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SOC 29-9092 · O*NET 29-9092.00
Genetic counselors correspond to U.S. O*NET / SOC 29-9092.00, Genetic Counselors: assess individual or family risk for inherited conditions such as genetic disorders and birth defects; provide information to healthcare providers or individuals and families concerned about such risks; advise individuals and families to support informed decisions and coping; and may assist research related to genetic conditions or counseling. Core work includes interviewing patients or reviewing medical records to obtain and document complete patient or family histories; analyzing genetic information to identify patients or families at risk for particular diseases or syndromes; counseling in prenatal, pediatric, cancer, neurologic, or other clinical genetics specialties; discussing testing options, risks, benefits, and limitations to support informed decisions; interpreting laboratory results and communicating them to patients or physicians; assessing psychological or emotional needs and recommending referrals; writing detailed consultation reports; and keeping up with genetic advances. Official scope: 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.
Model impact index for three equally weighted representative core tasks; not a measured share of working time or a job-loss probability. floor((75+25+25)/3+0.5)=42; fermatmind-ai-impact-v1; 2026-10-18.
Judging the responsibility | Real fit depends on doing three things within one counseling task: complete counseling properly, collecting and recording family and medical histories, analyzing genetic information and results, assessing risk under evidence and guidelines, discussing testing options and limitations for informed decisions, writing reports, and arranging referral and follow-up; maintain safety and verifiability, handling test requests, result disclosure, and reports within practice scope, privileges, ethics, and privacy, managing sensitive genetic and pedigree information by minimum necessity and permissions, and retaining reviewable reasoning and communication; and accept defined responsibility for your risk assessments, reports, and communication, seeking appropriate qualified personnel for matters beyond scope or authority or needing specialty or laboratory confirmation. Test through a verifiable experience such as fictional-pedigree history and risk-assessment notes, pretest counseling information, a consultation report and follow-up plan, or a review of communication about uncertain results, rather than relying only on an interest questionnaire.
Caution observations | O*NET reports consequences of error at 38% extremely serious and time pressure at 38% weekly. Communication and conflict contexts suggest observing checking, records, and communication. Risks depend on specific conduct and activity conditions, not brief assessments of personal fit. Check qualifications by actual activity: physician activities follow registered scope under the Physicians Law; prenatal-diagnostic genetic counseling requires separate checks of organizations and personnel. Research-support roles do not all carry physician thresholds. The 2024 human-genetic-resources regulations are administered by health authorities. Under Article 3, collection and preservation of human materials for clinical care follow relevant laws; approvals and filings depend on resource use and activities.
Insufficient evidence: this page has no precise Chinese occupational wage distribution. Genetic counselors analyze family history and testing information, explain risks and testing limitations, support informed decisions, and create counseling records. O*NET tasks include coordinating treatment plans; occupational classification grants no clinical license.
Career direction comparison
Introduction | Four columns compare career direction, core work and outputs, key differences, and suitable choices. Counseling, psychology, nursing, collaborative care, and genetics research often connect in healthcare or academia, but connection does not mean interchangeability. Changing direction requires learning entry requirements, standards, authority scope, and responsibility boundaries.
| Career direction | Core work and outputs | Key differences | Which choice may fit better |
|---|---|---|---|
| This occupation: Genetic Counselors (29-9092.00) | Core work and outputs: interview patients or review records for complete documented histories; analyze genetic information for disease or syndrome risk; counsel in prenatal, pediatric, cancer, neurologic, and other specialties; discuss testing options, risks, benefits, and limitations for informed decisions; interpret laboratory results and disclose to patients or physicians; assess psychological or emotional needs and recommend referral; and write detailed reports explaining complex genetics. Outputs are verifiable reports and counseling records (U.S. SOC 29-9092.00). | Key difference: this occupation handles genetic-risk and testing counseling, interpretation, and psychological support, completing histories, risk assessments, testing discussions, disclosures, and reports and taking responsibility for counseling conclusions. Other roles center on psychological assessment and treatment, neuropsychological assessment, collaborative care, specialty nursing, or genetics research, usually with specialist qualifications and narrower or different authority, without responsibility for the full genetic-counseling process. |
AI's impact on the occupation
Insufficient evidence: this page has no precise GenAI exposure score, actual adoption rate, or efficiency gain for 29-9092. Editorially suggested literature retrieval, organization, and draft experiments require original-material and permission checks. BLS2025—2035 growth of 10.4% and 300 annual openings including growth and replacement are not independent GenAI effects. Software mentions in recruitment are not adoption rates. AI Impact Score 42% is an editorial estimate. Model impact index for three equally weighted representative core tasks; not a measured share of working time or a job-loss probability. floor((75+25+25)/3+0.5)=42; fermatmind-ai-impact-v1; 2026-10-18.The three tasks, ratings and sources are listed in the FermatMind method source record on this page.
FermatMind AI Impact Score estimation method v1
FermatMind / 费马测试 · 2026-10-18
Editorial ratings use the existing occupational responsibilities and AI task analysis on this page. They are not adoption rates, measured effects, job-disappearance or personal-unemployment probabilities, or official scores from Stanford or another external institution. No measured time weights or future robot deployment are assumed.
Mainland China Pay Reference
Classification crosswalk note | U.S. SOC 29-9092.00 Genetic Counselors is a healthcare occupation with different objects and authority levels from clinical and counseling psychologists (19-3033.00), clinical neuropsychologists (19-3039.03), physician assistants (29-1071.00), clinical nurse specialists (29-1141.04), geneticists (19-1029.03), and healthcare managers (11-9111.00). International classifications such as ISCO-08 indicate only broad healthcare-service positions, not substitutes for U.S. SOC or China's qualifications, classification, and statistics. Chinese roles defined by the Physicians Law, registration, specialized techniques, and genetic-resource rules do not precisely map one to one to this U.S. occupation. Definitions and legal settings differ; no numerical conversion is made.
Occupational definition | This page's genetic counselors correspond to U.S. SOC 29-9092.00 Genetic Counselors: assess individual or family risk for inherited conditions such as genetic disorders and birth defects; inform providers or concerned individuals and families; support informed decisions and coping; and may assist related research. Core tasks include counseling with information, education, or reassurance; genetic analysis for disease or syndrome risk; prenatal, pediatric, cancer, neurologic, and other specialty counseling; testing discussions covering risks, benefits, and limitations; interviewing or reviewing records for complete documented histories; inheritance information for cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, and cancers; laboratory interpretation and disclosure; psychological-needs assessment and referral; and detailed reports and genetics updates. Outputs are verifiable reports and counseling records. These are U.S. definitions; see this page for mainland China's entry and statistical definitions.
U.S. Pay Reference
Distribution and checking suggestions | Percentiles are 2025 national wage positions, not experience, starting pay, or certification levels. Factor-specific income effects are unestablished. Ask about actual duties, hours, wage components, and qualifications; national distributions promise no individual income.
| Position in wage statistics | Annual wage reference | Conversion boundaries | How to interpret this position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% | 10th-percentile annual wage $78,270 (2025, BLS OEWS, 29-9092.00) | Official annual wage, not individual monthly income | Distribution and checking suggestions | Percentiles are 2025 national wage positions, not experience, starting pay, or certification levels. Factor-specific income effects are unestablished. Ask about actual duties, hours, wage components, and qualifications; national distributions promise no individual income. |
| Median (50%) | Median hourly wage $48.09 / median annual wage $100,040 (2025, BLS OEWS, 29-9092.00) |
Career Fit Guide
Use the fictional G1 paper exercise to observe information checks, arithmetic, explanations of limitations, and handover records, without contact with real patients. This page has not established assessment predictive validity; a short task does not demonstrate clinical qualifications, long-term fit, or real competence.
You may be better suited if： Signals to explore: Willingness to take responsibility for patient and family information and decisions within the scope of practice and ethical requirements; sustained learning and updating of genetics knowledge; and the ability to remain careful and empathetic with uncertain results and bad news, communicate clearly with patients and teams, and record information truthfully.
These situations call for caution： Reasons for caution: Difficulty sustaining intensive knowledge updates and emotionally demanding communication; difficulty remaining careful and empathetic when results have uncertain significance, news is bad, or families are in conflict; or unwillingness to request consultation or referral according to institutional procedures when a matter exceeds the scope of practice or authorization.
Try an entry exercise： Editorial suggestion | First complete the fictional G1 paper check, then learn about jurisdictions, accredited programs, qualifications, and real positions. A short task does not demonstrate competence; real clinical practice requires the relevant qualifications and authorization to have already been met.
Work Pressures, Risks, and Professional Boundaries
Direct answer | The central occupational risk is not simply whether someone can explain information, but five consequential failures: risk assessment failure (incomplete family history, incorrect pedigree interpretation, or treating uncertain results or results of uncertain significance as confirmation or exclusion of a diagnosis may mislead patient and family decisions about testing, reproduction, and treatment); practice and authorization failure (conducting clinical diagnosis, testing, or procedures beyond the registered scope of practice or institutional authorization, or failing to obtain informed consent, may lead to administrative and legal liability); communication and psychological safety failure (inadequate explanation of testing limitations and family implications, inappropriate delivery of bad news, or lack of psychological support and referral may cause psychological trauma and family conflict); record and information failure (false, missing, fabricated, backdated, or untraceably altered consultation reports, testing and follow-up records, or unclear referral and follow-up handovers affect healthcare quality and traceability); and data and privacy failure (leaks, unauthorized access, or unauthorized external provision of sensitive genetic, pedigree, and testing information may violate personal information, human genetic resources, and medical ethics requirements).
