How to become a Geneticist

Official title: Geneticists

Also called: Cardiovascular Geneticist, Medical Geneticist, Research Scientist, Scientist

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

Main tasks

• 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.
• Attend clinical and research conferences and read scientific literature to keep abreast of technological advances and current genetic research findings.

How to become one

Typical education to start: Bachelor's degree

Ways in

• College: Agriculture & Environment degrees, Offered by 26 universities in the US

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Median pay: $98,920 a year The middle half earn $76,800 to $127,670.
• About 59,600 people work in this job now, and about 62,400 are projected by 2035. (+4.7%)
• People already use generative AI for some of this work. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as medium.

Related jobs

• Biochemists and Biophysicists
• Microbiologists
• Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists
• Bioinformatics Scientists
• Molecular and Cellular Biologists
• Biologists

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Geneticist?

Ways in include: Agriculture & Environment degrees.

How much does a Geneticist earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $98,920 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $76,800 to $127,670.

Is a Geneticist a growing career in the US?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 5% by 2035, from about 59,600 to about 62,400 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Geneticist?

Usually. 100% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Will AI change the work of a Geneticist?

People already use generative AI for some of this work. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as medium.

Sources

• Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.