How much do hearing aids cost in 2026?

How much do hearing aids cost?

In HearingTracker’s latest survey of more than 1,100 hearing-aid purchasers, the average price paid was $2,694 a pair (down from $4,672 in 2018). But, the price can vary from $20 to over $8,500 a pair, depending on a variety of factors.

Factors that influence hearing aid cost:

1. OTC vs Prescription: Over-the-counter hearing aids can cost as little as $20 per pair, according to our survey. The average price paid for OTC was $502 per pair vs $3,432 for a prescription pair (private pay only—includes Costco).
2. Costco: Costco offers advanced hearing aids, often (but not always) the latest generation technology, for substantially less than other prescription hearing aid retailers. On average, customers saved ~65% on brands from leading manufacturers like Sonova, GN, and WSA. A pair of hearing aids averaged $1,674 at Costco versus over $5,225 for similar technology at traditional clinics.
3. Insurance: Those who purchase traditional prescription hearing aids with healthcare insurance save an average of 32% or $1,694 on premium-tier products and more (51%) when purchasing mid-tier products.
4. Technology level: When purchasing prescription hearing aids, manufacturers typically offer three or more technology tiers per hearing aid model. Low-end hearing aids averaged $2,150 a pair while top-end hearing aids came in over $3,000 more on average, at $5,225 a pair.

About the respondents

Through our survey efforts, HearingTracker was able to generate over 2,300 survey responses in 2025, with 1,733 quality US responses. Of that, we identified 1,112 hearing aid owners. For the price analysis in this article, we focus on U.S.-based pair purchases with a reported price (N=879) and exclude hearing aids obtained through the VA. Demographic analysis includes VA respondents.

Income and employment status

We asked our followers about their pre-tax household income and current employment status, which helped us to get a better idea about our survey sample. The reported pre-tax household income for our sample skews middle-to-upper-middle income compared to national averages, while the reported employment status of our sample is more in line with an aging cohort (more than half of the group is retired).

Hearing loss severity

Survey respondents covered the full spectrum of hearing loss, but purchasers skewed toward more significant loss than non-purchasers. Among purchasers, moderate hearing loss was most common (55.7%), followed by severe (36.5%) and profound (11.2%); a smaller share reported mild loss (16.8%) and very few were not sure (1.3%).

In contrast, non-purchasers were far more likely to describe their loss as mild (43.8%) or moderate (42.2%), with relatively small shares reporting severe (6.6%) or profound (2.7%). Non-purchasers were also more likely to be uncertain about their severity (6.6%) or report no hearing loss (1.1%).

History of hearing aid use

Our respondents include a mix of newer and long-time hearing aid wearers. About 28% report 10+ years of experience (including 19% with 15+ years), while 28% are in their first two years—a spread that’s broadly consistent with large market surveys showing roughly half of hearing aid owners are first-time buyers in the U.S. (e.g., ~51% in 2022 and ~58% in 2025 for traditional hearing aids).

This pattern also lines up with typical upgrade behavior: EuroTrak reports commonly find a median replacement interval around ~5–6 years (with currently owned devices averaging ~3–4 years old in several countries), which naturally produces a big share of owners who are still relatively early in their hearing-aid “journey,” alongside a meaningful cohort of long-term users.

First purchase delay

In our survey, many respondents moved relatively quickly from noticing hearing difficulty to getting their first hearing aids: 54.1% acted within 2 years (median 2 years, mean 3.4 years), including 25.7% who purchased within the first year. This is slightly faster than what MarkeTrak 2025 reports for the broader U.S. market, where it takes about 4 years on average to get a hearing aid after becoming aware of hearing difficulty.

Hearing aid purchase trends

We asked our followers how many hearing aids they purchased (one or two), what brand and model of hearing aids they purchased, what level of technology they purchased, and what features their hearing aids came with. The bulk majority purchased a pair (84.4%) of hearing aids. This finding lines up closely with historical trends (and current market data) of binaural (both ear) fittings, as reported by hearing professionals.

Technology level purchased

The concept of technology levels will be new for many readers. Generally speaking, prescription hearing aids come in a variety of technology levels, with higher technology levels representing the cutting edge of what each hearing aid manufacturer has to offer in terms of features and functionality. As you might expect, higher technology levels come at a higher price point.

We asked our followers which level of technology they purchased (top-end, mid-range, or low-end). Excluding OTCs, which generally don't come in various technology levels, the majority (50.1%) reported purchasing top-end hearing aids. This is down slightly from 54% in our previous 2018 survey.