Evidence scope | This page summarizes O*NET 29-9092.00 tasks and work context (provide counseling 100, analyze genetic information 99, provide consultation within the field 99, discuss testing options 99, collect family histories 98, provide information on inheritance patterns 97, interpret laboratory results 97, write consultation reports 93, assess psychological needs 93; get information 99, update and use relevant knowledge 99, interpret the meaning of information for others 97, assist and care for others 95, make decisions and solve problems 94, document and record information 91, analyze data or information 89; importance of being exact or highly accurate: 80% extremely important, email: 100% daily, face-to-face: 95% daily, telephone: 90% daily, consequences of error: 38% extremely serious, dealing with unpleasant people: 33% monthly or more, conflict situations: 43% monthly or more). Entry and scope references include the Physicians Law of the People's Republic of China, practice registration, specialized technology requirements, human genetic resources management rules, and medical ethics. Wage and employment figures provide background only and are not used to assess risk.
Entry, Qualifications, and Career Development
Pathway explanation | In the United States, the typical qualification is a genetic counseling master's degree, usually 2 years after a bachelor's degree with supervised rotations. Most states require licensure; certification and state licensure are separate. The standard ABGC pathway is an ACGC-accredited genetic counseling master's degree plus an examination; other genetics or medical master's degrees do not automatically qualify. In China, check qualifications according to the actual activity: physician activities require registration under Articles 13/14 of the Physicians Law and practice within the registered scope. Prenatal diagnostic genetic counseling requires separate checks of institutional and personnel qualifications; prenatal diagnosis reports require signatures from two qualified physicians. Do not apply physician entry requirements to all research support positions. Under the 2024 human genetic resources regulations, health authorities administer these resources; Article 3 provides that collection and preservation of human material for clinical diagnosis and treatment follow relevant laws. Approval and filing depend on resource use and the specific activity. Build evidence of information interpretation, communication, and documentation through training and supervision, then undertake specific activities according to qualifications and authorization. This learning pathway does not promise promotion or competence.
Career Outlook and Related Career Transitions
Direct answer | U.S. coverage (exact occupation SOC 29-9092.00): The 2025 median hourly wage was USD 48.09 and median annual wage USD 100,040. Annual wages were USD 78,270 at the 10th percentile, USD 88,900 at the 25th, USD 116,140 at the 75th, and USD 138,760 at the 90th (BLS OEWS 2025, presented through O*NET). Employment and growth come from BLS Employment Projections (2025—2035): employment is projected to increase from about 4,200 jobs in 2025 to about 4,600 in 2035 (10.4%, much faster than average), with approximately 300 annual openings over the period, including growth and replacements. This occupation has a small base and limited absolute job numbers. Mainland China: Sources reviewed for this page do not provide a national occupational wage distribution matching this occupation precisely. Under the evidence policy, this page records only statistical coverage and gaps, without proxy values.
United States · SOC 29-9092.00 (BLS Employment Projections, directly from BLS Table 1.2)
Employment is projected to increase from about 4,200 jobs in 2025 to about 4,600 in 2035, a change of 10.4% (much faster than average), with approximately 300 annual openings over the period
Genetic counselors on this page correspond to U.S. SOC 29-9092.00: they assess individual or family risk for various inherited conditions, such as genetic disorders and birth defects; provide information to other healthcare providers or individuals and families concerned about inherited-condition risks; counsel individuals and families to support informed decisions and coping; and may assist research related to genetic conditions or genetic counseling. Core work includes interviewing patients or reviewing medical records to obtain and document a complete family medical history; analyzing genetic information to identify patients or families at risk for particular diseases or syndromes; providing genetic counseling in specific clinical genetics fields such as prenatal care, pediatrics, oncology, and neurology; discussing testing options and their risks, benefits, and limitations with patients and families to support informed decisions; interpreting laboratory results and communicating them to patients or physicians; assessing psychological or emotional needs and recommending referrals; writing detailed consultation reports; and keeping up with genetics advances. Common employers include healthcare and social assistance organizations and other industries including educational services. This page uses U.S. occupational classification coverage.
Choose a real task from this page for a small practice project or a conversation with someone in the field. Use the planning guides to set a date, an output and feedback questions before deciding whether to continue.
Fit signals | U.S. O*NET 29-9092.00 work-activity importance identifies the main activities as getting information, 99; updating and using relevant knowledge, 99; interpreting information for others, 97; assisting and caring for others, 95; making decisions and solving problems, 94; communicating with supervisors, peers, or subordinates, 93; documenting and recording information, 91; and analyzing data or information, 89. Work context shows accuracy, 80% extremely important; email, 100% daily; face-to-face individual or team discussions, 95% daily; telephone, 90% daily; controlled indoor work, 95% daily; constant contact, 67%; consequences of error, 38% extremely serious; decision-making freedom, 57% some freedom; typical workweek, 62% at 40 hours; and competition, 43% moderately competitive. If you want sustained study of genetics and medical evidence, communicate and judge carefully amid uncertain results and emotional situations, collaborate frequently with patients, families, and clinical teams, and strictly protect sensitive information, this occupation's daily demands are closer to your working style.
This checklist contains editorial questions, not hiring or competence judgments. U.S. 29-9092 genetic counselors assess inherited risks, explain testing limitations, and support informed decisions and may assist research. Task importance is not working time. OOH2025 employer shares are hospitals 37%, physician offices 28%, outpatient centers 5%, private colleges 5%, and medical and diagnostic laboratories 4%; older 2024 industry data are not substituted.
Use the full fictional M1—M6 materials in G1 to complete three tables, model checks, and a counseling handover draft, then self-check against reference answers. No external templates, experts, or real patients are needed. Pause unverified clinical conclusions about VUS; model arithmetic is not personal risk, and unacknowledged receipt is not completion.
Direct answer | Genetic counselors on this page correspond to U.S. SOC 29-9092.00. Work falls into several categories: (one) Family history and risk assessment: interview patients or review records to obtain and document complete patient or family histories and analyze genetic information to identify disease or syndrome risks. (two) Pretest counseling and informed decisions: discuss testing options, risks, benefits, and limitations and explain questions testing can and cannot answer. (three) Post-test interpretation and disclosure: interpret laboratory results, communicate to patients or physicians, and explain positive, negative, and uncertain results and implications for relatives. (four) Specialty counseling: counsel in prenatal, pediatric, cancer, neurologic, and other clinical genetics areas and explain inheritance of cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, and cancers. (five) Psychosocial support and referral: assess stress, fear of results, financial issues, marital conflicts, and other psychological or emotional needs and recommend referral or support coping. (six) Reports, follow-up, and research: write detailed reports explaining complex genetics to patients or referring physicians, read literature and attend professional meetings, and possibly assist genetic research. The cycle connects referral and scheduling—family and medical history—risk assessment and testing discussion—test request and interpretation—disclosure and psychological support—reports, referral, and follow-up. This page distinguishes this occupation from clinical and counseling psychologists, clinical neuropsychologists, physician assistants, clinical nurse specialists, geneticists, and medical and health services managers. Counseling duties do not extend to independent clinical diagnosis, treatment, or statutory medical assessment.
Counseling and record guidance | Begin with referral, scheduling, and pedigree collection. Check referral reasons, past history, prior testing, and family members' awareness under procedures, form risk-assessment and testing-discussion notes, and request testing or refer within privileges. Diagnosis, treatment, medications, surgery, and results requiring laboratory or specialty confirmation go to appropriately qualified personnel under organizational rules. Handle sensitive genetic and pedigree information, psychological support, and referral arrangements under ethics, privacy, and minimum necessity, retaining records. Important judgments, communication, consultation reports, and follow-up arrangements must be reviewable by superiors, quality control, and ethics bodies.
Practice and information security | Check Chinese qualifications by activity: physician activities require registration and practice within scope under Physicians Law Articles 13 / 14; prenatal-diagnostic genetic counseling requires separate organization and personnel credentials, and prenatal-diagnostic reports require two qualified physicians' signatures. Research-support roles do not all carry physician thresholds. The 2024 human-genetic-resources regulations are administered by health authorities. Under Article 3, clinical collection and preservation of human materials follow relevant laws; approvals and filings depend on resource use and activities. Check lawful bases and sensitive protection for identifiable health information and judge anonymized and nonpersonal business data separately. Genetic-resource, research-ethics, and cross-border duties depend on materials and activities. Do not transmit externally without checking recipients, purpose, scope, and security. Explain VUS limitations and verify concerns, pausing unverified conclusions rather than all lawful counseling.
