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Genetics

Types of Degrees Genetics Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Genetics may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	740
Master’s Degree	612
Doctor’s Degree	381

What Genetics Majors Need to Know

Programs in Genetics emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Genetics graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Genetics emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Biology — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 5.5 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Medicine and Dentistry — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Psychology — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set developed in a Genetics program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Complex Problem Solving — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Genetics careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Genetics graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.6 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.5 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.4 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.4 / 7
Working with Computers	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.1 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.0 / 7
Processing Information	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Genetics professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
FileMaker Pro	Data base user interface and query software	—
Database software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Medgen PED	Medical software	—
Benetech PRA	Medical software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Genetics graduates include:

• Cancer Genetic Counselor
• Chromosomal Disorders Counselor
• Prenatal Genetic Counselor
• Genetic Coordinator
• Genetics Counselor
• Genetic Counseling Medical Specialist
• Clinical Reviewer
• Mitochondrial Disorders Counselor
• Prenatal and Pediatric Genetic Counselor
• Cancer Program Consultant
• Pediatric Genetic Counselor
• Medical Science Liaison
• Genetic Counselor
• Certified Genetic Counselor
• Reproductive Genetic Counseling Coordinator

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Genetics graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Master’s degree	68.1%
Bachelor’s degree	11.4%
Post-doctoral training	8.8%
Doctoral degree	7.2%
Postsecondary certificate	1.2%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	1.0%
Some college courses	1.0%
High school diploma or equivalent	0.7%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.4%
Post-master’s certificate	0.3%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Genetics?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 70.3% of Genetics degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	1,219	70.3%
Men	514	29.7%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Genetics graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	1,011	58.3%
Asian	187	10.8%
Hispanic or Latino	139	8.0%
Black or African American	69	4.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native	5	0.3%
Two or More Races	68	3.9%
Race Unknown	45	2.6%
International Students	209	12.1%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Genetics Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Genetics graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$43,852
4 years	$57,533
5 years	$73,410

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $73,410 — roughly 67% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Genetics Programs

Distance learning are documented by IPEDS for Genetics. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Master’s	5	3

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Genetics Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Genetics graduates earn a median of $57,533 four years after completion — roughly 51% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Biological Biomedical Sciences	26
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology	26.02
Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other	26.99
BIOLOGICAL AND BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES	26.00
Biology, General	26.01
Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology	26.11
Biotechnology	26.12
Botany/Plant Biology	26.03
Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences	26.04
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology	26.13
Microbiological Sciences and Immunology	26.05
Molecular Medicine	26.14

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.