Geneticists
Life, Physical, and Social Science
The work centers on planning and running genomic research—gene regulation, protein interactions, metabolic networks—and keeping lab notebooks that record methods and results. They review and interpret genetic laboratory findings, search the literature to choose or adapt methods, and present results in journals or at conferences. Funding comes through grants, papers, and fundraising events; many also supervise technicians and other scientists on the project. Some work includes evaluating or treating people with genetic disorders. Suits people who like close reading of scientific literature, careful experimental records, and explaining inheritance findings to colleagues or in a clinical setting.
Typical education: Post-Doctoral Training
Annual Median Wage in Field (2025)
$98'920
Median Wage Market Position
$98'920
What you might do
- Study how traits pass across generations
- Plan research on gene regulation and proteins
- Review and interpret genetic laboratory results
- Record methods and findings in lab notebooks
- Write grants to fund genetics research
- Supervise biologists and technicians on genetics work
Skills that matter
- Studying how traits pass between generations
- Planning research on genes and proteins
- Interpreting genetic laboratory results
- Writing grants and journal articles
- Supervising genetics researchers and technicians
- Updating methods from current genetic literature
AI & the future of this role
Variant interpretation, pedigree analysis, and literature synthesis may move toward stronger AI assistance over the coming decade. Clinical counseling, liability-sensitive decisions, and confirmatory experimental design still hinge on expert judgment and licensed practice where care is involved.
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Includes O*NET® 30.3 Database information by USDOL/ETA under CC BY 4.0; modified by LostInCareer. Wage/outlook from BLS. Attribution details