Boundary conclusion | This page covers U.S. SOC 29-9092.00. The key distinction from adjacent roles lies in work objects and authority levels. This occupation addresses genetic-risk and testing counseling, information interpretation, and psychological support, including family histories, risk assessment, testing discussion, result disclosure, and consultation reports, producing verifiable reports and records. Clinical and counseling psychologists (19-3033.00) address psychological assessment and therapy and often hold psychology practice credentials; clinical neuropsychologists (19-3039.03) address neuropsychological assessment associated with neurological diseases; physician assistants (29-1071.00) perform some care under supervision or collaboration; clinical nurse specialists (29-1141.04) address specialty nursing and care coordination; geneticists (19-1029.03) address basic and applied genetics research; medical and health services managers (11-9111.00) address healthcare operations and management. Different objects and authority levels mean diagnostic, treatment, laboratory-testing, prescribing, and statutory-assessment powers cannot be carried across roles. Genetic counseling duties do not replace clinical diagnosis or treatment decisions.
| Dimension | Main direction | Comparison direction |
|---|---|---|
| Core purpose | This occupation's core purpose | Address individual and family genetic-risk and testing needs within qualifications, organizational privileges, medical ethics, privacy, and human-genetic-resource requirements: collect histories, analyze genetic information and assess risk, discuss testing options, risks, benefits, and limitations to support informed decisions, interpret and disclose results, provide psychosocial support and referral, and report and follow up. Make reasoning and communication traceable and consistent with ethics and information protection. | Core principles of adjacent roles | Most aim to provide health-related services to people and accept responsibility for safety, privacy, and ethics. They differ in work objects, methods, and authority levels: genetic-risk counseling and interpretation, psychological assessment and therapy, neuropsychological assessment, collaborative clinical support, specialty nursing and care coordination, genetics research, or organizational operations and management. |
| Primary subjects and basis | Main objects and basis of this occupation | Address personal and family histories, genetic information and test results in prenatal, pediatric, cancer, neurologic, and other fields, psychological, family, and decision needs, consultation reports, and follow-up. Follow qualifications, organizational privileges, medical ethics and consent, prenatal diagnosis, genetic-disease care, human-genetic-resource rules, personal-information and sensitive-data protection, and laboratory and specialty-referral collaboration standards. | Main objects and basis of adjacent roles | Clinical and counseling psychologists follow psychological-assessment, therapy, and licensing requirements; clinical neuropsychologists follow neuropsychological testing and neurological-disease assessment requirements; physician assistants follow collaborative or supervised care, agreements, and jurisdictional scope; clinical nurse specialists follow specialty nursing, care coordination, and nursing standards; geneticists follow basic and applied genetics and laboratory standards; healthcare managers follow operations, quality, budgets, and compliance requirements. |
| Core process | Core process of this occupation | Refer and schedule, checking reasons and prior materials; collect and record family and medical histories; analyze genetic information and assess risk; discuss testing options, risks, benefits, and limitations; request tests or refer within privileges; interpret results, report, provide psychological support, follow up, and refer. Document each step under medical-record, ethics, and privacy standards for superior, quality-control, and ethics review. |
Interview patients or review records to obtain and document complete patient or family histories and analyze genetic information to identify disease or syndrome risks.
Discuss testing options, risks, benefits, and limitations, explain what testing can and cannot answer, and support informed decisions.
Interpret laboratory results and communicate them to patients or physicians, explaining positive, negative, and uncertain results and implications for relatives.
Provide counseling in prenatal, pediatric, cancer, neurologic, and other clinical genetics specialties and information about common diseases' inheritance.
Assess psychological or emotional needs such as stress, fear of results, financial and family issues and recommend referrals or support coping.
Write detailed reports explaining complex genetics to patients or referring physicians, arrange follow-up, track genetics advances, and assist relevant research when needed.
Checks before joining | Use six items one by one before applying or joining to avoid inferring duties or authority from titles or promotions. Base findings on written recruitment, employment contracts, job descriptions, qualifications, privilege documents, and ethics and privacy rules and continue confirming after joining. These are checking directions, not formal organizational requirements. Special note: genetic and pedigree sensitive information, testing, and human genetic resources require specific qualification, technical-credential, ethics, data-protection, and security checks.
Checking guidance | Similar titles differ greatly in duties and authority: prenatal and reproductive counseling, hereditary cancer and adult-onset risk, pediatrics and rare diseases, laboratory and testing support, or research and teaching. Registration scope, specialist credentials, testing requests, informed consent, and data-sharing powers vary by organization and jurisdiction.
| Better suited to people who want sustained genetics and medical-evidence study, remain careful and empathetic amid uncertain results and strong emotions, and support informed patient and family decisions through clear communication and reports. |
| Clinical and Counseling Psychologists (19-3033.00) | Core work and outputs: assess and diagnose through interviews and tests, develop and implement therapy and counseling plans, assess crises and risks and refer to psychiatry, and record treatment and outcomes. Outputs are psychological-assessment, diagnosis, therapy, and counseling records. | Key difference: clinical and counseling psychologists assess, diagnose, treat, and counsel psychological and behavioral issues, often with psychology credentials. This occupation interprets genetic-risk and testing information and supports decisions, usually without psychotherapy or mental-disorder treatment responsibility. Refer significant distress to psychology or psychiatry under rules. | Better suited to people wanting psychological assessment and therapy and ongoing mental-health practice; this occupation emphasizes genetic information, tests, and family-decision counseling. |
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| Clinical Neuropsychologists (19-3039.03) | Core work and outputs: perform neuropsychological tests and cognitive assessments, interpret results alongside imaging and clinical materials, write reports, and recommend rehabilitation and care. Outputs are neuropsychological tests and assessment reports. | Key difference: clinical neuropsychologists perform testing and cognitive assessments associated with neurological disease or injury for differential diagnosis and functional assessment. This occupation interprets genetic-risk and testing information and supports decisions, generally without specialist responsibility for neuropsychological testing or cognitive assessment. | Better suited to people wanting neuropsychological testing and cognitive assessment in neurology, rehabilitation, or judicial settings; this occupation emphasizes genetic counseling and test interpretation. |
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| Physician Assistants (29-1071.00) | Core work and outputs: take histories, perform examinations, order and conduct some tests and treatments, and provide education and follow-up under collaboration or supervision, with physician review or countersignatures as required. Outputs are collaborative care and follow-up records. | Key difference: physician assistants take histories and perform some care and follow-up under supervision or collaboration, with scope and prescribing and procedural powers varying by jurisdiction and arrangements. This occupation produces counseling, interpretation, and reports, usually without independent prescribing or treatment. Refer diagnosis and treatment to clinicians under rules. | Better suited to people wanting some clinical care in collaborative medical teams; this occupation emphasizes specialist counseling on genetics, testing, and decisions. |
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| Clinical Nurse Specialists (29-1141.04) | Core work and outputs: assess, plan, and implement specialty nursing, coordinate multidisciplinary care, discharge, and follow-up, and provide nursing education and symptom management. Outputs are specialty nursing assessment, implementation, and coordination records. | Key difference: clinical nurse specialists handle specialty nursing, coordination, assessments, implementation, and education, often with nursing credentials under practice standards. This occupation handles genetic-risk counseling, interpretation, and psychosocial support. They collaborate in care but have different outputs and authority. | Better suited to people wanting specialty nursing, care coordination, and nursing education; this occupation emphasizes counseling, test interpretation, and consultation reports. |
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| Geneticists (19-1029.03) | Core work and outputs: design and perform genetics experiments and data analyses, build and test models and hypotheses, write papers, apply for projects, and communicate results. Outputs are research designs, data, papers, and project reports. | Key difference: geneticists perform basic and applied research, experiments, and analysis, producing findings, papers, and project reports. This occupation provides patient and family counseling and interpretation, usually without responsibility for experimental design or research conclusions; research participation mainly supports counseling, consent, and data. | Better suited to people wanting genetics experiments and research in academia or R&D; this occupation emphasizes patient and family counseling and decision support. |
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Conclusion | The key distinction between U.S. SOC 29-9092.00 Genetic Counselors and adjacent roles lies in work objects and authority levels. This occupation addresses genetic-risk and testing counseling, interpretation, and psychological support, producing verifiable reports and records. Clinical and counseling psychologists (19-3033.00) address psychological assessment, diagnosis, and therapy; clinical neuropsychologists address neuropsychological testing and cognitive assessment; physician assistants (29-1071.00) perform some care under supervision or collaboration; clinical nurse specialists (29-1141.04) address specialty nursing and coordination; geneticists (19-1029.03) address basic and applied genetics research. Different objects and authority levels mean diagnosis, treatment, procedural, laboratory-testing, and statutory-assessment powers cannot be carried across roles.
Transition | Adjacent roles are presented by work objects and authority levels to help choose long-term genetic, psychological, nursing, or research directions. Job readiness depends on jurisdictional entry, specialized credentials, privileges, ethics, privacy and information protection, clear reasoning and reports, and willingness to accept responsibility for patient and family information and decisions. Interest questionnaires only raise questions.
Technical feasibility: a tool may technically affect a task. This is only a feasibility judgment, not permission for use or evidence of clinical adoption.
Clinical adoption: introduction depends on medical ethics, privacy, devices, laboratories, genetic-data protection, and patient consent. Tools cannot transfer risk-assessment, disclosure, or counseling responsibility.
Job outcomes | BLS2025—2035 Table 1.2: 4,200 jobs in 2025 to 4,600 in 2035, official net increase 400, growth 10.4%, 300 annual openings including growth and replacement from exits and transfers, and 7.6% self-employment. Projections are not vacancies; jobs are not unique people. Independent GenAI employment effects are unestablished. Demonstrations or total growth cannot predict individual position changes.
| Work direction | Task | Current changes | Human control points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family and medical history collection | Interview patients or review records for complete documented patient or family histories | Structured templates may assist; people retain collection and judgment | You personally collect, record, and check |
| Genetic-information analysis and risk assessment | Analyze genetic information to identify patients or families at risk for specific diseases or syndromes | Literature and database retrieval may assist; people retain risk judgment | You analyze and assess risk under evidence and guidelines |
| Testing-option discussions | Discuss testing options, risks, benefits, and limitations with patients and families | Material generation may assist; people retain informed communication | You discuss, support informed decisions, and document |
| Specialty counseling | Provide counseling in prenatal, pediatric, cancer, neurologic, and other clinical genetics specialties | Guideline retrieval may assist; people retain counseling and conclusions | You provide specialty counseling under privileges and guidelines |
| Result interpretation and disclosure | Interpret laboratory results and communicate them to patients or physicians | Structured organization may assist; people retain interpretation and disclosure | You, consulting physicians, and clinicians interpret and disclose |
| Psychosocial assessment and referral | Assess psychological or emotional needs and recommend referrals | Screening prompts may assist; people retain assessment and referral | You and psychology or social-work roles assess and refer |
| Reports and follow-up | Write consultation reports, arrange follow-up, and track genetics advances | Drafts may assist; people retain conclusions and follow-up | You report and follow up under standards |
Evidence introduction | Cite only sources supporting page claims and identify jurisdiction, period, and statistical scope. General studies mainly covering broad occupational groups cannot establish individual job changes here. Technology lists are not adoption. Sources cannot replace your judgments about pedigrees, tests, and clinical information or organizational ethics, privacy, genetic-resource, and practice-scope requirements.
