Skip to main content
Healthcare science

Genetic Counsellor

Helps people and families understand inherited conditions and genetic test results, and what those mean for their health and choices.

Genetic counsellors work in hospital genetics services, cancer clinics, antenatal services and testing labs, alongside clinical geneticists. It suits people who are good with both science and feelings, and can explain risk honestly to someone facing a hard decision.

Also called Clinical genetic counsellor, Genomic counsellor or Cancer genetic counsellor.

At a glance

Way in
Master's degree, often in genetics, biology, biomedical science, psychology and nursing
Pay in the US
$100,040 a year, the medianFor genetic counselors, 2025
US outlook
Much faster than average, 2025-2035
Suits you if
You enjoy genetics and want to use it to support people at hard moments.

Pay is a guide: it moves with the country, the employer, the sector and the years in the job. Figures from O*NET OnLine (US) and the National Careers Service (UK); see the sources below.

The work

What does a genetic counsellor do?

  • Take a detailed family history and draw a family tree to assess inherited risk.
  • Explain genetic conditions, testing options and what a result can and cannot tell someone.
  • Support patients and relatives through difficult news and decisions, without steering them.
  • Go through test reports with lab scientists and doctors and agree what happens next.
  • Help patients tell relatives who may also be at risk, and take part in research.

Where they work

  • Hospital genetics services
  • Cancer genetics clinics
  • Antenatal clinics
  • Genetic testing laboratories
  • Research institutes

Skills

The skills a genetic counsellor needs

  • Geneticsinheritance patterns, variants and genetic tests
  • Counsellinglistening well and supporting people through distress
  • Risk communicationexplaining chance and uncertainty in plain words
  • Ethicsconsent, confidentiality and respect for patient choice
  • Teamworkworking with clinical geneticists, nurses and lab staff
  • Record keepingaccurate family trees and clinic letters

Route in

How to become a genetic counsellor

  1. Take a degree in genetics, a life science, psychology or nursing, and gain experience in a caring or listening role.
  2. Complete a master's in genetic counselling with supervised clinical placements; in the UK, this is often done through the NHS Scientist Training Programme.
  3. In the UK, register as a genetic counsellor through the Academy for Healthcare Science, which holds the profession's register.
  4. In the US, graduate from an accredited programme and pass the ABGC board exam to become a certified genetic counsellor.

Degrees people take

  • Genetics
  • Biology
  • Biomedical science
  • Psychology
  • Nursing

In the US, many states require a licence on top of board certification.

Practise for it

The quizzes and tools that fit

Also on biofideX

Next to it

Careers to weigh against it

Sources

Where the facts come from

Written for biofideX from these public sources. The pay figures are theirs, copied as published, last read 2026-10-25.

Requirements differ by country and change over time; check with the body that registers the profession where you will work. Spotted a mistake? Tell us and we'll correct it.

Career Paths

55 careers, side by side

Each with what it asks, how people get in, what it pays and the quizzes that fit it.

Explore the careers

Cookie Notice

We use cookies

biofideX uses cookies and similar technologies to keep you signed in, remember your preferences, and (with your consent) measure how the platform is used. Change your choices any time from the Cookie Policy.