Interestingly, when insurance was involved, people tended to purchase mid-range hearing aids at a slightly higher frequency with one-third purchasing mid-range in the private pay market and almost half (49.7%) purchasing mid-range with insurance. Based on the data collected, it seems this may be related to greater insurance savings (over $2,000 on average) for mid-range devices.

Brand of hearing aid purchased

The results of our survey show that Phonak is the most popular hearing aid brand among respondents (22.6%), followed by Oticon (11.9%), ReSound (6.5%), and Starkey (5.7%). Jabra and Beltone tied for fifth place (5.2% each), with Signia close behind (5.0%). Kirkland Signature, Costco's private-label brand (Costco no longer sells KS brand hearing aids), accounted for 2.4% of purchases.

Prices varied significantly by brand. Premium brands like Widex ($4,185 avg), Phonak ($4,132), Starkey ($3,893), and Oticon ($3,840) commanded the highest prices, typically ranging from $3,300 to $4,600 per pair. Other premium brands like ReSound ($3,327), Signia ($3,256), and Miracle Ear ($2,788) fell in the $2,800–$3,300 range in our sample.

Several brands offered considerable savings. Costco's Kirkland Signature averaged $1,377 per pair, while Jabra ($1,552), Rexton ($1,566), and Philips ($1,696) all came in under $1,700. Notably, Jabra and Rexton are manufactured by the same parent companies as ReSound and Signia respectively, suggesting these value brands may offer comparable technology at reduced prices. OTC brands like Audien averaged just $150 per pair, though these devices typically lack professional fitting and advanced features found in prescription hearing aids.

Brand purchased vs U.S. market share

To put these brand results in context, the prescription hearing aid market remains highly consolidated: recent industry/investor overviews typically estimate that five manufacturers—Sonova, WS Audiology, Demant, GN, and Starkey—collectively account for ~90%+ of global volume, even though consumers see dozens of brand names.

When we roll our brand responses up to parent companies, the pattern broadly reflects those same competitive dynamics. For example, Sonova-owned brands in our survey (Phonak + Unitron + Sennheiser) total 25.2%, which lines up with recent estimates putting Sonova in the mid-20s to low-30s globally. GN brands (ReSound + Beltone + Jabra) total 16.9%, consistent with estimates that place GN in the low-to-mid teens. Demant-linked brands in our list (Oticon + Sonic + Philips) total 17.3%—and Philips is manufactured under Demant’s license arrangement.

Who's behind the brand?

To an outsider, the hearing industry looks like a vibrant marketplace, full of independent brands and retailers. But beneath the surface, much of that apparent diversity is controlled by a small number of global companies, many of which own multiple hearing aid brands, retail chains, and distribution channels. See if you can identify who makes your hearing aids by referring to the map below:

Price by place of purchase

Hearing aid prices vary significantly by where you buy. Local audiology clinics and private practices averaged $3,601 per pair (~$1,800 per device), while national chains like Miracle Ear and Beltone came in slightly lower at $3,403 (~$1,700 per device). Hospital and university clinics were actually the most expensive at $3,941 per pair (~$1,971 per device), while ENT offices averaged $2,701 (~$1,351 per device).

Costco remains the value leader among in-person retailers at $1,674 per pair (~$837 per device)—less than half the price of traditional clinics.

Online purchases varied widely depending on service level. Purchases that included professional fitting (through retailers like ZipHearing or Hear.com) averaged $2,643 per pair (~$1,322 per device). Purchases without professional fitting—including OTC devices from Amazon, Audien, and similar retailers—averaged just $922 per pair (~$461 per device).

The Costco Effect

Costco currently offers hearing aids from four brands: Philips, Jabra, Rexton, and Sennheiser. In our survey, all four came in between $1,442 and $1,700 per pair—far below the $3,500–$4,500 typical of premium brands at traditional clinics.

Philips ($1,696 avg) is effectively a Costco exclusive within the United States. Jabra, Rexton, and Sennheiser are also available through other channels—Jabra and Sennheiser as OTC options, and Rexton through traditional retailers—though pricing remains comparable for Jabra and Sennheiser regardless of where purchased.

Costco Prices

Many will ask how modern hearing aid technology from leading manufacturers can be purchased for less at Costco. The answer is complex, but to the best of my understanding it comes down to these three factors:

• Volume purchasing and limited brand/model options - Costco’s current estimated market share is >15% of all U.S. hearing aid sales. Costco runs hundreds of hearing centers and typically carries a small, curated set of models, which lets them negotiate much lower wholesale pricing than independent clinics.
• Low overheads - Costco’s “shop in shop” model means lower overheads compared to traditional brick and mortar shops. We also see (below) that Costco employs a higher ratio of hearing instrument dispensers, which could translate to lower average salaries for their hearing professionals.
• Operational efficiency: The Costco model is designed for high volume and repeatable workflows (limited models, standardized fittings, centralized supply chain), which reduces cost per fitting compared with lower-volume, higher-touch boutique models.