Differences note | These editorial experiments concern prenatal, cancer, and pediatric directions within the same occupation, without established adoption or efficiency gains. Check feasibility, actual adoption, and job outcomes separately. Human responsibility follows specific qualifications, privileges, and activity rules; tools create none.
What AI mainly changesEditorial suggestion | Test literature retrieval and drafts in prenatal work; no efficiency gain established.
What people remain responsible forFamily histories, risk assessment, testing discussions, and informed-decision support
What AI mainly changesEditorial suggestion | Test structured information and follow-up reminders in cancer work; no adoption rate or effect established.
What people remain responsible forResult disclosure, psychological support, crisis identification, and referral
What AI mainly changesEditorial suggestion | Test information, teaching, and statistical drafts in pediatrics, with checks; no effect established.
What people remain responsible forResponsibility for counseling conclusions, ethics, privacy, and practice scope
Responsibility introduction | These are editorial tool-use checkpoints without established efficiency gains. Responsibility and authority follow actual activities and rules, not tools.
Practice and privileges: qualified, organizationally authorized people must make risk assessments, testing discussions, disclosures, and reports. Tools replace neither qualifications nor authority.
Pedigree and evidence judgment: personally check family histories, testing, and clinical information and integrate risk. Tool prompts are not direct assessment or disclosure grounds.
Information and communication | Explain limitations, options, and information uses for actual services, check lawful bases and consent requirements, and record truthfully. Not every service requires personal face-to-face disclosure.
Data and privacy | Identifiable health data follow sensitive-information rules. Check whether materials are personal information or human genetic resources under definitions. Do not transmit externally without checking purposes, recipients, and security; do not uniformly classify all pedigree business data.
Escalation and confirmation: report uncertain results, suspected errors, ethical disputes, and matters beyond scope or privileges, seek consultation or referral under rules, and document.
May cause incorrect risk assessment and harm patient and family decisions
Control measures:Personally verify and document evidence before disclosure and consultation conclusions and identify responsible personnel
May omit key family information or misunderstand testing limitations
Control measures:Qualified personnel must collect histories and check evidence
May violate personal-information, genetic-resource, and privacy requirements and harm stakeholders' rights
Control measures:Check lawful bases, purposes, retention, recipients, and access. Do not upload identifiable health materials to external tools without verification.
Distorted records affect medical quality, ethics, and traceability
Control measures:Records must reflect actual counseling; do not generate unverified content
Responsibilities cannot be defined in ethical, privacy, or decision disputes
Control measures:Before tools, identify and document those responsible for assessment, disclosure, review, and signing
Use tools for reversible support: literature, guideline, and variant-database retrieval, medical-record and report drafts, and structured family histories. Risk assessment, result disclosure, and informed communication follow supervision and organizational procedures.
Use digital tools for literature and guidelines, case-document drafts, result organization, follow-up materials, and structured genetic-information entry. You retain risk assessment, testing discussions, result disclosure, and psychological support under privileges and ethics.
Use tools for multi-case, quality, and follow-up statistics, teaching, research, guidelines and public-education materials, and structured variant and pedigree analysis. You, consulting physicians, ethics, and departments confirm complex and ethically sensitive cases.
Use tools for data and knowledge management, quality materials, and public education. Counseling, ethics, privacy, and research conclusions require human approval and documentation.
This page lacks evidence sufficient to predict replacement. Tasks include checking materials, explaining risk, psychological support, and counseling records. Suggested retrieval and draft experiments require checks of originals, limitations, and authority; demonstrations cannot establish adoption, efficiency, or clinical powers.
Source:O*NET tasks and editorial judgmentOriginal material ↗
O*NET2025 associated recruitment mentions Office10%, Excel8%, PowerPoint and Outlook at 5% each, and Word2%; Access has no share provided. The list cannot establish universally unnecessary coding or hiring thresholds; check specific organizations.
Source:O*NET2025 software mentions in recruitmentOriginal material ↗
Editorially prioritize testing literature retrieval, structured materials, and drafts and record errors and rework. Actual task AI-exposure rankings, adoption, and efficiency gains are unestablished.
Source:O*NET tasks and editorial suggestionsOriginal material ↗
BLS2025—2035 projects 10.4% growth, 4,200 to 4,600 jobs, and 300 annual openings including growth and replacement, with 7.6% self-employment. These are not vacancies or independent GenAI effects and do not predict individual job disappearance.
Source:BLS2025—2035 projectionsOriginal material ↗
It cannot act independently. Variant interpretation, consultation conclusions, and disclosure occur within qualifications, organizational privileges, and ethics. You must judge from pedigree, testing, and clinical evidence and accept consequences. AI may assist retrieval, structuring, and prompts but cannot replace qualifications, informed communication, or accountability. Outputs are not direct diagnostic or disclosure evidence.
Source:NIST governance boundaries; check specific authority separatelyOriginal material ↗
Family-history collection and integrated risk judgment, explaining complex genetics in understandable language, care and empathy amid uncertain results and emotions, awareness of ethics, privacy, and family implications, and rigorous traceable reports and reasoning.
Source:O*NET tasks and contextOriginal material ↗
Assessment method | Check technical feasibility, actual organizational adoption, and job outcomes separately. This page has no adoption or efficiency effects; BLS projections do not establish GenAI causation. Check governance and powers against NIST and applicable rules and record experimental errors and rework.
Source:NIST governance and editorial checking methodsOriginal material ↗
Editorial summary | Check originals, privileges, and limits when testing retrieval and drafts. Adoption, efficiency, and replacement shares are unestablished. BLS growth of 10.4% cannot be attributed to GenAI; tools cannot reclassify VUS into clinical conclusions.
Insufficient evidence: consulted mainland China sources provide no national distribution precisely matching U.S. O*NET / SOC 29-9092.00. NBS industry and broad job-category averages in enterprises above designated size are not this precise distribution. Industry averages, recruitment offers, and U.S. data are not substituted.
Insufficient evidence: consulted mainland China sources provide no national distribution precisely matching U.S. O*NET / SOC 29-9092.00. NBS industry and broad job-category averages in enterprises above designated size are not this precise distribution. Industry averages, recruitment offers, and U.S. data are not substituted.
Insufficient evidence: consulted mainland China sources provide no national distribution precisely matching U.S. O*NET / SOC 29-9092.00. NBS industry and broad job-category averages in enterprises above designated size are not this precise distribution. Industry averages, recruitment offers, and U.S. data are not substituted.
Mainland China section | Similar roles exist in clinical genetics, prenatal diagnosis, and genetic-disease care. Entry and scope follow the Physicians Law and prenatal-diagnostic, genetic-disease, and medical-institution requirements. Physician practice requires lawful qualifications and registration within the registered location, category, and scope. Specialized prenatal and genetic-disease diagnosis requires appropriate institutional and personnel credentials. Genetic-resource collection, preservation, and external provision require approval or filing under the Regulations on Administration of Human Genetic Resources. Genetic and pedigree information follows the Personal Information Protection Law, biosafety, and medical ethics. However, consulted sources provide no national occupational wage distribution precisely matching U.S. O*NET / SOC 29-9092.00. NBS urban-entity industry averages do not distinguish or separately list this occupation. Under evidence policy, this page registers definitions and visible gaps with Insufficient evidence markers, without proxy figures. Industry averages, recruitment offers, U.S. wages, and overseas data do not establish starting pay, medians, or individual income in China.
| Educational background | Common role directions | Explanations and checking suggestions |
|---|---|---|
| China: check education, profession, and qualifications by activity rather than substituting a U.S. master's degree | Most roles | Check qualifications by actual activity: physician activities follow registered scope under the Physicians Law; prenatal-diagnostic counseling requires separate organization and personnel checks; research-support roles do not all carry physician thresholds. The 2024 genetic-resource regulations are administered by health authorities. Article 3 clinical collection and preservation follow relevant laws; approvals and filings depend on resource use and activities. See pathways for the typical U.S. counseling master's and state licensing; these are not uniform Chinese education requirements. |
| Professional qualifications and specialized technical credentials | Those performing the corresponding clinical activities | Check qualifications by activity: physician work follows registered scope under the Physicians Law; prenatal-diagnostic counseling requires separate organization and personnel checks; research-support roles do not all carry physician thresholds. The 2024 genetic-resource regulations are administered by health authorities. Article 3 clinical collection and preservation follow relevant laws; approvals and filings depend on resource use and activities. |
| Clinical rotations, case supervision, and continuing education | Clinical roles | Professional skills usually require clinical rotations, case supervision, continuing education, and recertification; specific durations and requirements follow authorities and organizations. |
| Human-genetic-resource, privacy, and ethics compliance training, where applicable | Genetic-resource and data roles | Check qualifications by activity: physician work follows registered scope under the Physicians Law; prenatal-diagnostic counseling requires separate organization and personnel checks; research-support roles do not all carry physician thresholds. The 2024 genetic-resource regulations are administered by health authorities. Article 3 clinical collection and preservation follow relevant laws; approvals and filings depend on resource use and activities. Judge personal health information, anonymous materials, and genetic resources separately under definitions. |
Distribution and checking suggestions | Percentiles are 2025 national wage positions, not experience, starting pay, or certification levels. Factor-specific income effects are unestablished. Ask about actual duties, hours, wage components, and qualifications; national distributions promise no individual income.
