Occupational Noise Exposure Statistics 2026
This page collects figures on noise at work: how many workers are exposed and in which industries and jobs, how many show hearing damage on tests, how many cases employers record, what workers' compensation and veterans' benefit claims look like, and how often workers wear hearing protection. Most figures are for the United States, with data from Great Britain, Australia and the European Union. The newest figures describe 2024 and 2025; core US exposure and hearing protection estimates come from the 2014 National Health Interview Survey and are labeled with their years.
By the HearSmart research desk · Updated November 7, 2026 · 52 numbers drawn from 16 publishers and reports
Short answer
About 22 million to 27 million US workers are exposed to hazardous noise each year, according to OSHA and NIOSH, with exposure highest in mining (61%), construction (51%) and manufacturing (47%). 53% of noise-exposed US workers did not wear hearing protection consistently in 2014, and US workers' compensation claims for hearing loss cost an estimated $60 million a year. In Europe, 17% of EU workers report frequent loud noise at work (EU-OSHA), and Great Britain's HSE estimates 15,000 workers a year have work-related hearing problems.
Headline numbers
- 27 millionNIOSH estimates that about 27 million US workers are exposed to hazardous noise at work each year.National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
- 61%Mining had the highest share of noise-exposed workers of any US industry in 2014 at 61%, followed by construction at 51% and manufacturing at 47%.American Journal of Industrial Medicine
- 58%58% of hearing difficulty among US workers in 2014 could be attributed to occupational noise exposure.American Journal of Industrial Medicine
- 14,500US private employers recorded 14,500 work-related hearing loss cases in 2019.U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- $60 millionUS workers' compensation claims for occupational hearing loss cost an estimated $60 million a year in 2009 to 2013, in 2013 dollars, within a range of $49 million to $67 million.Seminars in Hearing
- 3,583,2953,583,295 US veterans were compensated for service-connected tinnitus in fiscal year 2025, the most common disability among all VA compensation recipients.U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
- 15,000An estimated 15,000 workers in Great Britain had hearing problems caused or made worse by work each year, averaged over 2022/23 to 2024/25.Health and Safety Executive
- 53%53% of noise-exposed US workers did not use hearing protection consistently in 2014, meaning they wore it half the time or less.American Journal of Industrial Medicine
Reading the numbers
Noise is one of the most widespread hazards at work. NIOSH puts the number of exposed US workers at about 27 million a year and OSHA cites 22 million, and a quarter of current workers say they have been exposed at some point. The hazard is concentrated: in the 2014 National Health Interview Survey, 61% of mining workers, 51% of construction workers and 47% of manufacturing workers reported noise exposure. In Europe, EU-OSHA reports that 17% of workers are often or always exposed to loud noise, and almost 60% of construction, waste and utility workplaces list noise as a risk.
The damage shows up on hearing tests. CDC found some hearing impairment in 13% of noise-exposed workers tested in 2003 to 2012, and a 2024 NIOSH study in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine found hearing loss in 25% of noise-exposed utility workers, above the 20% rate across all industries. NIOSH says about 1 in 9 US workers has hearing difficulty, and a 2018 analysis in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine attributed 58% of that difficulty to noise at work.
Official counts capture only a fraction of this. BLS recorded 14,500 hearing loss cases in US private industry in 2019, three quarters in manufacturing, and a study in Seminars in Hearing estimated about 4,965 workers' compensation claims a year costing $60 million. Australia logs about 4,700 claims a year, Queensland alone accepted 9,501 in a decade, and Great Britain's disablement benefit assessed just 50 new deafness cases in 2024 against an HSE survey estimate of 15,000 affected workers. The largest pool is military: the VA compensated 3.58 million veterans for tinnitus and 1.69 million for hearing loss in fiscal year 2025.
Prevention depends on consistent hearing protection, and that is where the gap is widest. 53% of noise-exposed US workers wore protection half the time or less in 2014, rising to 90% in accommodation and food services and 74% in agriculture. OSHA requires employers to supply protectors free of charge and run a hearing conservation program from 85 dBA, and one study put the annual cost of protection at $64 per worker, small next to an average claim cost of $12,051.
