Clinical geneticist vs genetic counselor

The differences between clinical geneticists and genetic counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a genetic counselor has an average salary of $74,761, which is higher than the $61,512 average annual salary of a clinical geneticist.

The top three skills for a clinical geneticist include sops, and . The most important skills for a genetic counselor are patients, test results, and family history.

Clinical geneticist vs genetic counselor overview

	Clinical Geneticist	Genetic Counselor
Yearly salary	$61,512	$74,761
Hourly rate	$29.57	$35.94
Growth rate	17%	18%
Number of jobs	53,049	27,215
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Doctoral Degree, 50%	Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	2	-

Clinical geneticist vs genetic counselor salary

Clinical geneticists and genetic counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Clinical Geneticist	Genetic Counselor
Average salary	$61,512	$74,761
Salary range	Between $31,000 And $120,000	Between $38,000 And $143,000
Highest paying City	-	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	Hoag
Best paying industry	-	Non Profits

Differences between clinical geneticist and genetic counselor education

There are a few differences between a clinical geneticist and a genetic counselor in terms of educational background:

	Clinical Geneticist	Genetic Counselor
Most common degree	Doctoral Degree, 50%	Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Most common major	Genetics	Mental Health Counseling
Most common college	Duke University	Johns Hopkins University

Clinical geneticist vs genetic counselor demographics

Here are the differences between clinical geneticists' and genetic counselors' demographics:

	Clinical Geneticist	Genetic Counselor
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 28.6% Female, 71.4%	Male, 11.9% Female, 88.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 2.3% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 6.3% Asian, 11.1% White, 74.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%	Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 8.4% White, 61.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%
LGBT Percentage	10%	10%

Differences between clinical geneticist and genetic counselor duties and responsibilities

Clinical geneticist example responsibilities.

Develop of an inexpensive genotyping by next generation sequencing assay that result in a patent application.
Develop first interactive animal colony database at NIDA-IRP using FileMaker software.

Genetic counselor example responsibilities.

Maintain IRB and human subjects data.
Coordinate, interpret and summarize results of DNA linkage analysis and chromosome studies.
Maintain all documents including regulatory binders, IRB protocols, consent forms, and other study relate material.
Coordinate and facilitate genetic testing for all patients interest in pursuing testing.
Provide patients with case management and disease management including community resources, advocacy, and education.
Study the molecular link between carcinoma, melanoma, and inflammation using different nonclinical model systems.

Clinical geneticist vs genetic counselor skills

Common clinical geneticist skills

Sops, 100%

Common genetic counselor skills

Patients, 38%
Test Results, 10%
Family History, 10%
Genetic Disorders, 7%
Informed Consent, 5%
Genetic Services, 3%

Clinical Geneticist vs. similar jobs

Clinical Geneticist related careers

Clinical Geneticist related jobs

What similar roles do

Geneticist responsibilities

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Clinical Geneticist
Clinical Geneticist vs Genetic Counselor

Updated January 8, 2025

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