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Genetic Counselors

Typical education: Master's degreeModerate pressure Bright Outlook

What they do

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. Advise individuals and families to support informed decisionmaking and coping methods for those at risk. May help conduct research related to genetic conditions or genetic counseling.

Kinds of work

  • Investigative: Science, research, figuring out how things work and solving complex problems.
  • Social: Helping, teaching, caring for and supporting other people.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.

Moderate pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $100,040 Median per year · $48.09/hr Most earn $78,270–$138,760

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • 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.
  • Explain diagnostic procedures such as chorionic villus sampling (CVS), ultrasound, fetal blood sampling, and amniocentesis.
  • Design and conduct genetics training programs for physicians, graduate students, other health professions or the general community.
  • Read current literature, talk with colleagues, or participate in professional organizations or conferences to keep abreast of developments in genetics.
  • Refer patients to specialists or community resources.
  • Evaluate or make recommendations for standards of care or clinical operations, ensuring compliance with applicable regulations, ethics, legislation, or policies.

Job outlook

Bright Outlook Rapid Growth

United States
10% more jobs by 2035, much faster than average · about 300 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • General medical and surgical hospitals33.4%
  • Offices of physicians28.3%
  • Colleges, universities, and professional schools8.2%
  • Self-employed (their own business)7.6%
  • Medical and diagnostic laboratories4.3%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: None

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: Master's degreeExperience before this job: NoneEntry-level

Genetic counseling is not an entry-level job straight out of college. Most people need a master's degree in genetic counseling, so the usual path takes about 6 years of school after high school (around 4 years for a bachelor's plus about 2 years for the master's).

  1. Bachelor's degree in biology, genetics, or psychology

    4 years

    You build a science foundation and learn how to work with data and people, which graduate genetic counseling programs look for. Take as many genetics and statistics courses as you can.

  2. Master's degree in genetic counseling

    2 years

    You learn human genetics, how to assess inherited risk, and how to counsel patients and families, usually through classes plus supervised clinical training. Most programs also require a thesis or research project.

  3. Genetic Counselor

    Ongoing

    You begin assessing family and individual genetic risk and explaining results to patients and other healthcare providers, often in a hospital, clinic, or lab setting.

Where it can lead

  1. Senior Genetic Counselor

    Several years as a Genetic Counselor of experience first

    You take on more complex cases, mentor newer counselors, and may lead special clinics or research projects. Showing strong case skills and communication usually comes first.

  2. Genetic Counseling Program Director

    Several years of clinical and leadership experience of experience first

    You help run a genetic counseling training program or a genetics service, handling teaching, accreditation work, and staffing. This usually requires a track record of clinical excellence and experience supervising others.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take biology, chemistry, and statisticsThese classes build the science and data skills you will use in genetics and in graduate school.
  • Join a science or health career clubClub activities give you a low-pressure way to learn about healthcare careers and meet people who share your interests.
  • Volunteer at a hospital, clinic, or nursing homeVolunteering shows you how patient care works and gives you experience talking with people in stressful situations.
  • Join debate, speech, or peer tutoringExplaining ideas clearly to others is a core skill in genetic counseling.
  • Get a summer or part-time job helping peopleJobs like camp counselor, retail, or tutoring build patience, empathy, and reliability that employers and programs value.

In college

  • Major in biology or genetics, or add genetics coursesGenetics, cell biology, and statistics courses are the core coursework that graduate genetic counseling programs expect.
  • Work in a campus research labLab experience shows you can handle data and research, which many programs ask about and which is part of some counselor jobs.
  • Take psychology or intro counseling coursesThese classes teach basic counseling concepts, communication, and understanding of how people cope with difficult news.
  • Shadow or interview a genetic counselorAsk a local hospital or clinic if a counselor will talk with you or let you observe, so you can see the job up close before committing to it.
  • Volunteer for a peer support or helplineActive listening and calm communication are everyday skills for genetic counselors, and volunteering builds them.

Tips for getting started

  • Look up the admissions requirements for genetic counseling master's programs early, since they often ask for specific science courses and some hands-on experience with patients.
  • Get exposure to healthcare or family-focused work now, because programs and employers want to see you can talk with people about difficult topics.
  • Practice explaining science in plain language. Genetic counselors spend much of their time helping people understand complicated information.

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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