How many workers are exposed to hazardous noise
- 1.
NIOSH estimates that about 27 million US workers are exposed to hazardous noise at work each year.
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, About Occupational Hearing Loss (Apr 2026)
Exact wording at the source
About 27 million workers are exposed to hazardous noise at work each year.
- 2.
OSHA cites a CDC estimate that 22 million US workers are exposed to potentially damaging noise at work each year.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Occupational Noise Exposure (Jan 2026)
Exact wording at the source
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that 22 million workers are exposed to potentially damaging noise at work each year.
- 3.
In the 2014 National Health Interview Survey, 25% of current US workers had ever been exposed to noise at work and 14% had been exposed in the past year.
American Journal of Industrial Medicine, Cardiovascular conditions, hearing difficulty, and occupational noise exposure within US industries and occupations (Mar 2018)
Exact wording at the source
Twenty-five percent of current workers had a history of occupational noise exposure (14% exposed in the last year), 12% had hearing difficulty, 24% had hypertension, 28% had elevated cholesterol; 58%, 14%, and 9% of these cases can be attributed to occupational noise exposure, respectively.
- 4.
Mining had the highest share of noise-exposed workers of any US industry in 2014 at 61%, followed by construction at 51% and manufacturing at 47%.
American Journal of Industrial Medicine, Cardiovascular conditions, hearing difficulty, and occupational noise exposure within US industries and occupations (Mar 2018)
Exact wording at the source
The industries with the highest prevalence of self-reported occupational noise exposure were Mining (61%), Construction (51%), Manufacturing (47%), Utilities (43%), and Transportation and Warehousing (40%) ( Table 2 ).
- 5.
Production jobs had the highest rate of occupational noise exposure of any US occupation group in 2014, at 55%.
American Journal of Industrial Medicine, Cardiovascular conditions, hearing difficulty, and occupational noise exposure within US industries and occupations (Mar 2018)
Exact wording at the source
The occupations with the highest prevalence of self-reported occupational noise exposure were Production (55%), Construction and Extraction (54%), Installation, Maintenance and Repair (54%), Transportation and Material Moving (44%), and Protective Service (36%) ( Table 3 ).
- 6.
17% of workers in the EU said in the 2021 European Working Conditions Telephone Survey that they are often or always exposed to loud noise at work.
European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, Noise (OSHwiki) (Jan 2024)
Exact wording at the source
According to the European Working Conditions Telephone Survey 2021 (EWCTS 2021) 17% of the workers in the EU report that are often or always exposed to loud noise at work [1] .
- 7.
Around 30% of EU workplaces reported loud noise as a risk factor in the 2019 ESENER survey of establishments, about the same share as in 2014.
European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, Noise (OSHwiki) (Jan 2024)
Exact wording at the source
show that around 30% of the establishments report the presence of loud noise as a risk factor.
- 8.
In ESENER 2019, almost 60% of EU workplaces in construction, waste management, water and electricity supply reported noise as a risk factor, the highest of any sector, followed by manufacturing at almost 50%.
European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, Noise (OSHwiki) (Jan 2024)
Exact wording at the source
The sector of the Construction, waste management , water and electricity supply has the highest percentage of establishments reporting noise as a risk factor (almost 60% in 2019) followed by Manufacturing (almost 50% in 2019) (figure 2) [27] .
Chart
Share of US workers exposed to noise at work, by occupation, 2014
Self-reported ever exposure, current US workers, National Health Interview Survey 2014.
- Production55%
- Construction and extraction54%
- Installation, maintenance and repair54%
- Transportation and material moving44%
- Protective service36%
Source: American Journal of Industrial Medicine, Cardiovascular conditions, hearing difficulty, and occupational noise exposure within US industries and occupations
Hearing damage among noise-exposed workers
- 9.
About 1 in 9 people in the US working population has hearing difficulty, according to NIOSH.
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, About Occupational Hearing Loss (Apr 2026)
Exact wording at the source
About 1 in 9 people in the U.S. working population has hearing difficulty. About 1 in 13 people in the U.S. working population has tinnitus, and 1 in 25 has both hearing difficulty and tinnitus.
