1. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-State Tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
What is a Genetic Counselor?
A genetic counselor is a healthcare professional who is responsible for providing risk assessment, education, and support to individuals and families who are at risk for a variety of inherited conditions. Using their specialization in medical genetics and counseling, genetic counselors empower their patients by helping them understand the ways genetics can affect life. They provide emotional support to individuals and families by offering genetic counseling. Genetic counselors must also interpret genetic testing and explain information to their patients in a way that is easy to understand.
What Does a Genetic Counselor Do
Genetic counselors assess individual or family risk for a variety of inherited conditions, such as genetic disorders and birth defects. They provide information and support to other healthcare providers, or to individuals and families concerned with the risk of inherited conditions.
How To Become a Genetic Counselor
Genetic counselors typically need a master’s degree in genetic counseling or genetics, and board certification.
Average Salary for a Genetic Counselor
Genetic Counselors in America make an average salary of $74,761 per year or $36 per hour. The top 10 percent makes over $143,000 per year, while the bottom 10 percent under $38,000 per year.
Average Genetic Counselor Salary
$74,761 Yearly$35.94 hourly
What Am I Worth?
Roles and Types of Genetic Counselor
The role of a genetic counselor includes a wide range of responsibilities. These responsibilities can vary based on an individual's specific job, company, or industry.Here are some general genetic counselor responsibilities:
- Provides general genetic counseling, and/or pre-
- Act as mentor to genetic counseling graduate students from the university of pittsburgh graduate school of public health. Assist genetic laboratory services with interpretation
- Counsels patients and families concerning various genetic disorders in children
There are several types of genetic counselor, including:
Counselor
Role:
While there are several different types of counselors, in general they spend their time helping people overcome and understand specific problems. Although, not every counselor is going to have a couch, as depicted by TV, most do work in private office settings.
The scope of the types of counselors seems to be never-ending. From school counselors to family and marriage counselors, and even mental health counselors, people who go into this field have a range of what area they want to focus on.
The scope of the types of counselors seems to be never-ending. From school counselors to family and marriage counselors, and even mental health counselors, people who go into this field have a range of what area they want to focus on.
- Average Salary: $36,225
- Degree: Bachelor's Degree
States With The Most Genetic Counselor Jobs
Mouse over a state to see the number of active genetic counselor jobs in each state. The darker areas on the map show where genetic counselors earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.
Average Salary: Job Openings:
Number Of Genetic Counselor Jobs By State
| Rank | State | Number of Jobs | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 1,338 | $121,969 |
| 2 | Pennsylvania | 1,036 | $78,589 |
| 3 | Florida | 973 | $64,117 |
| 4 | New York | 916 | $95,627 |
| 5 | Texas | 752 | $77,633 |
| 6 | Illinois | 638 | $72,076 |
| 7 | Georgia | 523 | $59,715 |
| 8 | Arizona | 430 | $70,469 |
| 9 | New Jersey | 422 | $87,995 |
| 10 | Virginia | 378 | $67,968 |
| 11 | Washington | 376 | $86,814 |
| 12 | Ohio | 334 | $71,198 |
| 13 | North Carolina | 329 | $80,881 |
| 14 | Massachusetts | 326 | $85,700 |
| 15 | Maryland | 317 | $82,798 |
| 16 | Michigan | 308 | $73,763 |
| 17 | Minnesota | 292 | $83,495 |
| 18 | Colorado | 271 | $73,951 |
| 19 | Indiana | 265 | $79,730 |
| 20 | Tennessee | 251 | $61,645 |
| 21 | Connecticut | 224 | $85,878 |
| 22 | Missouri | 214 | $71,892 |
| 23 | South Carolina | 210 | $61,268 |
| 24 | Wisconsin | 203 | $86,212 |
| 25 | Louisiana | 193 | $65,325 |
| 26 | Oregon | 175 | $88,622 |
| 27 | Iowa | 155 | $63,685 |
| 28 | Alabama | 155 | $60,343 |
| 29 | Kentucky | 134 | $75,826 |
| 30 | Kansas | 115 | $67,516 |
| 31 | Montana | 107 | $66,303 |
| 32 | Oklahoma | 105 | $62,869 |
| 33 | Utah | 100 | $74,066 |
| 34 | Nevada | 99 | $91,003 |
| 35 | Arkansas | 95 | $70,176 |
| 36 | New Mexico | 84 | $81,530 |
| 37 | Nebraska | 79 | $69,738 |
| 38 | Mississippi | 77 | $68,674 |
| 39 | Idaho | 69 | $81,267 |
| 40 | Rhode Island | 67 | $91,739 |
| 41 | New Hampshire | 67 | $90,705 |
| 42 | Delaware | 64 | $89,338 |
| 43 | Maine | 58 | $93,695 |
| 44 | Alaska | 49 | $99,171 |
| 45 | West Virginia | 49 | $83,320 |
| 46 | North Dakota | 48 | $103,336 |
| 47 | Hawaii | 43 | $57,736 |
| 48 | South Dakota | 42 | $64,040 |
| 49 | Wyoming | 37 | $77,351 |
| 50 | Vermont | 34 | $83,811 |
Top Colleges for Genetic Counselors
2. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,381
Enrollment
34,564
3. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
5. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-State Tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
6. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-State Tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
7. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-State Tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
8. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-State Tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-State Tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
10. Ohio State University
Columbus, OH • Private
In-State Tuition
$10,726
Enrollment
45,769
Choose From 10+ Customizable Genetic Counselor Resume templates
Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Genetic Counselor templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Genetic Counselor resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.
