People with the genetic counselor salary and job description are generally tasked with assessing the individual, as well as the family risk for developing a wide array of inherited health issues. These include, and are mostly limited to birth defects and genetic disorders. So, what is the average genetic counselor salary, and what can one do to obtain it?
Genetic counselors also have to provide the concerned parties with information about the inherited conditions, as well as to advise the individuals and family members on how to proceed with the information they get. Some individuals with the genetics counselor salary also conduct research related to their field of expertise.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average salary of a genetic counselor was reported at $72,000 per year in 2015. Meanwhile, taking no note of bonuses, overtimes, or any other sources of income, payscale.com estimated the median genetic counselor salary at slightly more than $62,000 per year.
The yearly and hourly genetic counselor salaries sorted by percentile are depicted in the table below:
| Percentile | 10% | 25% | 50% (Median) |
75% | 90% |
| Hourly Wage | $23.92 | $28.27 | $34.66 | $43.12 | $52.72 |
| Annual Wage | $49,760 | $58,810 | $72,090 | $89,690 | $109,650 |
Factors that Influence the Genetic Counselor Salary
Since the genetic counselor salary was estimated with a difference of more than $10,000 by two different sources, it means that the occupation usually has a salary which varies by much depending on several factors. Some of these factors are dependent upon the employee, whereas others depend on either the employer or on something much larger.
The three factors which influence the genetic counselor salary the most are the geographic location of the place of employment, the level of experience of each employee, and the industry of the profession. These factors can usually more than double the average counseling geneticist salary. So, how big of an influence is each of these factors?
Geographic Area
Genetic counseling, despite common belief, is a very populated field of medicine. Still, with each city having its own programs, clinical trials, as well as genetic counseling needs, it’s obvious that every area, state, and country has a different genetic counselor salary.
Below, we have compiled a series of tables documenting the states and the metropolitan areas with the highest salaries and levels of employment for the occupation. However, we will only focus on areas in the United States, mainly because of the large differences going on at a national level.
The states with the highest levels of employment for individuals with the genetic counselor salary are as follows:
| State | Employment | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
| California | 510 | 0.03 | 1.82 | $41.13 | $85,560 |
| New York | 180 | 0.02 | 1.08 | $34.85 | $72,480 |
| Massachusetts | 170 | 0.05 | 2.78 | $34.48 | $71,720 |
| Ohio | 140 | 0.03 | 1.41 | $31.25 | $64,990 |
| Florida | 130 | 0.02 | 0.91 | $35.68 | $74,200 |
Meanwhile, the highest salaries for the profession sorted by state are the following:
| State | Employment | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
| Maryland | Not released | Not released | Not released | $43.89 | $91,290 |
| South Carolina | Not released | Not released | Not released | $43.85 | $91,200 |
| New Jersey | 40 | 0.01 | 0.61 | $41.78 | $86,900 |
| California | 510 | 0.03 | 1.82 | $41.13 | $85,560 |
| Illinois | 90 | 0.01 | 0.80 | $39.57 | $82,310 |
For those interested in more vaguely distributed information, we have also compiled tables featuring the metropolitan areas with the highest salaries and the highest levels of employment for the occupation.
The metropolitan areas offering the highest employment levels for people with the genetic counselor salary are as follows:
| Metropolitan area | Employment | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
| New York – Jersey City – White Plains, NY – NJ Metropolitan Division | 150 | 0.02 | 1.28 | $39.32 | $81,790 |
| Boston – Cambridge – Newton, MA NECTA Division | 150 | 0.09 | 4.71 | $34.53 | $71,830 |
| Los Angeles – Long Beach – Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division | 90 | 0.02 | 1.21 | $41.52 | $86,370 |
| Chicago – Naperville – Arlington Heights, IL Metropolitan Division | 80 | 0.02 | 1.27 | $39.76 | $82,690 |
| Tampa – St. Petersburg – Clearwater, FL | 60 | 0.05 | 2.69 | $40.42 | $84,060 |
| Oakland – Hayward – Berkeley, CA Metropolitan Division | 60 | 0.05 | 3.01 | $42.51 | $88,430 |
| Anaheim – Santa Ana – Irvine, CA Metropolitan Division | 50 | 0.03 | 1.84 | $43.60 | $90,680 |
| Salt Lake City, UT | 50 | 0.07 | 4.02 | $31.15 | $64,790 |
| Cincinnati, OH – KY – IN | 50 | 0.05 | 2.56 | $31.46 | $65,430 |
| Indianapolis – Carmel – Anderson, IN | 50 | 0.05 | 2.58 | $32.42 | $67,420 |
Last, but not least, the metropolitan areas offering the highest paying jobs for the profession are:
| Metropolitan area | Employment | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
| Baltimore – Columbia – Towson, MD | Not released | Not released | Not released | $45.80 | $95,260 |
| Anaheim – Santa Ana – Irvine, CA Metropolitan Division | 50 | 0.03 | 1.84 | $43.60 | $90,680 |
| Oakland – Hayward – Berkeley, CA Metropolitan Division | 60 | 0.05 | 3.01 | $42.51 | $88,430 |
