Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
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.
Also called: Cardiovascular Genetics Counselor, Certified Genetic Counselor (CGC), Clinical Genetic Counselor, Genetic Services Coordinator, Hereditary Cancer Program Coordinator, Lab Genetic Counselor (Laboratory Genetic Counselor)
- Median pay in Greater Boston
- $97,240
- $46.75/hr
- Jobs in Greater Boston
- 180
- Massachusetts 2024–2034
- +5.3%
- 20 openings a year
- Typical U.S. entry requirement
- Master's degree
Greater Boston: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, May 2025. Growth and openings: Massachusetts statewide projection.
Pay range in Greater Boston
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $81,630 | $82,580 | $97,240 | $107,130 | $145,310 |
10% of workers earn less than the first figure and 10% earn more than the last.
What you’d do
- Provide counseling to patient and family members by providing information, education, or reassurance.
- Analyze genetic information to identify patients or families at risk for specific disorders or syndromes.
- Provide genetic counseling in specified areas of clinical genetics, such as obstetrics, pediatrics, oncology and neurology.
- Discuss testing options and the associated risks, benefits and limitations with patients and families to assist them in making informed decisions.
- Interview patients or review medical records to obtain comprehensive patient or family medical histories, and document findings.
- Provide patients with information about the inheritance of conditions such as cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, and various forms of cancer.
AI and this job
AI exposure: how much of this job’s work AI tools can do or help with, based on national research. It is not a forecast of job loss.
Higher exposure96 of 100
The index averages three national research measures, each shown as a percentile of all jobs:
- AIOE 100
- Language-model AIOE 94
- GPTs-are-GPTs 95
Observed AI use today: Little or none (Anthropic Economic Index)
AI exposure for genetic counselors is higher, though observed AI use is still little or none. AI tools may help with analyzing genetic information and gathering family histories, and chatbots may take over some routine tasks. Federal projections still expect more demand for counselors as genetics becomes part of more health care. Counseling families, offering reassurance, and helping people make hard choices rely on a person.
Likely to change
- Analyzing genetic data for risk
- Gathering and documenting family medical histories
Still relies on people
- Counseling and reassuring worried families
- Helping people choose among testing options
What federal projections say
“Demand change, productivity change - share increases as advances in genetic research and technology and the growing recognition of the role genetics plays in health increase the demand for genetic counseling services. This demand will be partially offset by the growing use of chatbots to handle routine tasks.”
Written with AI from the data on this page. Check with a career coach before making a decision.
Next steps from here
Related jobs that build on what you already do.
Physician Assistants
Interpreting test results and explaining them to patients carry over. This master's-level job has lower AI exposure, fast growth, and high Boston median pay.
- Pay difference
- +$45,170 median
- AI exposure
- Moderate
- MA growth
- +18.2%
- To get started
- Master's degree
Nurse Practitioners
Your patient education, record keeping, and care planning skills carry over. Nurse practitioners have a master's degree, very fast growth, and the highest pay in this list.
- Pay difference
- +$50,240 median
- AI exposure
- Moderate
- MA growth
- +35.1%
- To get started
- Master's degree
Occupational Therapists
Evaluating patients, setting goals, and supporting them through hard changes carry over. It is a master's-level job with strong growth and solid pay.
- Pay difference
- +$4,700 median
- AI exposure
- Moderate
- MA growth
- +11.6%
- To get started
- Master's degree
Training near Boston
College and school programs in the Boston metro area that lead to this job, with 2023-24 completions (IPEDS).
1 program near Boston (plus 7 graduate)
University of New Hampshire-Main Campus (school website, opens in a new tab)
Durham, NH · 53.9 mi from City Hall
Genetics, General · Bachelor's degree
20 completed in 2023-24
Related occupations
Talk to a career coach
A coach at the Office of Workforce Development can help you plan your next step, and connect you with training, apprenticeships and City partner programs that are not listed here.
Talk to a career coach