Genetic Counselors Salary: $143,815 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 3,510 genetic counselors nationally earn a mean of $143,815. Employment in the series shown rose about 19% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 3.2% annual growth.
Key Statistics
Genetic Counselors: what the data shows
Common questions about genetic counselors careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a genetic counselors?
Genetic Counselors is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 29-9092.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 3,510 workers.
What does a genetic counselors do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge, Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others, Getting Information, Assisting and Caring for Others, Documenting/Recording Information, Working with Computers, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a genetic counselors make?
BLS national median annual wage: $98,910 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $143,815 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $104,669 |
| 25th percentile | $121,114 |
| Median (50th) | $138,761 |
| 75th percentile | $171,898 |
| 90th percentile | $176,582 |
What education do you need?
For Genetic Counselors, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Complex Problem Solving, Active Learning, Speaking, Social Perceptiveness, and knowledge areas including Biology, Psychology, Medicine and Dentistry, Therapy and Counseling. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is genetic counselors in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 3.2% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 17.2%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 37.4%.
Current U.S. headcount: 3,510.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do genetic counselorss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 3,510 | 16.8% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 3,200 | 15.3% |
| Hospitals | 3,100 | 14.9% |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | 2,910 | 13.9% |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 2,900 | 13.9% |
| Ambulatory Health Care Services | 1,350 | 6.5% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Genetic Counselors in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Medical Assistants | 793,460 | $44,200 |
| Physician Assistants | 155,540 | $133,260 |
| Nurse Practitioners | 307,390 | $129,210 |
| Pharmacy Technicians | 487,920 | $43,460 |
| Registered Nurses | 3,282,010 | $93,600 |
| Dental Hygienists | 200,000 | — |
| Occupational Therapists | 152,280 | $98,340 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Genetic Counselors workforce.
Employment Over Time
3,510 Workforce in 2023
The Genetic Counselors workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Genetic Counselors.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$143,815 Average Wage
In 2023, Genetic Counselors earned an average of $143,815.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Genetic Counselors.
Salary distribution for Genetic Counselors.
Employment Growth Projections
3.2% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
1,922 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 17.2%
2,253 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 37.4%
This occupation is projected to grow at 3.2% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Genetic Counselors.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Genetic Counselors and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Genetic Counselors employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Genetic Counselors.
Wage Trends by Industry
-0.7% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Total, All Industry: -2.8% growth (Current: $155,710)
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Genetic Counselors.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Genetic Counselors.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 380 employees, $123,275 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Genetic Counselors.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 90 employees, $155,710 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 90 employees, $128,149 avg wage
- San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD: 80 employees, $152,892 avg wage
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 50 employees, N/A avg wage
- Fresno MSA: 20 employees, $121,546 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 20 employees, $133,297 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 20 employees, $131,140 avg wage
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 10 employees, $134,611 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Genetic Counselors.
Diversity
Demographic information on Genetic Counselors in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Genetic Counselors in 2023 was 3,510 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Genetic Counselors.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Genetic Counselors.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Genetic Counselors.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Genetic Counselors in 2023 were Health Sciences, Social Work, Psychology.
Common majors for Genetic Counselors.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Genetic Counselors workers.
Education level distribution for Genetic Counselors.
Skills
Genetic Counselors need many skills, but most especially Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Complex Problem Solving, Active Learning, Speaking.
Required skills for Genetic Counselors.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Genetic Counselors.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Genetic Counselors include Biology, Psychology, Medicine and Dentistry, Therapy and Counseling, English Language.
Knowledge areas required for Genetic Counselors.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Genetic Counselors include Written Comprehension, Deductive Reasoning, Written Expression, Problem Sensitivity, Inductive Reasoning.
Required abilities for Genetic Counselors.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Genetic Counselors.
Daily Activities
Genetic Counselors spend their time on activities such as Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge, Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others, Getting Information, Assisting and Caring for Others, Documenting/Recording Information.
Most important work activities for Genetic Counselors.
About
Genetic Counselors
The average yearly wage for Genetic Counselors was $143,815 in 2023.
SOC Code
29-9092 - Genetic Counselors
Insights and Analysis
High earnings profile: Genetic Counselors reports an average salary of $143,815, placing it among stronger-paying occupations.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 3,510 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 3.2%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.