Industry reference | Clinical genetic counseling in hospitals and clinics resembles the health and social-work sector. NBS 2025 national urban industry pre-tax annual average wages are 146,266 yuan for nonprivate and 75,631 yuan for private entities, excluding individual businesses and freelancers. These are not occupational medians, starting pay, or take-home income. Insufficient evidence: a precise Chinese genetic-counselor wage distribution remains unavailable.
Medical-education and teaching-hospital roles may fall in education or health. Industry averages are not this occupation's wages and are not substituted.
Genetics, genomics research, and testing roles may fall in this sector. Industry averages are not this occupation's wages and are not substituted.
Editorial suggestion | Test retrieval, organization, and drafts against originals and authority. No precise GenAI exposure score, adoption, or efficiency gain is established; do not label high exposure.
| Official annual wage, not individual take-home pay |
| Distribution and checking suggestions | Percentiles are 2025 national wage positions, not experience, starting pay, or certification levels. Factor-specific income effects are unestablished. Ask about actual duties, hours, wage components, and qualifications; national distributions promise no individual income. |
| Highest 10% | 90th-percentile annual wage $138,760 (2025, BLS OEWS, 29-9092.00) | Official annual wage, not individual take-home pay | Distribution and checking suggestions | Percentiles are 2025 national wage positions, not experience, starting pay, or certification levels. Factor-specific income effects are unestablished. Ask about actual duties, hours, wage components, and qualifications; national distributions promise no individual income. |
|---|
Pay · 10th Percentile：10th-percentile annual wage $78,270 (2025, BLS OEWS, 29-9092.00)；Basis | U.S. 2025 national employee-wage 10th percentile for 29-9092: $78,270 annually. Limits | Not a minimum, starting pay, or experience level. OEWS excludes self-employment； wage coverage follows methods.
Pay · 25th Percentile：25th-percentile annual wage $88,900 (2025, BLS OEWS, 29-9092.00)；Basis | U.S. 2025 national employee-wage percentiles for 29-9092. Limits | Distribution positions are not experience or starting pay. Income effects of certification, seniority, and other factors are unestablished.
Pay · Median：Median hourly wage $48.09 / median annual wage $100,040 (2025, BLS OEWS, 29-9092.00)；Basis | U.S. 2025 national employee-wage percentiles for 29-9092. Limits | Distribution positions are not experience or starting pay. Income effects of certification, seniority, and other factors are unestablished.
Pay · 75th Percentile：75th-percentile annual wage $116,140 (2025, BLS OEWS, 29-9092.00)；Basis | U.S. 2025 national employee-wage percentiles for 29-9092. Limits | Distribution positions are not experience or starting pay. Income effects of certification, seniority, and other factors are unestablished.
Pay · 90th Percentile：90th-percentile annual wage $138,760 (2025, BLS OEWS, 29-9092.00)；Basis | U.S. 2025 national employee-wage percentiles for 29-9092. Limits | Distribution positions are not experience or starting pay. Income effects of certification, seniority, and other factors are unestablished.
Distribution and checking suggestions | Percentiles are 2025 national wage positions, not experience, starting pay, or certification levels. Factor-specific income effects are unestablished. Ask about actual duties, hours, wage components, and qualifications; national distributions promise no individual income.
Interpreting the coverage | Wages include commissions, production bonuses, and certain allowances, but exclude overtime premiums, nonproduction bonuses, stock bonuses, and employer benefit costs. They exclude self-employment income. EP employment includes a 7.6% self-employed share, which differs from OEWS employer wage coverage; the occupation's small employment base does not justify guessing its sampling error.
Statistical sources | National wages come from BLS OEWS data for 2025, presented through O*NET; industry medians for this occupation come from the 2025 Pay table in the BLS OOH. Employment size, growth, and average annual openings come from BLS Employment Projections Table 1.2 (2025—2035), and must not be mixed with OEWS employment coverage.
How to use these figures: Consider the median, percentiles, and employment figures together, and check them against local employer types, specialties, and regions. You can also search the official O*NET wage page by region and period. Do not infer an individual's pay from a single number.
| Industry | Median wage for this occupation within the industry | How to interpret it |
|---|---|---|
| Hospitals: state, local, and private | USD 102,140/year (2025, median for this occupation within the industry) | OOH2025: 37% of employment in this occupation; this is not the pay of all hospital personnel. |
| Offices of physicians | USD 94,380/year (2025, median for this occupation within the industry) | OOH2025: 28% of employment in this occupation; this is not the pay of all personnel in physicians' offices. |
| Outpatient care centers | USD 143,620/year (2025, median for this occupation within the industry) | OOH2025: 5% of employment in this occupation. |
| Medical and diagnostic laboratories | USD 108,640/year (2025, median for this occupation within the industry) | OOH2025: 4% of employment in this occupation. The first four shares total 74%; the remaining 26% is only an arithmetic remainder. Private colleges and universities are listed separately at 5% and USD 106,710/year; this does not constitute a combined wage for the remainder. |
Distribution and checking suggestions | Percentiles are 2025 national wage positions, not experience, starting pay, or certification levels. Factor-specific income effects are unestablished. Ask about actual duties, hours, wage components, and qualifications; national distributions promise no individual income.
Distribution and checking suggestions | Percentiles are 2025 national wage positions, not experience, starting pay, or certification levels. Factor-specific income effects are unestablished. Ask about actual duties, hours, wage components, and qualifications; national distributions promise no individual income.
Distribution and checking suggestions | Percentiles are 2025 national wage positions, not experience, starting pay, or certification levels. Factor-specific income effects are unestablished. Ask about actual duties, hours, wage components, and qualifications; national distributions promise no individual income.
Basis | 2025 BLS employment is 4,200 jobs, including 7.6% self-employment. Limits | Projections are not vacancies； OEWS wages exclude self-employment, and series scopes differ.
Basis | BLS Employment Projections (2025—2035, 10.4% for this occupation, much faster than average, directly from Table 1.2). Limits | A projection, not recruitment, not applicable to other jurisdictions, with a small base.
Basis | BLS period openings, approximately 300 annually during 2025—2035 including growth and replacement, directly from Table 1.2. Limits | Limited absolute numbers, not net new jobs.
Which Holland interest types are closer to genetic counseling?
Holland (RIASEC) | Helps you explore your relative Investigative, Social, and Conventional preferences. The O*NET interest code for this occupation is ISC (Investigative—Social—Conventional): a willingness to research and analyze disease, genetics, and data (Investigative); help and educate others in healthcare settings (Social); and organize information and records according to procedures and standards (Conventional). This is consistent with the occupation's leading activities: getting information (99), updating and using relevant knowledge (99), interpreting the meaning of information for others (97), and assisting and caring for others (95). The questionnaire is only a source of questions to explore; it does not determine suitability or eligibility to practice.
Avoid this use:If you struggle to sustain intensive knowledge updates and emotionally demanding communication, or to remain careful and empathetic when results have uncertain significance or news is bad, a high interest questionnaire score cannot remove these practical demands. Entry also requires confirmation of education, professional training, practice credentials, and institutional authorization.
Test my Holland career interestsWhich Big Five traits are more relevant to this work?
Big Five | Editorial observation questions focus on checking evidence, responding to pressure to hurry, and explaining uncertainty. This page has not established the validity of personality scores for occupational fit or performance and sets no thresholds.
Avoid this use:Do not use a personality assessment saying you are unsuitable as a reason to give up or avoid entering the field. Use clinical observation, job shadowing, simulated cases, and professional training assessments to evaluate this instead.
View my Big Five personality traitsCan MBTI determine whether genetic counseling suits me?
MBTI | This typology supports reflection on communication and work preferences. This occupation requires procedural communication and collaboration with patients, relatives, clinicians, laboratories, psychologists, and social workers; preferences do not determine competence.
Avoid this use:Use type only as a reference for communication styles. Do not use it to infer whether you or others can perform risk assessments, communicate results, provide psychological support, or maintain records well.
Understand my MBTI preferencesCan the Enneagram indicate whether this occupation suits me?
Enneagram | For self-exploration only. Editorial suggestions include observing how you explain results of uncertain significance, document family views, and escalate according to procedures in fictional communication scenarios. This page has not established the relative predictive validity of type labels and work samples.
Avoid this use:Do not use type labels to explain errors of judgment or conflicts. Return to whether family history, test evidence, interpretation, communication, and records were handled properly.
Explore my Enneagram patternsCan I become a genetic counselor if I struggle with math?
Intelligence and reasoning | Editorial suggestions focus on whether you can understand probabilities and units, check pedigree, testing, and literature evidence, and clearly record contradictions and uncertainty. This page has not established the predictive validity of IQ scores or these behaviors for career fit, nor does it compare their effectiveness.
