Services (including Public Safety) Statistics

At a glance

  • View hearing loss trends and statistics among Services (including Public Safety) workers.
  • Approximately 7-15% of all Services workers (10% overall) have hearing difficulty, depending on sub-sector.
  • About 6-10% of all Services workers have tinnitus, depending on sub-sector.
  • 41-90% of noise-exposed Services workers report not wearing hearing protection.
Police car

Noise, ototoxic chemicals, and hearing protection

  • Approximately 3-19% of all workers in Services (10% overall) have been exposed to hazardous noise in the last year, depending on sub-sector.1 Sub-sectors with the highest percentage exposed in the last year were:
    • Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (19%)
    • Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation (19%)
    • Other Services (Except Public Administration) (16%)
  • Approximately 3-20% of all workers in Services (9% overall) have been exposed to ototoxic chemicals in the last year, depending on sub-sector.1 These chemicals can cause damage to different parts of the ear. Sub-sectors with the highest percentage exposed in the last year were:
    • Other Services (Except Public Administration) (20%)
    • Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation (17%)
    • Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (15%)
  • About 4% of all workers in Services have been exposed to both hazardous noise and ototoxic chemicals in the last year.1
  • 41-90% of noise-exposed Services workers report not wearing hearing protection, depending on sub-sector.2 The sub-sectors with the highest percentages of workers were:
    • Accommodation and Food Services (90%)
    • Education Services (82%)
    • Finance and Insurance (80%)

Hearing loss and tinnitus

  • Approximately 7-15% of all Services workers (10% overall) have hearing difficulty, depending on sub-sector.1
  • About 6-10% of all Service workers have tinnitus, depending on sub-sector3. Tinnitus is an annoying buzzing, rushing, or ringing noise in your ears or in your head.
  • About 17% of noise-exposed tested Services workers have a material hearing impairment.4 Hearing impairment is hearing loss that impacts day-to-day activities. Material hearing impairment is hearing loss severe enough that a person has difficulty understanding speech.
  • 13% of noise-exposed tested Services workers have hearing impairment in both ears.5

Trends

Trends among noise-exposed tested services workers (1981-2010)6

  • The prevalence for Services decreased less than 1% over 30 years (1981-2010) as compared with a less than 1% reduction for all industries.
  • The incidence for Services decreased 1% over 25 years (1986-2010) as compared with a 2% reduction for all industries.
  • The adjusted risk for Services decreased 42% over 25 years (1986-2010) as compared with a 46% reduction for all industries.
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Graph showing prevalence of hearing loss by time period and industry sector, 1981-2010, for 1,816,812 workers
Adapted from Figure 1, Masterson et al. 2015
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Graph showing incidence of hearing loss by time period and industry sector, 1986-2010, for 560,320 workers
Adapted from Figure 2, Masterson et al. 2015
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Graph showing risk of incident hearing loss compared to the 1986-1990 time period, by industry sector, for 560,320 workers
Adapted from Figure 3, Masterson et al. 2015

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Content Source:
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
  1. Masterson EA, Morata TC, Themann CL [2025]. Prevalence of ototoxic chemical exposure, noise exposure and hearing difficulty among workers in the United States, 2023. J Occup Environ Med, 67(10):785-797.
  2. Green DR, Masterson EA, Themann CL [2021]. Prevalence of hearing protection device non-use among noise-exposed U.S. workers in 2007 and 2014. Am J Ind Med, 64(12):1002-1017.
  3. Masterson EA, Themann CL, Luckhaupt SE, Li J, Calvert GM [2016]. Hearing difficulty and tinnitus among U.S. workers and non-workers in 2007. Am J Ind Med, 59:290-300.
  4. Sekhon NK, Masterson EA, Themann CL [2020]. Prevalence of hearing loss among noise-exposed workers within the Services Sector, 2006-2015. Int J Audiol, 59(12):948-961.
  5. Masterson EA, Bushnell PT, Themann CL, Morata TC [2016]. Hearing impairment among noise-exposed workers — United States, 2003–2012. MMWR, 65(15):389-394.
  6. Masterson EA, Deddens JA, Themann CL, Bertke S, Calvert GM [2015]. Trends in worker hearing loss by industry sector, 1981-2010. Am J Ind Med, 58:392-401.