Career Overview
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.
Also Known As
- Certified Genetic Counselor
- Genetic Counselor
- Prenatal and Pediatric Genetic Counselor
- Reproductive Genetic Counseling Coordinator
Alternate Job Titles
- Cancer Genetic Counselor
- Cancer Program Consultant
- Certified Genetic Counselor
- Chromosomal Disorders Counselor
- Clinical Reviewer
- Genetic Coordinator
- Genetic Counseling Medical Specialist
- Genetic Counselor
- Genetics Counselor
- Medical Science Liaison
- Mitochondrial Disorders Counselor
- Pediatric Genetic Counselor
- Prenatal and Pediatric Genetic Counselor
- Prenatal Genetic Counselor
- Reproductive Genetic Counseling Coordinator
What You'll Do
In this role, your typical responsibilities include:
- Interpret laboratory results and communicate findings to patients or physicians.
- Discuss testing options and the associated risks, benefits and limitations with patients and families to assist them in making informed decisions.
- Analyze genetic information to identify patients or families at risk for specific disorders or syndromes.
- Provide counseling to patient and family members by providing information, education, or reassurance.
- Write detailed consultation reports to provide information on complex genetic concepts to patients or referring physicians.
- Provide genetic counseling in specified areas of clinical genetics, such as obstetrics, pediatrics, oncology and neurology.
- Determine or coordinate treatment plans by requesting laboratory services, reviewing genetics or counseling literature, and considering histories or diagnostic data.
Knowledge You'll Use
You'll need solid knowledge in these areas:
- Biology
- Psychology
- Medicine and Dentistry
- Therapy and Counseling
- English Language
- Customer and Personal Service
- Mathematics
Essential Skills
Success in this career requires strong skills in:
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Complex Problem Solving
- Writing
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Active Learning
- Social Perceptiveness
Key Abilities
This career requires key abilities in:
- Written Comprehension
- Deductive Reasoning
- Oral Comprehension
- Oral Expression
- Written Expression
- Problem Sensitivity
- Inductive Reasoning
- Information Ordering
- Speech Recognition
- Speech Clarity
Work Style
People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:
- Empathy
- Attention to Detail
- Dependability
- Cooperation
- Intellectual Curiosity
What Matters in This Career
This career tends to satisfy these work values:
- Relationships
- Achievement
- Recognition
- Working Conditions
- Independence
Education & Preparation
Typical Education: Master's Degree
On-the-Job Training: Anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month
Education Details: Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Experience Required: Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Technology You'll Use
Popular Technologies & Software
- Microsoft Access
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Word
Tools & Equipment
- Automated deoxyribonucleic acid DNA sequencers
- Benchtop ultracentrifuges
- Cryostats
- Differential interference microscopes
- Fluorescent microscopes
- Gel documentation systems
- High speed centrifuges
- Microplate readers
- Personal computers
- Phosphor imagers
- Table top centrifuges
- Ultracentrifuges
Work Environment
- Telephone Conversations
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Written Letters and Memos
- Contact With Others
Salary & Job Market
| Salary Percentile | Annual Wage |
|---|---|
| Entry-Level (10th percentile) | $78,680 |
| Median | $98,910 |
| Top Earners (90th percentile) | $137,780 |
Workers Employed Nationally: 3,510
Related Careers
If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:
Psychiatrists
Education: Post-Doctoral Training
Median Salary: >$239,200
Family Medicine Physicians
Education: Doctoral Degree
Median Salary: $238,380
Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses
Education: Master's Degree
Median Salary: $93,600
Pediatricians, General
Education: Post-Doctoral Training
Median Salary: $210,130
Clinical Nurse Specialists
Education: Master's Degree
Median Salary: $93,600
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Occupational data sourced from the O*NET OnLine database, developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024.