Audiologist versus Hearing Instrument Specialist

We asked respondents whether a hearing healthcare professional was involved in their fitting, and if so, what type. In our sample, 62% were fitted by an audiologist, 21% by a hearing instrument specialist (HIS), 10% had no professional involved, and 6% weren't sure which type of professional fitted their hearing aids.

Price by professional type

The price difference between audiologists and HIS varies significantly depending on insurance status. For private-pay customers, those fitted by an audiologist paid an average of $4,110 per pair compared to $2,369 for those fitted by an HIS—a difference of roughly $1,740 per pair (~$870 per device). However, for customers with insurance coverage, the gap narrows considerably: $2,351 for audiologist fittings versus $2,017 for HIS fittings—a difference of just $334 per pair (~$167 per device).

However, looking deeper into the data, we found that hearing instrument specialists at non-Costco locations charge similar rates to audiologists. Among private-pay customers at traditional channels, audiologists averaged $4,542 per pair compared to $3,815 for HIS—a difference of about $727 (~$363 per device). The much larger gap in overall averages is driven by Costco, where 43% of HIS fittings occurred versus just 6% of audiologist fittings.

Audiologists were far more likely to work at local clinics (82%), ENT offices (83%), and hospital or university settings (91%). At Costco, the pattern reversed—69% of fittings were performed by hearing instrument specialists.

What's changed since 2018?

The most surprising finding is that traditional clinic prices haven’t changed much since 2018. In our 2018 survey, readers paid $4,672 per pair on average. In late 2025, people buying from traditional clinics without insurance still paid about $4,727 per pair. The reason the overall average fell to $2,694 is that more buyers are shifting into lower-cost channels (Costco/OTC/online) and more purchases involve insurance.

Satisfaction with hearing aids by channel

Across most purchase channels in our survey, the customer experience is surprisingly consistent. Traditional clinics (with or without insurance), Costco, the VA, and other channels all cluster around ~77–82% satisfaction, and ~77–88% of respondents say their hearing aids are helpful in daily life. That “about 8-in-10 satisfied” pattern is broadly in line with national benchmarks like the MarkeTrak 2022 survey, which reports that more than 80% of hearing-aid owners are satisfied and that overall satisfaction does not appreciably vary by fitting channel.

In terms of willingness to recommend a provider, Costco stood out. While overall satisfaction was comparable to traditional clinics, 90% of Costco respondents would recommend their provider versus 79% at traditional clinics—a statistically significant difference (p<0.01). Costco's high provider recommendation likely reflects both its low-pressure sales model and strong value perception—85% of Costco buyers rated value as good or excellent versus just 59-71% at traditional clinics.

Our VA respondents also reported strong outcomes—especially for daily benefit (88% say their hearing aids are helpful day to day). That pattern aligns with earlier comparative research finding that VA patients reported more satisfaction after fitting than similar patients seen in private practice (Cox & Alexander, 2005).

Satisfaction with OTC hearing aids

OTC outcomes vary dramatically depending on the level of professional support. Among the 50 budget OTC buyers in our sample (devices under $400, typically purchased on Amazon or from brands like Audien), satisfaction was markedly lower: just 48% were satisfied, 42% found their aids helpful daily, and only 42% would recommend them.

But the 7 respondents who purchased Jabra Enhance—an OTC brand with a high-touch telehealth model that includes professional audiology services—reported outcomes comparable to traditional clinics: 71% satisfied, 86% found their aids helpful daily, and 86% would recommend them. That's a striking gap, though the small sample size warrants caution.

This pattern aligns with broader evidence that professional support matters even in the OTC channel. MarkeTrak 25, found that OTC users who reported using some professional services were more likely to be satisfied than those who went completely DIY. And in a randomized trial where a self-fitting OTC hearing aid included remote support, outcomes at 6 weeks were comparable to an audiologist best-practices fitting (De Sousa et al., JAMA Otolaryngology 2023).

OTC product quality: budget vs premium devices

It’s also important to point out that the Jabra vs. budget-OTC gap probably isn’t just about support. The products themselves are in completely different tiers. Independent lab research testing a wide range of hearing devices found a clear pattern: devices below roughly $500 tended to have consistently poor sound quality, while performance improved sharply as prices approached ~$1,000 and then leveled off. In plain terms, once you get below a certain price point, you’re often dealing with real limitations in the microphones, processing power, feedback control, and overall acoustic design—things that are hard to “fix” with settings alone.

