaluation and individualized fitting. Emory Audiology Program provides academic center-level diagnostic depth and subspecialty coordination for complex hearing and balance cases including pediatric evaluation and cochlear implant management. Contact each practice to discuss your specific hearing concern, confirm insurance coverage, and schedule an evaluation.