Genetic Counselors
Health ScienceO*NET 29-9092.00United States
Assess individual or family risk for a variety of inherited conditions, such as genetic disorders and birth defects. Provide information to other healthcare providers or to individuals and families concerned with the risk of inherited conditions.
- Median annual earnings
- $99,615
- Projected change
- +11.1%
- Typical education
- Master's or Professional degree
- Employment
- 4.86K jobs
50th percentile, United States
2025 to 2035
100% of the workforce
Growing to 5.4K by 2035
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The work
What genetic counselors do
Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.
- Interpret laboratory results and communicate findings to patients or physicians.
- Analyze genetic information to identify patients or families at risk for specific disorders or syndromes.
- Discuss testing options and the associated risks, benefits and limitations with patients and families to assist them in making informed decisions.
- Provide counseling to patient and family members by providing information, education, or reassurance.
- Provide genetic counseling in specified areas of clinical genetics, such as obstetrics, pediatrics, oncology and neurology.
- Write detailed consultation reports to provide information on complex genetic concepts to patients or referring physicians.
- Determine or coordinate treatment plans by requesting laboratory services, reviewing genetics or counseling literature, and considering histories or diagnostic data.
- Interview patients or review medical records to obtain comprehensive patient or family medical histories, and document findings.
- Assess patients' psychological or emotional needs, such as those relating to stress, fear of test results, financial issues, and marital conflicts to make referral recommendations or assist patients in managing test outcomes.
- Provide patients with information about the inheritance of conditions such as cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, and various forms of cancer.
- Read current literature, talk with colleagues, or participate in professional organizations or conferences to keep abreast of developments in genetics.
- Explain diagnostic procedures such as chorionic villus sampling (CVS), ultrasound, fetal blood sampling, and amniocentesis.
- Prepare or provide genetics-related educational materials to patients or medical personnel.
- Refer patients to specialists or community resources.
- Design and conduct genetics training programs for physicians, graduate students, other health professions or the general community.
- Evaluate or make recommendations for standards of care or clinical operations, ensuring compliance with applicable regulations, ethics, legislation, or policies.
- Engage in research activities related to the field of medical genetics or genetic counseling.
- Collect for, or share with, research projects patient data on specific genetic disorders or syndromes.
- Identify funding sources and write grant proposals for eligible programs or services.
Pay and outlook
What the job pays and where it is heading
Annual earnings range
Reported earnings by percentile, United States
- 10th percentile
- $75,612
- 25th percentile
- $86,933
- 50th percentile
- $99,615
- 75th percentile
- $118,438
- 90th percentile
- $147,287
The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $99,615 and half earn less.
Employment outlook
2025 to 2035 projection
+11.1%faster than average
20254,859 jobs
2035 projected5,396 jobs
537 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.
Preparation
Education levels
What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.
- Master's or Professional degree
- 100%
Skills
Skills employers ask for
Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.
How the work gets done
Core competencies
Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Active Listening
- Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Writing
- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Science
- Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
- Instructing
- Teaching others how to do something.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Service Orientation
- Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Systems Analysis
- Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
- Learning Strategies
- Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
- Systems Evaluation
- Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Persuasion
- Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Negotiation
- Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
In the market
Job titles and employers
Recent job postings in United StatesCommon job titles
- 01Genetic Counselors770 postings
- 02Genetic Counseling Assistants137 postings
- 03Cancer Genetic Counselors52 postings
- 04Pediatric Genetic Counseling Interns35 postings
- 05Prenatal Genetic Counselors33 postings
- 06Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialists18 postings
- 07Hematologists/Oncologists17 postings
- 08General Physicians12 postings
- 09Certified Genetic Counselors9 postings
- 10Licensed Clinicians9 postings
- 11OB/GYNs9 postings
- 12Advanced Practice Providers8 postings
- 13Counselor Assistants8 postings
- 14Instructors/Counselors8 postings
- 15Testing Coordinators8 postings
- 16Benefits Counselors7 postings
- 17Counselors6 postings
- 18Academic Professionals5 postings
- 19Adjunct Faculties5 postings
- 20Cardiovascular Techs5 postings
Top employers
- 01American College Of Medical Genetics And Genomics26 postings
- 02Herc23 postings
- 03Blue Shield of California16 postings
- 04Labcorp15 postings
- 05Boston Children's Hospital14 postings
- 06Nemours14 postings
- 07UW Health14 postings
- 08Children's Hospital of Philadelphia12 postings
- 09Penn Medicine12 postings
- 10St. Lukes Health System12 postings
- 11Baylor College of Medicine11 postings
- 12Cook Children's Health Care System10 postings
- 13Corewell Health10 postings
- 14Indiana University-Bloomington10 postings
- 15Medical University of South Carolina10 postings
- 16Navitas Partners10 postings
- 17University of Chicago10 postings
- 18Capital Health9 postings
- 19Johns Hopkins University9 postings
- 20Natera9 postings
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