That context helps interpret our survey results. Our budget OTC group (median $110) sits far below that threshold, where many products may simply not have the hardware or signal processing needed to perform reliably day to day. Jabra Enhance (median $1,695) is well above it, which likely means a more capable and more adjustable device—one that can be fine-tuned to the user’s hearing loss and preferences with much better odds of success. So the higher satisfaction we saw with Jabra likely reflects both the added professional support and the fact that users are starting with more capable, more tuneable hardware.

How to save money on hearing aids

Hearing aids are expensive. However, there are some very basic things that you can do to save money on hearing aids. These are the 7 things you can do to save money on your next hearing aid purchase.

1. Call your insurance company.

More and more insurance companies are adding coverage for hearing treatment and/or hearing aids and many insurance companies are using managed care companies to provide hearing aid discounts to their members. Just be careful with managed care; you may be able to negotiate a better price directly with a local clinic if you forego your managed care benefit.

2. Don’t upgrade your hearing aids. Get them re-calibrated.

If you think the newest hearing aids will provide you a substantially better hearing outcome, think again. People generally only notice small improvements with each new technology that hits the market. Unless there is a major feature change that would benefit you directly, changing every 1-2 years is a waste of money. Instead, focus on finding a provider that can maximize the programming of your current hearing aids as your hearing changes. This includes re-checking your hearing and re-running Real Ear Measurements (REMs). For more details, see my article, When to Upgrade: How Often Should I Replace My Hearing Aids.

3. Buy lower-level or OTC technology.

One of the benefits of continuous technology improvements is that older features make their way into lower levels of technology. A well-programmed lower-level set of hearing aids will most likely perform better than a premium level of hearing aids that aren’t programmed well (the fitting means more than the product), and premium technologies don’t always yield superior performance over basic ones. Additionally, there are now some good over-the-counter hearing aids for people with mild-to-moderate hearing loss.

4. Finance your hearing aids and spread your payments over time.

Not everyone has thousands of dollars laying around to spend on hearing treatment. However, nearly every hearing aid clinic you find should have some form of low-interest or no-interest patient financing to make hearing aids affordable if you’re on a budget. Also consider looking into HSA / FSA accounts for tax breaks on hearing aids. Another option is subscription hearing aids where your payments are monthly, and in some cases, you can get regularly updated technology.

5. Buy your hearing aids online and get them programmed by an audiologist.

If you can’t find a brick and mortar clinic that provides you an affordable hearing aid option, try checking online. While a hearing aid purchased online likely won’t give you the maximum hearing benefit, it is definitely better than nothing. You may also be able to have those hearing aids serviced by a local professional as well. If you are considering going this route, make sure you watch The 7 things you should know before buying hearing aids online, and know that some online retailers sell devices with no local face-to-face support, while others sell (often with the same pricing) the same devices with local support included. Again, the gold standard is to purchase comprehensive support and service from a local provider, typically included in a “bundled” hearing aid purchase.

6. Go to a clinic that unbundles the cost of devices from their professional services.

Unbundled clinics separate the cost of hearing aids from the costs of services. This can help to curb the upfront costs of hearing treatment and let you pay for services as you go. While you will have to pay for each visit you make to the hearing clinic, you won’t be spending money on services you never receive.

7. Buy second-hand and refurbished hearing aids

While we do not recommend this route, it is possible to buy second-hand and refurbished hearing aids from online companies that specialize in refurbished hearing aids—or embark on a far riskier path to get them from other online marketplaces. We strongly advise against the latter for many reasons, including they may be stolen!

Refurbished hearing aids may be an economical option...or not. That's because you will still need to pay for a hearing test and the device reprogramming—that is, if you can find a professional willing to work on second-hand hearing aids. Additionally, if the devices are too outdated or if the software is "locked" (as with Beltone, Sam's Club, Audibel, and some other brands), they will not be able to help you. In most cases, you'll have no trial period and no recourse if they don't work. For these reasons, we generally think refurbished aids are "iffy" at best.

The Bottom Line

Cost should never be a reason to forgo hearing treatment. With all the negative consequences of untreated hearing loss, you can’t afford to leave your hearing loss untreated. With these six ways to save money on hearing aids, you should be able to get hearing treatment at a price that you can afford.

Also see our articles, A Guide to Paying for Hearing Aids, Financing Hearing Aids, and Hearing Aid Donation, Assistance, and Charity Programs.