- 10.
About 1 in 13 people in the US working population has tinnitus, according to NIOSH.
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, About Occupational Hearing Loss (Apr 2026)
Exact wording at the source
About 1 in 9 people in the U.S. working population has hearing difficulty. About 1 in 13 people in the U.S. working population has tinnitus, and 1 in 25 has both hearing difficulty and tinnitus.
- 11.
58% of hearing difficulty among US workers in 2014 could be attributed to occupational noise exposure.
American Journal of Industrial Medicine, Cardiovascular conditions, hearing difficulty, and occupational noise exposure within US industries and occupations (Mar 2018)
Exact wording at the source
Twenty-five percent of current workers had a history of occupational noise exposure (14% exposed in the last year), 12% had hearing difficulty, 24% had hypertension, 28% had elevated cholesterol; 58%, 14%, and 9% of these cases can be attributed to occupational noise exposure, respectively.
- 12.
13% of noise-exposed US workers tested from 2003 to 2012 had some hearing impairment in their better ear.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Hearing Impairment Among Noise-Exposed Workers, United States, 2003 to 2012 (MMWR) (Apr 2016)
Exact wording at the source
Among all industries, 13% of noise-exposed workers had any impairment and 2% had moderate or worse impairment ( Table 3 ).
- 13.
2% of noise-exposed US workers tested from 2003 to 2012 had moderate or worse hearing impairment.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Hearing Impairment Among Noise-Exposed Workers, United States, 2003 to 2012 (MMWR) (Apr 2016)
Exact wording at the source
Among all industries, 13% of noise-exposed workers had any impairment and 2% had moderate or worse impairment ( Table 3 ).
- 14.
Among noise-exposed US workers tested from 2003 to 2012, 14% of men had some hearing impairment compared with 7% of women.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Hearing Impairment Among Noise-Exposed Workers, United States, 2003 to 2012 (MMWR) (Apr 2016)
Exact wording at the source
A greater percentage of males had any hearing impairment (14%) than did females (7%), and the prevalence and severity of impairment increased with age ( Table 2 ) for both sexes.
- 15.
25% of noise-exposed US utilities workers tested from 2010 to 2019 had hearing loss, compared with 20% of noise-exposed workers across all industries.
Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Prevalence of Hearing Loss Among Noise-Exposed US Workers Within the Utilities Sector, 2010 to 2019 (May 2024)
Exact wording at the source
Results: The hearing loss prevalence for noise-exposed Utilities workers (25%) was higher than for noise-exposed workers in all industries combined (20%).
- 16.
Hydroelectric power generation had the highest hearing loss rate in the US utilities sector in 2010 to 2019, at 37% of noise-exposed workers.
Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Prevalence of Hearing Loss Among Noise-Exposed US Workers Within the Utilities Sector, 2010 to 2019 (May 2024)
Exact wording at the source
The highest prevalence subsectors were Hydroelectric Power Generation (37%) and steam and Air-Conditioning Supply (29%).
- 17.
Eighteen percent of all US manufacturing workers report hearing difficulty, according to a NIOSH-led study of hearing loss claims.
Seminars in Hearing, Workers' Compensation Costs for Occupational Hearing Loss Claims in the United States, 2009 to 2013 (Oct 2023)
Exact wording at the source
Eighteen percent of all Manufacturing workers report hearing difficulty.
Employer-recorded hearing loss cases in the US
- 18.
US private employers recorded 14,500 work-related hearing loss cases in 2019.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Private industry workers suffered 14,500 hearing loss cases in 2019 (The Economics Daily) (Jun 2021)
Exact wording at the source
There were 14,500 work-related hearing loss illness cases in 2019. They occurred at a rate of 1.4 cases per 10,000 full-time workers.
- 19.
Recorded US hearing loss cases occurred at a rate of 1.4 per 10,000 full-time private industry workers in 2019.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Private industry workers suffered 14,500 hearing loss cases in 2019 (The Economics Daily) (Jun 2021)
Exact wording at the source
There were 14,500 work-related hearing loss illness cases in 2019. They occurred at a rate of 1.4 cases per 10,000 full-time workers.