| Los Angeles – Long Beach – Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division | 90 | 0.02 | 1.21 | $41.52 | $86,370 |
| Tampa – St. Petersburg – Clearwater, FL | 60 | 0.05 | 2.69 | $40.42 | $84,060 |
| Chicago – Naperville – Arlington Heights, IL Metropolitan Division | 80 | 0.02 | 1.27 | $39.76 | $82,690 |
| New York – Jersey City – White Plains, NY – NJ Metropolitan Division | 150 | 0.02 | 1.28 | $39.32 | $81,790 |
| Sacramento – Roseville – Arden – Arcade, CA | Not released | Not released | Not released | $39.31 | $81,770 |
| San Francisco – Redwood City – South San Francisco, CA Metropolitan Division | Not released | Not released | Not released | $38.00 | $79,040 |
| Seattle – Bellevue – Everett, WA Metropolitan Division | 50 | 0.03 | 1.64 | $36.75 | $76,440 |
Experience
Yet another highly influencing factor, the experience gathered by an employee over the course of any careers in genetic counseling longer than twenty years can influence it by more than $30,000 a year. And this is without taking into account bonuses, overtimes, or any of the other influential factors.
According to payscale.com, the average starting salary for most genetic counselors is somewhere around $61,000 a year. Over the course of a career longer than twenty years, the genetic counselor salary range can change in the following ways:
- From $61,000 to $67,000 over the first five to ten years on the job;
- From $67,000 to $79,000 over the first ten to twenty years on the job;
- From $79,000 to $83,000 after more than twenty years of experience.
While the level of experience can influence the genetic counselor salary by quite a lot, it’s certainly not the only factor to do that. It does, however, help greatly with the highly favorable job outlook this occupation has.
Industry
The last of the three big factors to influence the genetic counselor salary, the industry of the profession is very important. It not only dictates the salary for the profession, but also the job description. Below, you can find a series of tables documenting the industries offering the highest genetic counselor salary, as well as those with the highest levels of employment.
For those interested in getting a job quickly, the industries with the highest genetic counselor employment levels are as follows:
| Industry | Employment | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | 880 | 0.02 | $34.65 | $72,070 |
| Offices of Physicians | 610 | 0.02 | $34.63 | $72,020 |
| Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories | 400 | 0.16 | $43.63 | $90,760 |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | 240 | 0.01 | $30.57 | $63,580 |
| Outpatient Care Centers | 100 | 0.01 | $40.79 | $84,850 |
Finally, the industries which provide the highest salaries for the occupation are the following:
| Industry | Employment | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
| Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories | 400 | 0.16 | $43.63 | $90,760 |
| Outpatient Care Centers | 100 | 0.01 | $40.79 | $84,850 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 70 | Less than .005 | $39.93 | $83,050 |
| Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals | 90 | 0.03 | $34.85 | $72,490 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | 880 | 0.02 | $34.65 | $72,070 |
Work Hours
Usually, individuals with the genetic counselor salary work eight to five work days. This means that the average work week for the profession is somewhere around 45 hours long. These hours are generally spent researching, performing genetic testing, and talking to patients.
As with most places of employment, genetic counselors may work overtimes depending on their place of employment. If the employer requests overtimes, then the genetic counselor work week will most likely be far longer than 45 hours. However, the genetic counselor salary still goes to one of the least stressful healthcare jobs out there.
Bonuses and Benefits Packages
According to payscale.com, the genetic counselor salary is rarely joined by bonuses, commissions, profit sharing opportunities, or any other such additional sources of income. Bonuses are usually awarded to people in the position, but they don’t amount to very much. In fact, it is estimated that genetic counselor bonuses rarely go over $2,000 per year.
As for the benefits packages, that is a totally different story. A more than fair number of paid and sick leave days, as well as a 401(K) plan are par for the course. Similarly, 92% of all employees with the genetic counselor salary and job description get medical insurance, 81% get dental, and 67% get vision. Only 7% get not insurance whatsoever.
Job Outlook
The job outlook for the profession is highly favorable, with bls.com estimating the employment rate to go up 29% by 2024. This is owed to a number of factors, depending either on the employer or on the job market. Let’s take a look at these factors.
One of the main reasons for the extremely favorable job outlook (compared to 8% for the national average) is that the medical industry has been going through advances never before seen. Another one would be the high genetic counselor salary, while another one would be the very low stress levels for the profession.
All the tables in this article about the genetic counselor salary across the United States are courtesy of the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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