Avoid this use:A high or low score does not establish whether someone can learn genetic counseling, risk assessment, and communication. Check this through clinical observation, job shadowing, simulated cases, and professional training assessments.
Understand my intelligence and reasoning performanceDoes genetic counseling require high emotional intelligence?
Emotions and communication | Observe whether limitations are explained accurately, feedback is heard, records are maintained, and referrals follow institutional procedures. This page has not established an effect between emotional assessment scores and counseling quality.
Avoid this use:Editorial suggestion | Record specific errors and revisions during fictional communication exercises, without promising that assessment results or performance will necessarily improve.
Understand my emotional intelligence abilitiesA closer match:Able to independently complete genetic counseling and consultation reports within the scope of practice, institutional authorization, and ethical requirements
Note:If you struggle to sustain intensive knowledge updates and emotionally demanding communication, or to remain careful and empathetic under uncertain results, this occupation is not recommended.
View related occupations:This occupation: genetic counselorsA closer match:Have skills in psychological assessment, treatment, counseling, and crisis recognition
Note:If you want to focus on genetic information, testing, and family decisions rather than psychotherapy and mental disorders, this direction is not recommended.
View related occupations:Clinical and counseling psychologistsA closer match:Have skills in genetics laboratory work, data analysis, and research design
Note:If you want patient- and family-facing counseling to be your main work rather than experiments and research, this direction is not recommended.
View related occupations:GeneticistsA closer match:Have skills in administering neuropsychological tests, assessing cognitive function, and reporting
Note:If you want to focus on genetic counseling rather than neuropsychological testing and cognitive assessment, this direction is not recommended.
View related occupations:Clinical neuropsychologistsA closer match:Have skills in diagnosis, treatment, follow-up, and communication within a collaborative practice model
Note:If you want to focus on genetic counseling and information interpretation rather than general medical diagnosis and treatment, this direction is not recommended.
View related occupations:Physician assistantsA closer match:Have skills in specialist nursing assessment, care coordination, and health education
Note:If you are unwilling to meet nursing practice credential and practice standard requirements, this direction is not recommended.
View related occupations:Clinical nurse specialistsWhat personality is better suited to genetic counseling? This occupation places greater weight on rigorous evidence and risk judgment, the ability to explain complex concepts clearly, empathy and stability when facing bad news and uncertain results, and willingness to protect patient and family confidentiality, rather than any personality type. O*NET lists the interest code ISC (Investigative—Social—Conventional), and work styles emphasizing sincerity, empathy, stress tolerance, self-control, cooperation, intellectual curiosity, caution, integrity, and attention to detail. These can be starting points for exploration.
Can introverts do this work? Yes, but communication is very frequent (email daily 100%, face-to-face or individual and team discussions daily 95%, telephone daily 90%, constant contact with others 67%). Clear, gentle communication is also required when delivering bad news or addressing family conflict.
Can extroverts do well? Extroversion does not establish communication effectiveness. Observe whether risks are explained, feedback is heard, and checks and records are completed.
Which MBTI type is best for this occupation? No type has been shown to be best. MBTI is not an assessment of professional qualifications or abilities. Career adjustment mainly depends on genetics knowledge, communication, ethics, and stress tolerance.
Which Holland interest types are more relevant to this occupation? O*NET lists ISC: Investigative (researching and analyzing disease, genetics, and data), Social (helping and educating others), and Conventional (organizing information and records according to standards). Use this to explore task preferences, not to predict performance.
Can personality predict performance? This page has not established predictive validity for this occupation, so scores cannot support individual fit conclusions. Check fictional tasks and real qualification assessments separately.
Can someone who struggles with math do this work? Observe whether they can check probabilities, ratios, and units under stated assumptions and explain uncertainty. This page has not established a universal mathematics threshold and does not claim that advanced mathematics is unnecessary. G1 checks only the arithmetic in this exercise; professional training requires separate verification.
Does this occupation require high emotional intelligence? It requires empathy, emotional stability, stress management, and conflict resolution skills, but no specific assessment score. The work involves sustained exposure to uncertain results, bad news, and family emotions, requiring personal and team support.
Can the Enneagram determine whether I am suited to this work? No. The Enneagram is a self-exploration tool, not a conclusion about occupational ability or fit. Evaluate whether you can accurately collect family histories, assess risks, communicate findings, keep records, and escalate within your scope of practice and ethical requirements.
Use the complete G1 materials. The three tables and draft show checking performance in this exercise. Record errors and unknowns against the answers; a single short task cannot establish long-term fit, hiring suitability, or clinical ability.
Typical scenario：Scenario | A family requests multigene testing as soon as possible and wants every positive site treated as a confirmed diagnosis, although some findings are variants of uncertain significance.
Main roles：The practitioner, supervisors, and laboratory staff; patients, families, and the institution
Possible consequences：Incomplete family history, incorrect pedigree interpretation, or treating uncertain results or results of uncertain significance as confirmation or exclusion of a diagnosis may mislead patient and family decisions about testing, reproduction, and treatment, and cause psychological and family consequences.
Reducing risk：Collect family histories according to standards and record sources and uncertainties. Verify results of uncertain significance with the laboratory and supervisor and explain limitations. Pause for review and consultation when pedigree or testing evidence conflicts.
Basis：O*NET 29-9092.00 Details (Tasks and Work Context) · NIST Artificial Intelligence Risk Management Framework (AI RMF 1.0)
Typical scenario：Scenario | During handover, you discover that the previous shift's consultation report lacks key pedigree information and that test results do not agree with follow-up records. Someone suggests filling the gaps using a template.
Main roles：The practitioner, medical records staff, and quality control staff; patients, families, and the institution
Possible consequences：False, missing, fabricated, backdated, or untraceably altered records affect healthcare quality and traceability. Lawful, traceable corrections are a separate matter.
Reducing risk：Keep timely, truthful, accurate, complete, and standardized records according to medical record rules. Retain the original record when correcting errors, noting the modification time and signature; changes to electronic records must follow permissions and leave an audit trail. Factual supplements and corrections are permitted under the rules. Fabrication, backdating, signing as someone else, and untraceable alteration are prohibited; retrospective additions are not categorically prohibited.
Basis：O*NET 29-9092.00 Details (Tasks and Work Context) · Personal Information Protection Law
Typical scenario：Scenario | A party requests screenshots of a patient's and family's genetic test reports in an uncontrolled group chat to enable a quick consultation.
Main roles：The practitioner, information staff, and ethics personnel; patients, families, and the institution
Possible consequences：Leaks, unauthorized access, or unauthorized external provision of sensitive genetic, pedigree, and testing information may violate personal information, human genetic resources, and medical ethics requirements and harm the rights and interests of those involved.
Reducing risk：Verify the lawful basis, purpose, permissions, and retention period for identifiable health information. Check research ethics and genetic resources rules according to the specific activity; do not claim that every teaching-related sharing activity requires administrative approval. Handle and record unauthorized access or disclosure promptly according to institutional procedures.
Basis：Personal Information Protection Law · NIST Artificial Intelligence Risk Management Framework (AI RMF 1.0)
Typical scenario：Scenario | During a staffing shortage, you are asked to independently issue a diagnostic conclusion or arrange a prenatal diagnostic procedure beyond your scope of practice or institutional authorization.
Main roles：The practitioner, department, ethics personnel, and legal staff; patients, families, and proper professional practice
Possible consequences：Conducting clinical diagnosis, testing, or prenatal diagnostic procedures beyond the registered scope of practice or institutional authorization, or failing to obtain informed consent, may lead to administrative and legal liability and professional and ethical risks.
Reducing risk：Work within the registered scope of practice, institutional authorization, and specialized technology qualifications. For diagnosis, treatment, procedures, and laboratory testing, involve appropriately qualified personnel or refer. When asked to exceed the scope or act without qualifications, first explain the boundary and transfer the matter through the required process.
Basis：National Health Commission Measures for the Administration of Prenatal Diagnosis Technologies · O*NET 29-9092.00 Details (Tasks and Work Context)
Typical scenario：Scenario | The only colleague familiar with a particular genetic testing process is on leave. The team is asked to have that colleague guide by telephone while untrained staff temporarily cover patient reception and communication of results.
Main roles：The practitioner, outpatient service, and consultation team; patients, families, and counseling continuity
Possible consequences：A single person handles key counseling work or key patients, so leave, fatigue, or system failures interrupt counseling and follow-up. This may delay testing, follow-up, and psychological support for high-risk families.
Reducing risk：Establish appointment, shift handover, tiered management, and backup arrangements. Clearly document key pedigrees, testing, and follow-up matters, and provide alternatives for systems and reminders. Escalate staffing or system shortages according to procedures and adjust priorities.
Basis：O*NET 29-9092.00 occupational profile and official scope · NIST Artificial Intelligence Risk Management Framework (AI RMF 1.0)
Typical scenario：Scenario | The laboratory reports that a sample result does not match the clinical findings. A party asks you to tell the patient the original result first and promises to verify it later.
Main roles：The practitioner, clinical staff, laboratory staff, and genetic counseling team; patients, families, and collaboration quality
Possible consequences：Unclear referrals, laboratory communication, or follow-up handovers, or inconsistent testing and follow-up expectations communicated to patients, may cause duplicated or missed tests, gaps in follow-up, family misunderstandings, and disputes.
Reducing risk：Referrals and testing must document the reason, key information, questions, responsibilities, and deadlines with a traceable record. Patient education and follow-up arrangements must be clear and confirmed. Pause for review and escalation when handovers are unclear or expectations differ.