- 20.
Ten years earlier, in 2009, US private employers recorded 19,500 hearing loss cases at a rate of 2.2 per 10,000 full-time workers.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Private industry workers suffered 14,500 hearing loss cases in 2019 (The Economics Daily) (Jun 2021)
Exact wording at the source
Ten years earlier, 11.7 percent of private industry illness cases were due to hearing loss illnesses (19,500 cases), and they occurred at a rate of 2.2 per 10,000 full-time workers.
- 21.
Manufacturing accounted for 75.9% of recorded US private industry hearing loss cases in 2019, or 11,000 cases.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Private industry workers suffered 14,500 hearing loss cases in 2019 (The Economics Daily) (Jun 2021)
Exact wording at the source
Of the 14,500 hearing loss illness cases in private industry, 75.9 percent (11,000 cases) occurred in the manufacturing industry.
- 22.
OSHA requires employers to record a hearing loss case when a worker shows a standard threshold shift and an overall hearing level of 25 dB or more in the same ear.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 29 CFR 1904.10: Recording criteria for cases involving occupational hearing loss (Jan 2001)
Exact wording at the source
If an employee's hearing test (audiogram) reveals that the employee has experienced a work-related Standard Threshold Shift (STS) in hearing in one or both ears, and the employee's total hearing level is 25 decibels (dB) or more above audiometric zero (averaged at 2000, 3000, and 4000 Hz) in the same ear(s) as the STS, you must record the case on the OSHA 300 Log.
- 23.
OSHA defines a standard threshold shift as an average loss of 10 dB or more at 2,000, 3,000 and 4,000 Hz compared with the worker's baseline hearing test.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 29 CFR 1904.10: Recording criteria for cases involving occupational hearing loss (Jan 2001)
Exact wording at the source
A Standard Threshold Shift, or STS, is defined in the occupational noise exposure standard at 29 CFR 1910.95(g)(10)(i) as a change in hearing threshold, relative to the baseline audiogram for that employee, of an average of 10 decibels (dB) or more at 2000, 3000, and 4000 hertz (Hz) in one or both ears.
Chart
Recorded hearing loss cases, US private industry, 2009 to 2019
Cases recorded by private employers, BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Private industry workers suffered 14,500 hearing loss cases in 2019 (The Economics Daily)
Workers' compensation claims and costs
- 24.
US workers' compensation claims for occupational hearing loss cost an estimated $60 million a year in 2009 to 2013, in 2013 dollars, within a range of $49 million to $67 million.
Seminars in Hearing, Workers' Compensation Costs for Occupational Hearing Loss Claims in the United States, 2009 to 2013 (Oct 2023)
Exact wording at the source
The estimated U.S. average annual OHL claim cost fell within the range of $49 to $67 million during 2009–2013, with a point estimate of $60 million (2013 dollars). The estimated average annual number of OHL claims ranged from 4,114 to 5,986, with a point estimate of 4,965 claims.
- 25.
An estimated 4,965 workers' compensation claims for occupational hearing loss were filed each year in the US in 2009 to 2013.
Seminars in Hearing, Workers' Compensation Costs for Occupational Hearing Loss Claims in the United States, 2009 to 2013 (Oct 2023)
Exact wording at the source
The estimated U.S. average annual OHL claim cost fell within the range of $49 to $67 million during 2009–2013, with a point estimate of $60 million (2013 dollars). The estimated average annual number of OHL claims ranged from 4,114 to 5,986, with a point estimate of 4,965 claims.
- 26.
The average US occupational hearing loss claim cost an estimated $12,051 in 2009 to 2013, in 2013 dollars.
Seminars in Hearing, Workers' Compensation Costs for Occupational Hearing Loss Claims in the United States, 2009 to 2013 (Oct 2023)
Exact wording at the source
The average cost per claim fell between $10,806 and $12,896, with a point estimate of $12,051.
- 27.
63% of US occupational hearing loss claims in the study were compensated at $5,000 or less, and together they made up only 5% of total costs.
