What Does it Take to Be a Geneticist?

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

A Day in the Life of a Geneticist

• Review, approve, or interpret genetic laboratory results.
• Evaluate, diagnose, or treat genetic diseases.
• Prepare results of experimental findings for presentation at professional conferences or in scientific journals.
• Confer with information technology specialists to develop computer applications for genetic data analysis.
• Participate in the development of endangered species breeding programs or species survival plans.
• Analyze determinants responsible for specific inherited traits, and devise methods for altering traits or producing new traits.

Things a Geneticist Should Know How to Do

When polled, Geneticists say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:

Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Science: Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.

Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

Other Geneticist Job Titles

• Geneticist
• Clinical Geneticist
• Clinical Biochemical Geneticist
• Clinical Genetics Laboratory Chief
• Genomics Scientist

Job Outlook for Geneticists

In 2016, there was an estimated number of 38,700 jobs in the United States for Biological Scientists.

New jobs are being produced at a rate of 8% which is lower than average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 3,100 new jobs for Geneticists by 2026. There will be an estimated 3,700 positions for Geneticist per year.

The states with the most job growth for Biological Scientists are California, Massachusetts, and Texas.

Watch out if you plan on working in Wyoming, South Dakota, or Rhode Island. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

Do Geneticists Make A Lot Of Money?

The typical yearly salary for Biological Scientists is somewhere between $45,030 and $126,390. The median salary for this occupation is $79,590.

Below is a list of the median annual salaries for jobs of this type in different U.S. states.

Annual Mean Salary by State

State	Annual Mean Salary
District of Columbia	$104,460
Maryland	$103,790
Virginia	$93,750
Connecticut	$93,180
Delaware	$91,760
California	$91,340
Rhode Island	$89,210
New York	$89,000
Washington	$85,200
Massachusetts	$84,790
Illinois	$84,180
Arizona	$83,680
North Carolina	$83,380
Texas	$80,900
Mississippi	$80,690
Hawaii	$79,760
New Hampshire	$78,780
South Carolina	$78,370
Vermont	$78,070
Alaska	$77,430
Maine	$76,840
New Jersey	$76,330
Michigan	$75,110
Nebraska	$74,790
Arkansas	$74,380
Utah	$74,290
Minnesota	$73,770
New Mexico	$73,610
Pennsylvania	$73,550
Wisconsin	$73,520
Nevada	$73,490
Georgia	$72,460
Colorado	$71,380
Florida	$71,200
Wyoming	$71,030
Idaho	$70,770
North Dakota	$70,590
West Virginia	$70,060
Oregon	$69,930
Indiana	$69,180
Ohio	$67,780
Tennessee	$67,690
Missouri	$67,290
Alabama	$67,200
Montana	$66,110
Louisiana	$66,100
South Dakota	$65,660
Kentucky	$64,780
Kansas	$64,560
Oklahoma	$64,200
Iowa	$62,320

What Tools do Geneticists Use?

Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Geneticists:

• Microsoft Office
• UNIX
• Microsoft Word
• Oracle Java
• Structured query language SQL
• Practical extraction and reporting language Perl
• Linux
• SAS
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• R

Where Geneticists Work

References

Bureau of Labor Statistics

College Factual

O*NET Online

Image Credit: Via Wikimedia Commons