Basis：O*NET 29-9092.00 Details (Tasks and Work Context) · National Health Commission Measures for the Administration of Prenatal Diagnosis Technologies
Pathway explanation | In the United States, the typical qualification is a genetic counseling master's degree, usually 2 years after a bachelor's degree with supervised rotations. Most states require licensure; certification and state licensure are separate. The standard ABGC pathway is an ACGC-accredited genetic counseling master's degree plus an examination; other genetics or medical master's degrees do not automatically qualify. In China, check qualifications according to the actual activity: physician activities require registration under Articles 13/14 of the Physicians Law and practice within the registered scope. Prenatal diagnostic genetic counseling requires separate checks of institutional and personnel qualifications; prenatal diagnosis reports require signatures from two qualified physicians. Do not apply physician entry requirements to all research support positions. Under the 2024 human genetic resources regulations, health authorities administer these resources; Article 3 provides that collection and preservation of human material for clinical diagnosis and treatment follow relevant laws. Approval and filing depend on resource use and the specific activity. Build evidence of information interpretation, communication, and documentation through training and supervision, then undertake specific activities according to qualifications and authorization. This learning pathway does not promise promotion or competence.
Qualification boundaries | Professional education, completed clinical rotations, practice credentials or certification, institutional authorization, specialized technology qualifications, informed consent, and data use permissions are distinct statuses. The preparation items on this page do not equal eligibility to practice or automatically confer authority for clinical diagnosis, laboratory testing, prenatal diagnostic procedures, or external data sharing.
| Career direction | Starting tasks | Evidence to prepare | Work samples you can show without experience | Difference from this occupation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clinical and counseling psychologists | Observe psychological assessment and counseling appointments | Records of professional psychology training, internships, and supervision | A fictional outline table for a psychological assessment and counseling plan | Produces psychological assessments and treatment; this occupation produces genetic risk counseling and consultation reports |
| Geneticists | Laboratory and data analysis support | Genetics or bioinformatics training and research records | A fictional outline table for experimental design and data organization | Produces experimental and research findings; this occupation provides counseling to patients and families |
| Clinical neuropsychologists | Assist with administering neuropsychological tests | Neuropsychology training and testing internship records | A fictional outline table organizing neuropsychological test results | Produces neuropsychological testing and cognitive assessments; this occupation provides genetic counseling and information interpretation |
| Physician assistants | Participate in history taking and follow-up under supervision | Professional physician assistant training and collaborative practice records | A fictional diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up record form for a collaborative practice model | Undertakes some diagnosis and treatment within collaborative or supervised practice; this occupation provides genetic counseling and information interpretation |
| Clinical nurse specialists | Specialist nursing and health education support | Nursing training and specialist practice records | A fictional outline table for specialist nursing and care coordination | Produces specialist nursing care and care coordination; this occupation produces genetic counseling and consultation reports |
O*NET's education survey reports 90% master's degrees, 5% post-master's certificates, and 5% professional degrees. JobZone5/SVP8 describes preparation for an occupational group and does not establish a uniform ten-year threshold for this occupation. BLS classifications of a typical master's degree, no related experience, and no on-the-job training do not remove clinical rotation, examination, or licensing requirements.
In China, verify qualifications according to the actual activity: physician practice requires qualification, registration, and work within the registered scope under Articles 13/14 of the Physicians Law. Prenatal diagnostic technologies include genetic counseling; check the relevant institutional and personnel qualifications separately, and the requirement for two qualified physicians to sign applies to prenatal diagnosis reports. Do not apply physician requirements to all research or support positions. Human genetic resources are administered by health authorities. Article 3 of the 2024 regulations provides that collection and preservation of human material needed for clinical diagnosis and treatment follow relevant laws. Approval and filing depend on the resources, purpose, and specific activity; not all family history collection requires approval.
M2, the stipulated arithmetic model: Assume II01 is Aa and II02 is aa. II01 transmits A or a with probability 0.5 each; II02 transmits only a. The exercise stipulates that an A carrier has probability 0.60 of expressing a fictional trait. This has no correspondence to real diseases, test results, or the health of people in M1.
M3, fictional test report B01: specimen S01, subject III01, result VUS. No diagnostic basis or evidence connecting it to model M2 is provided, yet the draft says, 'Confirmed diagnosis, model probability 3%.' A VUS must not be used to confirm or exclude disease.
M4, fictional consent form C01: III01 health information is solely for a controlled internal counseling exercise; public groups and external AI services are not authorized. Request R1, received at 09:00, asks for the complete pedigree and B01 to be sent to a public group before 09:30.
M5, fictional follow-up form F01: registered date 2026-10-05, draft date 2026-10-15. It was handed to coordinator Q for verification at 09:10, with no response by 09:12. Do not mark it confirmed or completed.
M6: Draw three tables yourself. The pedigree/source table lists IDs, relationships, sources, and missing items. The checking table lists material IDs, original values, draft values, calculations/questions, and handling status. The counseling and handover draft lists testing limitations, model assumptions, privacy boundaries, recipient roles, pending confirmations, and acknowledgments. Only paper, a pen, and a calculator are needed; no external template is required.
Mark whether each step was completed independently or with guidance.
Identify steps involving diagnosis, testing, communication of findings, and privacy that must be performed by you or appropriately qualified personnel according to scope of practice, authorization, and ethics.
Show how M1—M6 map to the three tables and draft. Keep unknowns unknown and do not mark unacknowledged items completed.
The summary must not contain real patients, families, institutions, or identifying information. Use IDs and synthetic data where needed.
State information sources and assumptions, distinguishing confirmed information, uncertainty, and matters requiring further verification.
Explain who reviewed tool output before use and which check against original materials was performed.
If risks, probabilities, or test values are examples, label them clearly and state that final confirmation is required from qualified personnel.
| Stage | Points that may be checked | Observable evidence | Boundary statement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resume and initial screening | Genetic counseling, genetics, and medical education and rotation experience; practice credentials and certification; case and supervision records | Education, training, certification, and supervision records | Self-assessment cannot replace practice credentials or verification by the competent authority |
| Interview | Understanding of risk assessment, testing limitations, informed consent, ethics, and privacy | Judgment about uncertain significance, matters beyond scope, and family implications during live questions and answers | Scenario answers cannot replace professional training or supervised assessments |
List the counseling workflow and actual qualifications still to be checked, without accessing real patient information.
Record your specific difficulties with information checking, without inferring long-term fit.
Explain VUS limitations, the distinction between the model and clinical risk, and permissions.
Record how you handled both VUS misinterpretation and unauthorized public-group disclosure.
Check the draft against the answers and record errors truthfully. If none are found, do not invent two.
| Qualification or preparation item | Who it applies to | Role in this occupation | Whether generally required | Conditions for obtaining it | Approximate commitment | Limitations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Master's degree in genetic counseling (typical U.S. pathway) | U.S. entry | Professional coursework and supervised rotations | Typical, not a worldwide uniform education requirement | Accredited programs and each institution's admission requirements | Generally 2 years after a bachelor's degree | Other genetics or medical master's degrees do not automatically meet ABGC requirements |
| State licensure and certification (United States) |
Typical responsibilities：Organize pedigrees, prenatal screening, and testing information with guidance, and assist with appointments and follow-up. Do not independently take responsibility for risk assessment or communicating results.
Advancement evidence：Pedigree and information organization, follow-up support records, and review comments; ability to explain key informed consent and privacy points.
Qualification boundaries：Professional genetic counseling training and clinical rotation records; institutional ethics and privacy training.
Next step：Become familiar with prenatal screening and diagnostic workflows, testing limitations, ethics, and informed consent, and record daily learning points.
Typical responsibilities：Independently complete prenatal and reproductive pedigree collection, risk assessment, discussion of testing options, communication of results, and follow-up, and escalate abnormalities as required.
Advancement evidence：Prenatal counseling, testing, communication-of-results, and follow-up records, with review comments.
Qualification boundaries：Practice credentials or certification and institutional authorization; prenatal genetic counseling experience.
Next step：Build experience across gestational stages, indications, and social contexts, and practice risk communication and expressing uncertainty.
Typical responsibilities：Coordinate complex and high-risk prenatal cases, multidisciplinary consultations, teaching, quality and ethics implementation, and patient education.
Advancement evidence：Records of complex prenatal case handling, teaching, and quality improvement.
Qualification boundaries：Relevant role authorization; teaching and assessment records.
Next step：Learn new prenatal diagnostic and genetic testing technologies, ethics, and methods for improving counseling quality.
Typical responsibilities：Coordinate prenatal and reproductive genetic service workflows, quality, ethics, data, and external collaboration, handle complex and disputed matters, and guide newcomers.
Advancement evidence：Coordination conclusions; policy, quality, ethics, and training documents.
Qualification boundaries：Relevant management appointment or institutional authorization.
Next step：Improve mechanisms for workflows, quality, ethics, data, and training.
Typical responsibilities：Organize cancer pedigrees, previous testing, and pathology information with guidance, and assist with appointments and follow-up. No authority for independent assessment or communication of results.
Advancement evidence：Pedigree and information organization, follow-up records, and review comments.
Qualification boundaries：Professional genetic counseling training and rotation records; institutional ethics and privacy training.
Next step：Become familiar with hereditary cancer syndromes, testing, risk management, and key follow-up points.
Typical responsibilities：Independently complete cancer pedigree risk assessments, discussion of testing options, communication of results, follow-up, and advice on informing relatives, and escalate abnormalities as required.
