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Date: 08/13/2025

Genetic Counselors

Assess individual or family risk for a variety of inherited conditions, such as genetic disorders and birth defects. Provide information to other healthcare providers or to individuals and families concerned with the risk of inherited conditions. Advise individuals and families to support informed decisionmaking and coping methods for those at risk. May help conduct research related to genetic conditions or genetic counseling.

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  • Work Activities
  • Skills
  • WorkKeys®
  • Abilities
  • Knowledge
  • Career Video
  • Pay
  • Ohio Employment Trends
  • Typical Education
  • Personality
  • Tools
  • Technology
  • Evaluate or make recommendations for standards of care or clinical operations, ensuring compliance with applicable regulations, ethics, legislation, or policies.
  • Design and conduct genetics training programs for physicians, graduate students, other health professions or the general community.
  • Discuss testing options and the associated risks, benefits and limitations with patients and families to assist them in making informed decisions.
  • Prepare or provide genetics-related educational materials to patients or medical personnel.
  • Interview patients or review medical records to obtain comprehensive patient or family medical histories, and document findings.
  • Refer patients to specialists or community resources.
  • Provide counseling to patient and family members by providing information, education, or reassurance.
  • Determine or coordinate treatment plans by requesting laboratory services, reviewing genetics or counseling literature, and considering histories or diagnostic data.
  • Interview patients or review medical records to obtain comprehensive patient or family medical histories, and document findings.
  • Determine or coordinate treatment plans by requesting laboratory services, reviewing genetics or counseling literature, and considering histories or diagnostic data.
  • Evaluate or make recommendations for standards of care or clinical operations, ensuring compliance with applicable regulations, ethics, legislation, or policies.
  • Provide genetic counseling in specified areas of clinical genetics, such as obstetrics, pediatrics, oncology and neurology.
  • Provide counseling to patient and family members by providing information, education, or reassurance.
  • Interpret laboratory results and communicate findings to patients or physicians.
  • Assess patients' psychological or emotional needs, such as those relating to stress, fear of test results, financial issues, and marital conflicts to make referral recommendations or assist patients in managing test outcomes.
  • Interpret laboratory results and communicate findings to patients or physicians.
  • Provide patients with information about the inheritance of conditions such as cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, and various forms of cancer.
  • Read current literature, talk with colleagues, or participate in professional organizations or conferences to keep abreast of developments in genetics.
  • Write detailed consultation reports to provide information on complex genetic concepts to patients or referring physicians.
  • Engage in research activities related to the field of medical genetics or genetic counseling.
  • Determine or coordinate treatment plans by requesting laboratory services, reviewing genetics or counseling literature, and considering histories or diagnostic data.
  • Collect for, or share with, research projects patient data on specific genetic disorders or syndromes.
  • Analyze genetic information to identify patients or families at risk for specific disorders or syndromes.
  • Interview patients or review medical records to obtain comprehensive patient or family medical histories, and document findings.
  • Explain diagnostic procedures such as chorionic villus sampling (CVS), ultrasound, fetal blood sampling, and amniocentesis.
  • Design and conduct genetics training programs for physicians, graduate students, other health professions or the general community.