Genetic Counselor Demographics
Genetic Counselor Gender Distribution
Female
88%
Male
12%
After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
- Among genetic counselors, 88.1% of them are women, while 11.9% are men.
- The most common race/ethnicity among genetic counselors is White, which makes up 61.4% of all genetic counselors.
- The most common foreign language among genetic counselors is Spanish at 54.5%.
Online Courses For Genetic Counselor That You May Like
Advertising Disclosure
1. Genetic Epidemiology Foundations
This course is presented by the University of Colorado Denver in collaboration with the Vanderbilt Genetics Institute at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and the International Genetic Epidemiology Society. It is designed to provide students with the background and knowledge foundations necessary to conduct statistical analysis of genetic association study data. This course includes multiple lectures and evaluations on each of the topics: the history of genetics research presented by Dr...
See More on Coursera2. Introduction to Human Behavioral Genetics
Behavioral genetic methodologies from twin and adoption studies through DNA analysis will be described and applied to address longstanding questions about the origins of individual differences in behavioral traits...
See More on Coursera3. Introduction to Genetics and Evolution
Introduction to Genetics and Evolution is a college-level class being offered simultaneously to new students at Duke University. The course gives interested people a very basic overview of some principles behind these very fundamental areas of biology. We often hear about new "genome sequences," commercial kits that can tell you about your ancestry (including pre-human) from your DNA or disease predispositions, debates about the truth of evolution, why animals behave the way they do, and how...
See More on CourseraJob type you want
Full Time
Part Time
Internship
Temporary
Best States For a Genetic Counselor
Some places are better than others when it comes to starting a career as a genetic counselor. The best states for people in this position are California, North Dakota, Alaska, and New York. Genetic counselors make the most in California with an average salary of $121,969. Whereas in North Dakota and Alaska, they would average $103,336 and $99,171, respectively. While genetic counselors would only make an average of $95,627 in New York, you would still make more there than in the rest of the country. We determined these as the best states based on job availability and pay. By finding the median salary, cost of living, and using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Location Quotient, we narrowed down our list of states to these four.
1. Alaska
Total Genetic Counselor Jobs: 49
Highest 10% Earn:
$164,000
Location Quotient:
1.22
$99,171
Avg. Salary
2. North Dakota
Total Genetic Counselor Jobs: 48
Highest 10% Earn:
$173,000
Location Quotient:
1.08
$103,336
Avg. Salary
3. New York
Total Genetic Counselor Jobs: 916
Highest 10% Earn:
$159,000
Location Quotient:
1.49
$95,627
Avg. Salary
How Do Genetic Counselor Rate Their Jobs?
Top Genetic Counselor Employers
Most Common Employers For Genetic Counselor
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mayo Clinic | $118,310 | $56.88 | 16 |
| 2 | Providence Health & Services | $118,255 | $56.85 | 7 |
| 3 | Swedish Hospital | $113,397 | $54.52 | 7 |
| 4 | Wentworth-Douglass Hospital | $109,668 | $52.73 | 6 |
| 5 | Baptist Health Home Care | $109,411 | $52.60 | 5 |
| 6 | UMiami Health System | $108,953 | $52.38 | 5 |
| 7 | Quest Diagnostics | $100,831 | $48.48 | 5 |
| 8 | Reading Health System | $99,430 | $47.80 | 5 |
| 9 | UT Southwestern Medical Center | $97,505 | $46.88 | 6 |
| 10 | UCSF Health | $94,890 | $45.62 | 10 |
Genetic Counselor Videos
Genetic Counselor, What Is That?
Genetic Counselor Salary | Genetic Counseling Income, Education Requirements
Cara: Making Decisions with a Genetic Counselor