Career Overview
Research and study the inheritance of traits at the molecular, organism or population level. May evaluate or treat patients with genetic disorders.
Also Known As
- Cardiovascular Geneticist
- Medical Geneticist
- Research Scientist
- Scientist
Alternate Job Titles
- Academic Pediatric Geneticist
- Behavioral Geneticist
- Cardiovascular Geneticist
- Clinical Biochemical Geneticist
- Clinical Cytogeneticist
- Clinical Geneticist
- Clinical Molecular Geneticist
- Computational Geneticist
- Crop Quantitative Geneticist
- Genetic Scientist
- Geneticist
- Genomics Scientist
- Laboratory Geneticist (Lab Geneticist)
- Medical Geneticist
- Molecular Geneticist
What You'll Do
In this role, your typical responsibilities include:
- Supervise or direct the work of other geneticists, biologists, technicians, or biometricians working on genetics research projects.
- Plan or conduct basic genomic and biological research related to areas such as regulation of gene expression, protein interactions, metabolic networks, and nucleic acid or protein complexes.
- Prepare results of experimental findings for presentation at professional conferences or in scientific journals.
- Maintain laboratory notebooks that record research methods, procedures, and results.
- Write grants and papers or attend fundraising events to seek research funds.
- Search scientific literature to select and modify methods and procedures most appropriate for genetic research goals.
- Review, approve, or interpret genetic laboratory results.
Knowledge You'll Use
You'll need solid knowledge in these areas:
- Biology
- English Language
- Education and Training
- Mathematics
Essential Skills
Success in this career requires strong skills in:
- Reading Comprehension
- Science
- Active Listening
- Writing
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Active Learning
- Complex Problem Solving
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Mathematics
Key Abilities
This career requires key abilities in:
- Written Comprehension
- Written Expression
- Oral Comprehension
- Oral Expression
- Inductive Reasoning
- Category Flexibility
- Problem Sensitivity
- Deductive Reasoning
- Near Vision
- Mathematical Reasoning
Work Style
People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:
- Intellectual Curiosity
- Attention to Detail
- Innovation
- Dependability
- Integrity
What Matters in This Career
This career tends to satisfy these work values:
- Recognition
- Achievement
- Independence
- Working Conditions
- Relationships
Education & Preparation
Typical Education: Post-Doctoral Training
Related Work Experience Needed: Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years
On-the-Job Training: Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year
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
- C++
- Git
- GitHub
- Linux
- Microsoft Access
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Word
- Oracle Java
Tools & Equipment
- Binocular optical microscopes
- Capillary electrophoresis equipment
- Desktop computers
- Fast protein liquid chromatographs FPLC
- Flow cytometers
- Gas chromatography equipment
- Gel electrophoresis equipment
- High pressure liquid chromatograph HPLC equipment
- Laptop computers
- Mass spectrometry equipment
- Micropipettes
- Microplate readers
- Personal computers
- Phosphorimagers
- Polymerase chain reaction PCR equipment
Work Environment
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
- Freedom to Make Decisions
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
Salary & Job Market
Wages reported for the broader Biological Scientists, All Other occupational group (BLS 2024), which includes Geneticists.
| Salary Percentile | Annual Wage |
|---|---|
| Entry-Level (10th percentile) | $54,500 |
| Median | $93,330 |
| Top Earners (90th percentile) | $159,780 |
Workers Employed Nationally: 59,710
Related Careers
If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:
Molecular and Cellular Biologists
Education: Bachelor's Degree
Median Salary: $93,330
Biochemists and Biophysicists
Education: Post-Doctoral Training
Median Salary: $103,650
Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists
Education: Doctoral Degree
Median Salary: $100,590
Bioinformatics Scientists
Education: Bachelor's Degree
Median Salary: $93,330
Microbiologists
Education: Bachelor's Degree
Median Salary: $87,330
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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.