Work Activities

Work Activities

  • Evaluate or make recommendations for standards of care or clinical operations, ensuring compliance with applicable regulations, ethics, legislation, or policies.
  • Design and conduct genetics training programs for physicians, graduate students, other health professions or the general community.
  • Discuss testing options and the associated risks, benefits and limitations with patients and families to assist them in making informed decisions.
  • Prepare or provide genetics-related educational materials to patients or medical personnel.
  • Interview patients or review medical records to obtain comprehensive patient or family medical histories, and document findings.
  • Refer patients to specialists or community resources.
  • Provide counseling to patient and family members by providing information, education, or reassurance.
  • Determine or coordinate treatment plans by requesting laboratory services, reviewing genetics or counseling literature, and considering histories or diagnostic data.
  • Interview patients or review medical records to obtain comprehensive patient or family medical histories, and document findings.
  • Determine or coordinate treatment plans by requesting laboratory services, reviewing genetics or counseling literature, and considering histories or diagnostic data.
  • Evaluate or make recommendations for standards of care or clinical operations, ensuring compliance with applicable regulations, ethics, legislation, or policies.
  • Provide genetic counseling in specified areas of clinical genetics, such as obstetrics, pediatrics, oncology and neurology.
  • Provide counseling to patient and family members by providing information, education, or reassurance.
  • Interpret laboratory results and communicate findings to patients or physicians.
  • Assess patients' psychological or emotional needs, such as those relating to stress, fear of test results, financial issues, and marital conflicts to make referral recommendations or assist patients in managing test outcomes.
  • Interpret laboratory results and communicate findings to patients or physicians.
  • Provide patients with information about the inheritance of conditions such as cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, and various forms of cancer.
  • Read current literature, talk with colleagues, or participate in professional organizations or conferences to keep abreast of developments in genetics.
  • Write detailed consultation reports to provide information on complex genetic concepts to patients or referring physicians.
  • Engage in research activities related to the field of medical genetics or genetic counseling.
  • Determine or coordinate treatment plans by requesting laboratory services, reviewing genetics or counseling literature, and considering histories or diagnostic data.
  • Collect for, or share with, research projects patient data on specific genetic disorders or syndromes.
  • Analyze genetic information to identify patients or families at risk for specific disorders or syndromes.
  • Interview patients or review medical records to obtain comprehensive patient or family medical histories, and document findings.
  • Explain diagnostic procedures such as chorionic villus sampling (CVS), ultrasound, fetal blood sampling, and amniocentesis.
  • Design and conduct genetics training programs for physicians, graduate students, other health professions or the general community.

Skills

  • Persuasion

    Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.

  • Systems Evaluation

    Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

  • Management of Financial Resources

    Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.

  • Science

    Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.

  • Complex Problem Solving

    Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

  • Programming

    Writing computer programs.

  • Installation

    Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.

  • Active Learning

    Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.

  • Repairing

    Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.

  • Technology Design

    Making equipment and technology useful for customers.

  • Quality Control Analysis

    Testing how well a product or service works.

  • Systems Analysis

    Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.

  • Mathematics

    Using math to solve problems.

  • Critical Thinking

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

  • Equipment Selection

    Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.

  • Management of Personnel Resources

    Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.

  • Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • Social Perceptiveness

    Understanding people's reactions.

  • Management of Material Resources

    Managing equipment and materials.

  • Negotiation

    Bringing people together to solve differences.

  • Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • Monitoring

    Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.

  • Operations Analysis

    Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.

  • Judgment and Decision Making

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.

  • Instructing

    Teaching people how to do something.

  • Service Orientation

    Looking for ways to help people.

  • Troubleshooting

    Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.

  • Operations Monitoring

    Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.

  • Reading Comprehension

    Reading work-related information.

  • Learning Strategies

    Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.

  • Operation and Control

    Using equipment or systems.

  • Time Management

    Managing your time and the time of other people.

  • Active Listening

    Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

  • Equipment Maintenance

    Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.

  • Coordination

    Changing what is done based on other people's actions.

WorkKeys®

Applied Math
4
Workplace Documents
5
Graphic Literacy
4

Abilities

  • Speech Recognition

    Recognizing spoken words.

  • Stamina

    Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.

  • Reaction Time

    Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.

  • Selective Attention

    Paying attention to something without being distracted.

  • Inductive Reasoning

    Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.

  • Response Orientation

    Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.

  • Perceptual Speed

    Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.

  • Static Strength

    Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.

  • Near Vision

    Seeing details up close.

  • Extent Flexibility

    Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.

  • Information Ordering

    Ordering or arranging things.

  • Wrist-Finger Speed

    Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.

  • Memorization

    Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.

  • Trunk Strength

    Using your lower back and stomach.

  • Fluency of Ideas

    Coming up with lots of ideas.

  • Deductive Reasoning

    Using rules to solve problems.

  • Originality

    Creating new and original ideas.