Seminars in Hearing, Workers' Compensation Costs for Occupational Hearing Loss Claims in the United States, 2009 to 2013 (Oct 2023)
Exact wording at the source
The 63% of OHL claims compensated ≤$5,000 represented only 5% of costs and the 89% compensated ≤$30,000 represented only 37% of costs.
- 28.
Australian workers lodged close to 30,000 workers' compensation claims for hearing loss between 2015 and 2023, according to Safe Work Australia.
Safe Work Australia, Collaborating to prevent work-related hearing loss (May 2023)
Exact wording at the source
Since 2015, Australian workers have lodged close to 30,000 workers’ compensation claims for hearing loss.
- 29.
About 4,700 workers' compensation claims for noise-induced hearing loss are made in Australia each year, citing Safe Work Australia data.
Queensland Office of Industrial Relations, Summary Impact Analysis Statement: reintroduction of section 58 of the model WHS Regulation, audiometric testing (Jul 2024)
Exact wording at the source
Each year in Australia, approximately 4,700 workers' compensation claims are made for noise-induced hearing loss. In Queensland, over the 2013-14 to 2022-23 ten-year period, there were 9,501 accepted workers' compensation claims for noise-induced hearing loss.
- 30.
Queensland accepted 9,501 workers' compensation claims for noise-induced hearing loss in the ten years from 2013-14 to 2022-23.
Queensland Office of Industrial Relations, Summary Impact Analysis Statement: reintroduction of section 58 of the model WHS Regulation, audiometric testing (Jul 2024)
Exact wording at the source
Each year in Australia, approximately 4,700 workers' compensation claims are made for noise-induced hearing loss. In Queensland, over the 2013-14 to 2022-23 ten-year period, there were 9,501 accepted workers' compensation claims for noise-induced hearing loss.
- 31.
Five industry sectors, led by construction and manufacturing, accounted for 67% of Queensland's accepted hearing loss claims over that ten-year period, excluding mining.
Queensland Office of Industrial Relations, Summary Impact Analysis Statement: reintroduction of section 58 of the model WHS Regulation, audiometric testing (Jul 2024)
Exact wording at the source
These sectors accounted for 6,428 (or 67%) of accepted workers' compensation claims for hearing loss over the 10-year period.
- 32.
The productivity cost of occupational noise-induced hearing loss in Australia is estimated at $6.1 billion (Australian dollars), based on a 2020 life table modeling study.
Queensland Office of Industrial Relations, Summary Impact Analysis Statement: reintroduction of section 58 of the model WHS Regulation, audiometric testing (Jul 2024)
Exact wording at the source
In addition, the productivity cost of occupational noise-induced hearing loss in Australia is estimated to be $6.1 billion
- 33.
In New South Wales, a worker needs more than 10% permanent impairment to receive a lump sum for industrial deafness on claims made since June 2012.
Safe Work Australia, Comparison of workers' compensation arrangements in Australia and New Zealand 2025: Table 4.13 Industrial deafness thresholds (Dec 2025)
Exact wording at the source
For claims made on or after 19 June 2012, the threshold for lump sum compensation for permanent impairment is greater than 10% permanent impairment
- 34.
3,583,295 US veterans were compensated for service-connected tinnitus in fiscal year 2025, the most common disability among all VA compensation recipients.
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Annual Benefits Report Fiscal Year 2025: Compensation (Jan 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Tinnitus 3,583,295 Limitation of flexion, knee 2,312,985
- 35.
1,690,837 US veterans were compensated for service-connected hearing loss in fiscal year 2025, the sixth most common disability among VA compensation recipients.
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Annual Benefits Report Fiscal Year 2025: Compensation (Jan 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Post-traumatic stress disorder 1,760,497 Hearing loss 1,690,837
- 36.
Tinnitus was also the top disability among new VA compensation recipients in fiscal year 2025, with 287,138 veterans.
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Annual Benefits Report Fiscal Year 2025: Compensation (Jan 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Tinnitus 287,138 Limitation of flexion, knee 162,407
Great Britain and the European Union
- 37.
