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Geneticists

Typical education: Doctoral or professional degreeModerate pressure

What they do

Research and study the inheritance of traits at the molecular, organism or population level. May evaluate or treat patients with genetic disorders.

Kinds of work

  • Investigative: Science, research, figuring out how things work and solving complex problems.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.
  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.

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 $98,920 Median per year · $47.56/hr Most earn $60,430–$168,010

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Write grants and papers or attend fundraising events to seek research funds.
  • Evaluate genetic data by performing appropriate mathematical or statistical calculations and analyses.
  • Create or use statistical models for the analysis of genetic data.
  • Maintain laboratory notebooks that record research methods, procedures, and results.
  • Instruct medical students, graduate students, or others in methods or procedures for diagnosis and management of genetic disorders.
  • Confer with information technology specialists to develop computer applications for genetic data analysis.

Job outlook

United States
5% more jobs by 2035, faster than average · about 4,300 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

  • Federal government, excluding postal service35.4%
  • Research and development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences25.9%
  • Colleges, universities, and professional schools10.8%
  • Management, scientific, and technical consulting services4.8%
  • Pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing3.7%

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

Experience before this job: 1 to 2 years

Career path

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

Typical education: Doctoral or professional degreeExperience before this job: 1 to 2 years

Geneticist is not an entry-level job. Most people need a doctoral or professional degree, plus about 1 to 2 years of related lab or research work, so plan on roughly 10 or more years of school and training after high school.

  1. Bachelor's degree in biology, genetics, or a related science

    4 years

    You build the basics of cell biology, chemistry, and genetics, and you learn to work in a lab. This gives you the foundation for both research jobs and graduate school.

  2. Research Assistant or Laboratory Technician

    1-2 years

    You run experiments, handle DNA or lab samples, and keep careful records under a senior scientist. This hands-on experience is what most people have before they apply to graduate programs or research jobs.

  3. Doctoral degree (PhD or MD/PhD) in genetics or a related field

    4-6 years

    You design and carry out your own research project, publish results, and learn to study how traits are inherited. Clinical geneticists usually add medical training and residency instead of or alongside a research PhD.

  4. Geneticist

    Ongoing

    You research how traits are passed down at the molecular, organism, or population level, and some geneticists evaluate or treat patients with genetic disorders.

Where it can lead

  1. Senior Geneticist or Research Team Lead

    3-5 years of experience first

    You lead projects, supervise students and technicians, write grant proposals, and decide which research directions to pursue.

  2. Medical Scientist

    6-8 years of experience first

    You move toward research that connects genetics to disease, testing new treatments or diagnostics, often working with doctors and in drug development or academic medical centers.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take biology, chemistry, and mathThese classes are the base for every later genetics course, and strong math helps with the data analysis you will do in research.
  • Join a science or biology clubClubs give you a place to try experiments, ask questions, and meet other students who are interested in science.
  • Enter a science fairDesigning your own project teaches you the research process and gives you something to show in future applications.
  • Learn basic codingSimple programming in Python or R will help you later with genetic data, and many free school or library resources can get you started.
  • Look for a summer job or volunteer role in a lab or hospitalEven a basic role like washing glassware or helping with sample logs shows you what lab work is like and builds a useful reference.

In college

  • Major in biology, genetics, or molecular biologyA focused major gives you the core genetics, biochemistry, and lab courses that graduate programs look for.
  • Get a research position with a professorWorking in a campus lab lets you learn techniques, see how research is run, and get a recommendation letter for graduate school.
  • Take statistics and a programming courseGenetics research depends on analyzing large data sets, so these skills make you a stronger candidate.
  • Work as a lab assistant or tutorA campus lab job or science tutoring builds practical skills and shows you can work carefully and communicate clearly.
  • Attend a research symposium or join a genetics or biology societyPresenting posters or hearing talks helps you learn the field's language and makes connections for internships and graduate school.

Tips for getting started

  • Get lab experience early. Volunteering or working in a university or hospital lab shows graduate programs that you can do real research.
  • Learn to code, especially in R or Python, since most modern genetics work involves analyzing large amounts of data.
  • Talk to a working geneticist or a graduate student in genetics. Their advice on which programs and skills matter can save you time.

Related jobs that often lead here

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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