  • Explosive Strength

    Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.

  • Visual Color Discrimination

    Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.

  • Oral Comprehension

    Listening and understanding what people say.

  • Finger Dexterity

    Putting together small parts with your fingers.

  • Multilimb Coordination

    Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.

  • Speech Clarity

    Speaking clearly.

  • Hearing Sensitivity

    Telling the difference between sounds.

  • Dynamic Flexibility

    Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.

  • Written Expression

    Communicating by writing.

  • Control Precision

    Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.

  • Auditory Attention

    Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.

  • Manual Dexterity

    Holding or moving items with your hands.

  • Category Flexibility

    Grouping things in different ways.

  • Far Vision

    Seeing details that are far away.

  • Night Vision

    Seeing at night or under low light.

  • Time Sharing

    Doing two or more things at the same time.

  • Arm-Hand Steadiness

    Keeping your arm or hand steady.

  • Spatial Orientation

    Knowing where things are around you.

  • Number Facility

    Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.

  • Sound Localization

    Noticing the direction that a sound came from.

  • Rate Control

    Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.

  • Gross Body Coordination

    Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.

  • Mathematical Reasoning

    Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.

  • Problem Sensitivity

    Noticing when problems happen.

  • Written Comprehension

    Reading and understanding what is written.

  • Speed of Limb Movement

    Quickly moving your arms and legs.

  • Dynamic Strength

    Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.

  • Gross Body Equilibrium

    Keeping your balance or staying upright.

  • Peripheral Vision

    Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.

  • Depth Perception

    Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.

  • Glare Sensitivity

    Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.

  • Speed of Closure

    Quickly knowing what you are looking at.

  • Flexibility of Closure

    Seeing hidden patterns.

  • Oral Expression

    Communicating by speaking.

  • Visualization

    Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.

Knowledge

  • Therapy and Counseling

    Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.

  • Mechanical

    Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

  • Design

    Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

  • Production and Processing

    Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

  • Computers and Electronics

    Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

  • English Language

    Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

  • Foreign Language

    Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.

  • Psychology

    Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

  • Education and Training

    Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

  • Mathematics

    Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

  • Physics

    Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.

  • Philosophy and Theology

    Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.

  • Law and Government

    Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

  • Chemistry

    Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.

  • Sales and Marketing

    Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

  • Sociology and Anthropology

    Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.

  • Medicine and Dentistry

    Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.

  • Building and Construction

    Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.

  • Fine Arts

    Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

  • History and Archeology

    Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.

  • Administrative

    Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.

  • Engineering and Technology

    Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.

  • Telecommunications

    Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

  • Biology

    Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.

  • Transportation

    Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.

  • Administration and Management

    Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

  • Geography

    Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.

  • Personnel and Human Resources

    Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.

  • Food Production

    Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.

  • Customer and Personal Service

    Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

  • Economics and Accounting

    Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.

  • Communications and Media

    Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.

  • Public Safety and Security

    Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

Career Video

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Pay

  • Typical Salary
  • $121,120
    $92,310
    $73,890
    Ohio
    US
    $137,780
    $98,910
    $78,680
  • Typical Hourly Wage
  • $58
    $44
    $36
    Ohio
    US
    $66
    $48
    $38

Ohio Employment Trends

  • Currently Employed 110
  • Yearly Projected Openings 10

Typical Education

Personality

Investigative: People interested in this work like activities that include ideas, thinking, and figuring things out.They do well at jobs that need:
  • Concern for Others
  • Integrity
  • Attention to Detail
  • Self Control
  • Cooperation
  • Dependability

Tools

  • Benchtop centrifuges
  • Cryostats
  • Darkfield microscopes
  • Deoxyribonucleic sequence analyzers
  • Fluorescent microscopes
  • Gel documentation systems
  • Microplate readers
  • Personal computers
  • Ultracentrifuges
  • X ray radiography examination equipment

Technology

  • Analytical or scientific software
  • Data base user interface and query software
  • Electronic mail software
  • Internet browser software
  • Medical software
  • Office suite software
  • Presentation software
  • Spreadsheet software
  • Word processing software
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