An estimated 15,000 workers in Great Britain had hearing problems caused or made worse by work each year, averaged over 2022/23 to 2024/25.
Health and Safety Executive, Noise induced hearing loss in Great Britain (Jan 2026)
Exact wording at the source
There were an estimated 15,000 (95% confidence interval: 8,000 – 21,000) prevalent cases of hearing problems each year caused or made worse by work according to the LFS averaged over the last three years (2022/23 – 2024/25).
- 38.
50 new cases of occupational deafness were assessed for Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit in Great Britain in 2024, down from 195 in 2010.
Health and Safety Executive, Noise induced hearing loss in Great Britain (Jan 2026)
Exact wording at the source
50 New cases of occupational deafness in 2024 Source: IIDB
- 39.
Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit only counts occupational deafness when a claimant has a measured hearing loss greater than 50 dB in both ears.
Health and Safety Executive, Noise induced hearing loss in Great Britain (Jan 2026)
Exact wording at the source
IIDB figures include only annual new assessed claims and these are based on a much stricter definition of ‘deafness’ in which claimants must have a substantial measured loss of hearing in both ears (greater than 50 dB).
- 40.
Only five of 665 occupational deafness benefit cases in Great Britain over the last ten years were women.
Health and Safety Executive, Noise induced hearing loss in Great Britain (Jan 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Over the last ten years, five of the 665 cases were female.
- 41.
0.1% of respondents to the 2020 EU Labour Force Survey ad hoc module reported a work-related hearing disorder in the previous year.
European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, Noise (OSHwiki) (Jan 2024)
Exact wording at the source
0,1% of the respondents in 2020 reported they suffered from a work-related hearing disorder in the previous year (figure 3) [28] .
- 42.
The EU Noise Directive sets a daily exposure limit value of 87 dB(A) and a peak limit of 140 dB(C).
European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, Noise (OSHwiki) (Jan 2024)
Exact wording at the source
Exposure limit value 87 dB(A) 140 dB(C)
Chart
New occupational deafness benefit cases, Great Britain, 2015 to 2024
New Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit assessments; 2020 and 2021 were affected by the pandemic.
- 2015100
- 201690
- 201770
- 201855
- 201995
- 202020
- 202110
- 202285
- 2023100
- 202450
Source: Health and Safety Executive, Noise induced hearing loss in Great Britain
Hearing protection use and hearing conservation
- 43.
53% of noise-exposed US workers did not use hearing protection consistently in 2014, meaning they wore it half the time or less.
American Journal of Industrial Medicine, Prevalence of hearing protection device non-use among noise-exposed US workers in 2007 and 2014 (Oct 2021)
Exact wording at the source
Results: The prevalence of HPD non-use was 53% among all noise-exposed workers in 2014.
- 44.
90% of noise-exposed US workers in accommodation and food services did not use hearing protection consistently in 2014, the highest of any industry.
American Journal of Industrial Medicine, Prevalence of hearing protection device non-use among noise-exposed US workers in 2007 and 2014 (Oct 2021)
Exact wording at the source
Workers in the Manufacturing (28%), Mining (28%), and Utilities (38%) industries had the lowest proportions of HPD non-use. The industries with the highest prevalence of HPD non-use were Accommodation and Food Services (90%), Health Care and Social Assistance (83%), and Education Services (82%).
- 45.
Manufacturing and mining had the lowest rates of inconsistent hearing protection use among noise-exposed US workers in 2014, at 28% each.
American Journal of Industrial Medicine, Prevalence of hearing protection device non-use among noise-exposed US workers in 2007 and 2014 (Oct 2021)
Exact wording at the source
Workers in the Manufacturing (28%), Mining (28%), and Utilities (38%) industries had the lowest proportions of HPD non-use. The industries with the highest prevalence of HPD non-use were Accommodation and Food Services (90%), Health Care and Social Assistance (83%), and Education Services (82%).
- 46.
74% of noise-exposed US workers in agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting did not use hearing protection consistently in 2014, despite high noise exposure in the industry.
