Careers / Geneticists

Geneticists — Career Decision Dashboard

United States

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Median annual wage

$98,920

United States, 2025

Employment

55,850

United States, 2025

Typical education

Post-Doctoral Training

Job Zone 5

Skills identified

35

10 related careers

Career overview

Research and study the inheritance of traits at the molecular, organism or population level. May evaluate or treat patients with genetic disorders.

O*NET code
19-1029.03
Job zone
5
Experience required
Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years

Typical tasks

  • Evaluate, diagnose, or treat genetic diseases.
  • Supervise or direct the work of other geneticists, biologists, technicians, or biometricians working on genetics research projects.
  • Plan or conduct basic genomic and biological research related to areas such as regulation of gene expression, protein interactions, metabolic networks, and nucleic acid or protein complexes.
  • Prepare results of experimental findings for presentation at professional conferences or in scientific journals.
  • Maintain laboratory notebooks that record research methods, procedures, and results.
  • Write grants and papers or attend fundraising events to seek research funds.
  • Search scientific literature to select and modify methods and procedures most appropriate for genetic research goals.
  • Review, approve, or interpret genetic laboratory results.

Choose a location

Salary analysis — United States

$60,430
10th
$76,800
25th
$98,920
Median
$127,670
75th
$168,010
90th

10th percentile

$60,430

25th percentile

$76,800

75th percentile

$127,670

90th percentile

$168,010

Most important skills

  • Reading Comprehension4.3
  • Science4.1
  • Writing4.0
  • Speaking4.0
  • Complex Problem Solving4.0
  • Judgment and Decision Making4.0
  • Active Listening4.0
  • Critical Thinking4.0
  • Active Learning4.0
  • Mathematics3.9
  • Learning Strategies3.9
  • Instructing3.8

What skills do you need?

Select the skills you already have

Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.

Skill coverage

0%

0 of 22 identified skills

Matched

0

Missing

22

Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.

Skills to develop

SkillImportanceRequired levelYour levelGap
Reading Comprehension4.35.0Not selected5.0
Writing4.04.9Not selected4.9
Science4.14.4Not selected4.4
Critical Thinking4.04.4Not selected4.4
Speaking4.04.1Not selected4.1
Active Learning4.04.1Not selected4.1
Complex Problem Solving4.04.0Not selected4.0
Judgment and Decision Making4.04.0Not selected4.0
Active Listening4.04.0Not selected4.0
Mathematics3.94.0Not selected4.0
Learning Strategies3.93.9Not selected3.9
Monitoring3.83.9Not selected3.9
Instructing3.83.8Not selected3.8
Social Perceptiveness3.53.8Not selected3.8
Systems Analysis3.63.6Not selected3.6
Time Management3.03.5Not selected3.5
Coordination3.13.3Not selected3.3
Management of Personnel Resources3.13.1Not selected3.1
Persuasion3.13.1Not selected3.1
Systems Evaluation3.03.1Not selected3.1
Negotiation3.03.0Not selected3.0
Service Orientation3.02.9Not selected2.9

Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.

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How salary varies by location

LocationMedianEmploymentYear
San Francisco, CA$138,1604,2802025
San Jose, CA$133,7906102025
Dayton, OH$126,960702025
Santa Maria, CA$124,840902025
MD$121,6804,9702025
Portland, ME$119,430602025
Washington, DC$114,9205,7202025
CA$113,53011,8802025
DE$113,4002025
New Haven, CT$112,670602025
CT$111,9401702025
Baltimore, MD$111,5308002025
New York, NY$111,3801,9702025
Grand Rapids, MI$111,150702025
Vallejo, CA$110,780602025
Boston, MA$110,4102,6302025
Santa Rosa, CA$110,330702025
Bremerton, WA$109,550302025
Barnstable Town, MA$108,850602025
Seattle, WA$108,5801,8802025
All locations with published data

Career transition paths

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Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0.

Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).

Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.