With the growth in the elderly population meaning a probable increase in the number of people with hearing problems, the need for trained hearing specialists is definitely on the rise.

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That's the job of an audiologist.

"Audiologists are concerned with the assessment and evaluation of hearing loss and disorders,'' says Joseph Kozelsky, owner and director of Webster Hearing Center. "They also deal with the non-medical rehabilitation of hearing problems.''

They select and fit devices both for hearing remediation, such as hearing aids, and for the prevention of hearing loss with a variety of protective devices.

Audiologists also work in educational settings, providing basic testing, and implementing programs for hearing assistance in classrooms.

Others do consulting on hearing conservation and protection in the workplace.

"When I began practicing there were very few ways of measuring hearing sensitivity. That has changed,'' says Kozelsky, who has worked as an audiologist since 1970.

He says auditory levels use to be very difficult to determine especially when dealing with young children and the mentally retarded, because of the difficulty communicating.

One type of measurement available today is auditory brain response, which monitors brain waves and their reaction to different sounds.

A survey taken by Sarah Slater of the American Speech Language Hearing Association, indicates nearly 40 percent of audiologists' patients are over the age of 65 and that audiologists see an average of 119 patients per month.

To become a certified clinical audiologist, requirements include a master's degree in audiology from an accredited school, a nine-month postgraduate fellowship and completion of a national standardized exam in audiology.

In New York, audiologists must also be licensed to practice by the state education department, says Kozelsky. A renewal is required every three years.

Kozelsky estimates that there are about 25,000 audiologists practicing in the United States. Approximately 40 percent of those work in private practice, according to ASHA.

Figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occu-pational Outlook Handbook indicate that the field will grow from 20 to 30 percent through 2006. According to a 1997 survey from ASHA the average annual salary for full-time audiologists is about $43,000.