American Journal of Industrial Medicine, Prevalence of hearing protection device non-use among noise-exposed US workers in 2007 and 2014 (Oct 2021)
Exact wording at the source
The Agriculture, Forestry Fishing, and Hunting and the Construction industries also have high prevalences of noise exposure, but were found to have high proportions of HPD non-use (74% and 52%, respectively) in this study.
- 47.
Inconsistent hearing protection use among US arts, design, entertainment, sports and media workers rose 37% between 2007 and 2014.
American Journal of Industrial Medicine, Prevalence of hearing protection device non-use among noise-exposed US workers in 2007 and 2014 (Oct 2021)
Exact wording at the source
Among occupations, HPD non-use increased 37% in Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports and Media, and decreased 39% in Architecture and Engineering.
- 48.
One study cited by NIOSH found the average annual cost of hearing protection across 14 metal manufacturing sites was $64 per worker.
American Journal of Industrial Medicine, Prevalence of hearing protection device non-use among noise-exposed US workers in 2007 and 2014 (Oct 2021)
Exact wording at the source
one recent study reported that the average annual cost for HPDs across a company’s fourteen metal manufacturing sites was $64 per worker (49).
- 49.
US employers must run a hearing conservation program when workers' exposure reaches an 8-hour average of 85 dBA.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 29 CFR 1910.95: Occupational noise exposure (Nov 2008)
Exact wording at the source
The employer shall administer a continuing, effective hearing conservation program, as described in paragraphs (c) through (o) of this section, whenever employee noise exposures equal or exceed an 8-hour time-weighted average sound level (TWA) of 85 decibels measured on the A scale (slow response) or, equivalently, a dose of fifty percent.
- 50.
US employers must provide hearing protectors at no cost to every worker exposed to an 8-hour average of 85 decibels or more.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 29 CFR 1910.95: Occupational noise exposure (Nov 2008)
Exact wording at the source
make hearing protectors available to all employees exposed to an 8-hour time-weighted average of 85 decibels or greater at no cost to the employees.
- 51.
OSHA requires a baseline hearing test within 6 months of a worker's first exposure at or above the action level.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 29 CFR 1910.95: Occupational noise exposure (Nov 2008)
Exact wording at the source
Within 6 months of an employee's first exposure at or above the action level, the employer shall establish a valid baseline audiogram against which subsequent audiograms can be compared.
- 52.
A workplace hearing test in Queensland takes about 15 to 20 minutes and costs about $150 to $200 (Australian dollars) per person.
Queensland Office of Industrial Relations, Summary Impact Analysis Statement: reintroduction of section 58 of the model WHS Regulation, audiometric testing (Jul 2024)
Exact wording at the source
On average, an audiometric test takes approximately 15/20 minutes to conduct and costs approximately $150- $200 per person.
Chart
Noise-exposed US workers not using hearing protection consistently, by industry, 2014
Share of noise-exposed workers wearing protection half the time or less, National Health Interview Survey 2014.
- Accommodation and food services90%
- Health care and social assistance83%
- Education services82%
- Utilities38%
- Manufacturing28%
- Mining28%
Source: American Journal of Industrial Medicine, Prevalence of hearing protection device non-use among noise-exposed US workers in 2007 and 2014
Questions readers ask
- How many workers are exposed to hazardous noise?
- NIOSH estimates about 27 million US workers are exposed to hazardous noise each year, and OSHA cites a CDC figure of 22 million. In the EU, EU-OSHA reports that 17% of workers are often or always exposed to loud noise at work.
- Which industries have the most noise exposure?
- In the 2014 National Health Interview Survey, mining had the highest share of noise-exposed workers at 61%, followed by construction at 51%, manufacturing at 47%, utilities at 43% and transportation and warehousing at 40%. By occupation, production jobs led at 55%.
- How many workers' compensation claims are filed for hearing loss?
- A NIOSH-led study in Seminars in Hearing estimated about 4,965 US workers' compensation claims for occupational hearing loss a year in 2009 to 2013, costing about $60 million a year. Australia records about 4,700 noise-induced hearing loss claims a year, and the VA compensated 1.69 million veterans for hearing loss in fiscal year 2025.
