How To Become A Genetic Scientist: What It Is and Career Path

What is a genetic scientist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

Quoted expert

Dr. Betsy Smith

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a genetic scientist. For example, did you know that they make an average of $41.66 an hour? That's $86,662 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 17% and produce 20,800 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a genetic scientist?

Dr. Betsy Smith

Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Elmira College

I would advise students just graduating to be flexible and open-minded in their job search. Chemistry is a challenging major, and students who succeed in it have learned how to learn, so they shouldn't assume that pure chemistry is the only thing they can do. One growing field is biomedical research, and chemistry majors are often qualified for jobs in that area. If you have other strengths, like writing, there are often jobs that can combine them as a technical writer or work for a science journal. There are jobs out there that might be perfect for you that you haven't heard of until you see an ad for it, so be open to different possibilities.

ScoreGenetic ScientistUS Average

Salary

6.8

Avg. Salary $86,662

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.3

Growth rate 17%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.14%

Asian 27.95%

Black or African American 4.60%

Hispanic or Latino 7.38%

Unknown 3.55%

White 56.38%

Gender

female 48.39%

male 51.61%

Age - 39

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 39

Stress level

6.3

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.8

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.7

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a genetic scientist

Explore genetic scientist education requirements

Most common genetic scientist degrees

Bachelor's

64.7 %

Master's

17.6 %

Doctorate

11.8 %

Start to develop specific genetic scientist skills

Skills	Percentages
Next-Generation Sequencing	24.79%
Molecular Biology	18.99%
RNA	12.46%
QC	8.69%
Biological Sciences	8.42%

Complete relevant genetic scientist training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-2 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New genetic scientists learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a genetic scientist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real genetic scientist resumes.

Research genetic scientist duties and responsibilities

Manage sample inventory via in-house laboratory information management system (LIMS) and implement additional systems for sample and chemical organization.
Create PCR assays by selecting primers, enzymes, establishing thermo-cycler protocols, and verifying results through electrophoresis and DNA ladders.
Key activities include process chemistry development, synthesis of intermediates, compound purification and structure identification, and comprehensive scientific documentation.
Evaluate patient samples to identify biomarkers providing the development of asthma patient stratification methods.

Apply for genetic scientist jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a genetic scientist job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams