Genetic Counselors Salary: $98,910 Median Pay (2026 stats)
Executive Summary
About 3,510 genetic counselors work nationally, and $98,910 is the BLS national median annual wage. Employment in the series shown rose about 19% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 3.2% annual growth.
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 percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| 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 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 U.S. workforce (OEWS)
California employment for Genetic Counselors grew from 1,120 in 2013 to 1,640 in 2025 (46.4%).
Historical employment for Genetic Counselors from the California OEWS series, 2013–2025. The U.S. workforce figure is national and is not the endpoint of this line.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$98,910 Median pay (BLS national)
Genetic Counselors earn $98,910 as the BLS national median annual wage.
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.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 440 employees, $140,010 avg wage
- NY: 320 employees, $101,880 avg wage
- MA: 240 employees, $101,440 avg wage
- NJ: 220 employees, $109,680 avg wage
- PA: 210 employees, $94,110 avg wage
- MN: 170 employees, $97,500 avg wage
- OH: 130 employees, $90,620 avg wage
- WA: 130 employees, $102,630 avg wage
- VA: 130 employees, $110,730 avg wage
- NC: 110 employees, $88,960 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Genetic Counselors.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 410 employees, $108,070 avg wage
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH: 200 employees, $98,780 avg wage
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA: 130 employees, $151,400 avg wage
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: 120 employees, $105,370 avg wage
- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI: 100 employees, $96,660 avg wage
- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA: 100 employees, $105,240 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 100 employees, $125,630 avg wage
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA: 90 employees, $151,590 avg wage
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: 90 employees, $110,090 avg wage
- Pittsburgh, PA: 80 employees, $90,830 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 U.S. workforce for Genetic Counselors is about 3,510 people in our OEWS extract.
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
Genetic Counselors earn $98,910 as the BLS national median annual wage.
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.