- How many workers wear hearing protection?
- 53% of noise-exposed US workers wore hearing protection half the time or less in 2014, according to NIOSH researchers. Protection use was best in manufacturing and mining, where 28% did not use it consistently, and worst in accommodation and food services at 90%.
- At what noise level must employers protect workers' hearing?
- In the US, OSHA requires a hearing conservation program, free hearing protectors and baseline hearing tests once a worker's 8-hour average exposure reaches 85 dBA. The EU sets an exposure limit value of 87 dB(A), with action values starting at 80 dB(A).
- How common is work-related hearing loss in Great Britain?
- HSE estimates that about 15,000 workers a year have hearing problems caused or made worse by work, based on the Labour Force Survey for 2022/23 to 2024/25. Only 50 new cases of occupational deafness were assessed for Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit in 2024, because the scheme requires a loss above 50 dB in both ears.
Where these numbers come from
We used primary sources only: US federal agencies (NIOSH, CDC, OSHA, BLS and the Department of Veterans Affairs), regulators and agencies in Great Britain (HSE), Australia (Safe Work Australia and Queensland's Office of Industrial Relations) and the EU (EU-OSHA), and peer-reviewed NIOSH studies in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine, the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine and Seminars in Hearing. Measures differ a lot: exposure figures are self-reported in surveys, hearing loss figures come from workplace audiograms shared with NIOSH, recorded cases follow OSHA's recording rule, and claim counts follow each compensation scheme's thresholds, so numbers from different sources should not be compared directly. The newest national US data on exposure and hearing protection use are from 2014 and the latest BLS summary of hearing loss cases is for 2019; both are labeled. Australian dollar amounts are not converted. Every quote was checked against the live source page on the date shown. We store the sentence each number appears in, and a script loads the publisher's page again to make sure that sentence is still there. Our methodology has the details.
Sources
- American Journal of Industrial Medicine. Cardiovascular conditions, hearing difficulty, and occupational noise exposure within US industries and occupations (Mar 2018).
- American Journal of Industrial Medicine. Prevalence of hearing protection device non-use among noise-exposed US workers in 2007 and 2014 (Oct 2021).
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Hearing Impairment Among Noise-Exposed Workers, United States, 2003 to 2012 (MMWR) (Apr 2016).
- European Agency for Safety and Health at Work. Noise (OSHwiki) (Jan 2024).
- Health and Safety Executive. Noise induced hearing loss in Great Britain (Jan 2026).
- Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. Prevalence of Hearing Loss Among Noise-Exposed US Workers Within the Utilities Sector, 2010 to 2019 (May 2024).
- National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. About Occupational Hearing Loss (Apr 2026).
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Occupational Noise Exposure (Jan 2026).
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration. 29 CFR 1904.10: Recording criteria for cases involving occupational hearing loss (Jan 2001).
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration. 29 CFR 1910.95: Occupational noise exposure (Nov 2008).
- Queensland Office of Industrial Relations. Summary Impact Analysis Statement: reintroduction of section 58 of the model WHS Regulation, audiometric testing (Jul 2024).
- Safe Work Australia. Collaborating to prevent work-related hearing loss (May 2023).
- Safe Work Australia. Comparison of workers' compensation arrangements in Australia and New Zealand 2025: Table 4.13 Industrial deafness thresholds (Dec 2025).
- Seminars in Hearing. Workers' Compensation Costs for Occupational Hearing Loss Claims in the United States, 2009 to 2013 (Oct 2023).
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Private industry workers suffered 14,500 hearing loss cases in 2019 (The Economics Daily) (Jun 2021).
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Annual Benefits Report Fiscal Year 2025: Compensation (Jan 2026).
Citing this page
Link to this page or to a single numbered figure. If you reuse a number, name the organization that released it in the first place.
HearSmart. (2026, November 7). Occupational Noise Exposure Statistics 2026. https://hearsmart.org/occupational-noise-statistics
Found a number that changed or a source that moved? Email editorial@hearsmart.org. We plan to check this page again by January 6, 2027.