Advancement evidence：Cancer genetic counseling, testing, communication-of-results, and follow-up records.
Qualification boundaries：Practice credentials or certification and institutional authorization; cancer genetic counseling experience.
Next step：Learn guidelines for different cancer syndromes, risk management, and multidisciplinary collaboration methods.
Typical responsibilities：Organize pediatric pedigrees, developmental information, and previous testing with guidance, and assist with appointments and family communication. No authority for independent assessment or communication of results.
Advancement evidence：Pedigree and information organization, communication support records, and review comments.
Qualification boundaries：Professional genetic counseling training and rotation records; institutional ethics, privacy, and child-related standards training.
Next step：Become familiar with pediatric genetics, rare diseases, developmental assessment, family communication, and key referral points.
Typical responsibilities：Independently complete pediatric pedigree and risk assessments, discussion of testing options, communication of results, family communication, follow-up, and referrals.
Advancement evidence：Pediatric counseling, testing, communication-of-results, follow-up, and referral records.
Qualification boundaries：Practice credentials or certification and institutional authorization; pediatric genetic counseling experience.
Next step：Learn advances in rare diseases and genetic testing, and collaboration methods involving multidisciplinary teams, rehabilitation, and social workers.
Learn pedigree collection, genetics evidence interpretation, testing procedures, medical record and consultation report writing, and communication skills under supervision. Do not independently take responsibility for communicating findings or diagnosis.
Able to independently complete genetic counseling, risk assessment, consultation reports, communication of results, and follow-up within the scope of practice, institutional authorization, and ethical requirements, escalating, consulting, and referring according to procedures when significance is uncertain or matters exceed scope.
Able to handle complex and ethically sensitive cases, develop specialty expertise, teach, implement quality and ethics requirements, and collaborate across specialties.
Able to oversee consultation quality, ethics, privacy, data management, consultation workflows, public education, and teaching and research support, and guide newcomers.
Employment size, growth, and job openings
BLS2025—2035 projects a net increase of 400 jobs, growth of 10.4%, and 300 annual openings including growth and replacements. Consider the percentage alongside the base; it cannot establish a causal GenAI effect or an individual's hiring opportunities.
What it cannot establish：BLS2025—2035 Table 1.2: 4,200 jobs in 2025 to 4,600 in 2035, official net increase 400, growth 10.4%, and 300 annual openings including growth and replacement from exits and transfers; self-employment 7.6%. Projections are not current vacancies; jobs are not unique people.
United States · SOC 29-9092.00 (OEWS 2025, presented through O*NET)
Median hourly wage USD 48.09, median annual wage USD 100,040; 10th percentile 78,270, 25th 88,900, 75th 116,140, and 90th 138,760 (USD/year)
Wages (Median and Percentiles)
Insufficient evidence: This page has not obtained U.S. regional or within-industry wage percentiles. The 2025 national median and percentiles are not experience-based starting salaries and do not identify the income effects of individual factors. Verified OOH industry medians are listed separately and cannot replace within-industry percentiles.
What it cannot establish：Basis | U.S. 2025 national employee wages for 29-9092, presented through O*NET. Limits | Includes commissions, production bonuses, and some allowances and excludes overtime premiums, nonproduction bonuses, stock bonuses, and employer benefit costs; no self-employment income. Percentiles are not experience levels or starting pay.
Mainland China · National Bureau of Statistics Average Wages of Employed Persons in Urban Units (Industry Section Coverage) and Bounded Searches
Insufficient evidence: Sources reviewed for mainland China do not provide a national occupational wage distribution precisely corresponding to U.S. O*NET/SOC 29-9092.00. NBS publishes averages by industry section and broad job category in enterprises above designated size; neither is an exact distribution for this occupation. This page shows the gap rather than using proxy figures.
Occupational Wages and Employment (Statistical Coverage and Gaps)
Insufficient evidence: This page has not obtained an exact occupational wage distribution for China. NBS industry and broad job categories are not used as substitutes; this does not imply that no national data exist. Check qualifications and statistics separately. In China, verify qualifications according to the actual activity: physician activities require registration under Articles 13/14 of the Physicians Law and practice within the registered scope. Prenatal diagnostic genetic counseling requires separate checks of institutional and personnel qualifications; prenatal diagnosis reports require signatures from two qualified physicians. Do not apply physician entry requirements to all research support positions. Under the 2024 human genetic resources regulations, health authorities administer these resources; Article 3 provides that collection and preservation of human material for clinical diagnosis and treatment follow relevant laws. Approval and filing depend on resource use and the specific activity.
What it cannot establish：Legal environments, entry requirements, and statistical coverage differ, so do not splice or convert the figures. The China section records only statistical coverage and visible gaps.
These are relationships between adjacent skills, not automatic promotions or paths requiring no further learning.
Transferable skills：Communication, assessment, empathy, and ethics
Additional preparation needed：Requires additional psychological assessment and psychotherapy skills and psychology practice credentials. Editorial comparison: Moderate, moving from genetic counseling to psychological assessment and treatment. This page has not quantified transition distance or success probability. Check the target role's professional training, jurisdictional qualifications, and authorization separately.
View occupation detailsTransferable skills：Assessment, communication, and report writing
Additional preparation needed：Requires additional skills in administering neuropsychological tests, cognitive function assessment, and reporting. Editorial comparison: Moderate, moving toward neuropsychological assessment. This page has not quantified transition distance or success probability. Check the target role's professional training, jurisdictional qualifications, and authorization separately.
View occupation detailsTransferable skills：Genetics knowledge and evidence interpretation
Additional preparation needed：Requires additional genetics experimental design, data analysis, and research output skills. Editorial comparison: Moderate, moving from counseling to experiments and research. This page has not quantified transition distance or success probability. Check the target role's professional training, jurisdictional qualifications, and authorization separately.
View occupation detailsTransferable skills：History taking, communication, and follow-up
Additional preparation needed：Requires additional diagnosis, treatment, prescribing, and protocol competencies under collaborative or supervised practice. Editorial comparison: Moderate, moving into a physician assistant role requiring the relevant qualifications. This page has not quantified transition distance or success probability. Check the target role's professional training, jurisdictional qualifications, and authorization separately.
View occupation detailsTransferable skills：Care, communication, and coordination support
Additional preparation needed：Requires additional specialist nursing assessment, delivery, care coordination, and nursing credentials. Editorial comparison: Moderate, moving into a clinical nurse specialist role. This page has not quantified transition distance or success probability. Check the target role's professional training, jurisdictional qualifications, and authorization separately.
View occupation detailsTransferable skills：Empathy, communication, and crisis recognition
Additional preparation needed：Requires additional psychiatric nursing, crisis intervention, and psychotherapy collaboration skills. Editorial comparison: Moderate, moving toward psychiatric nursing. This page has not quantified transition distance or success probability. Check the target role's professional training, jurisdictional qualifications, and authorization separately.
View occupation detailsTransferable skills：Data, statistics, and evidence interpretation
Additional preparation needed：Requires additional epidemiology, statistics, public health, and population research skills. Editorial comparison: Moderate, moving toward epidemiology. This page has not quantified transition distance or success probability. Check the target role's professional training, jurisdictional qualifications, and authorization separately.
View occupation detailsTransferable skills：Clinical understanding, workflows, and communication
Additional preparation needed：Requires additional institutional operations, quality, budgeting, compliance, and personnel management experience. Editorial comparison explanation: Editorial comparison: Management involves operations, budgets, quality, and personnel responsibilities; professional training and actual experience need checking. This page has not established transition distance or success probability. This page has not quantified transition distance or success probability. Check the target role's professional training, jurisdictional qualifications, and authorization separately.
View occupation detailsThe main differences concern the focus of work and level of authorization. This occupation focuses on counseling, information interpretation, and psychological support related to genetic risks and testing, producing verifiable consultation reports and records. Clinical and counseling psychologists (19-3033.00) focus on psychological assessment, diagnosis, and psychotherapy; clinical neuropsychologists on neuropsychological testing and cognitive function assessment; physician assistants (29-1071.00) undertake some diagnosis and treatment within supervised or collaborative practice; clinical nurse specialists (29-1141.04) focus on specialist nursing and care coordination; geneticists (19-1029.03) on basic and applied genetics research; and medical and health services managers (11-9111.00) on healthcare institution operations and management. Their focus and authorization levels differ. Permissions for diagnosis, treatment, procedures, laboratory testing, and statutory appraisal cannot be carried over between roles.
In 2025, the U.S. national median for 29-9092 was USD 48.09/hour and USD 100,040/year; the 10/25/75/90 percentiles were USD 78,270/88,900/116,140/138,760. Percentiles are not experience levels or starting salaries. Wages include commissions, production bonuses, and certain allowances, but exclude overtime premiums, nonproduction bonuses, stock bonuses, benefit costs, and self-employment. BLS2025—2035 projects employment from 4,200 to 4,600 jobs, growth of 10.4%, and 300 annual openings including growth and replacements; the self-employed share is 7.6%. Projections are not current vacancies.
This page has not obtained an exact occupational wage distribution for China, which does not mean none exists nationally. NBS provides industry and broad job category averages for enterprises above designated size; these cannot substitute for this occupation. The original MOHRSS URL did not yield readable content in this round. Check Chinese qualifications separately according to the actual activity; do not infer them from the wage data gap.
O*NET 29-9092.00 work context shows email: 100% daily; face-to-face or individual and team discussions: 95% daily; environmentally controlled indoor work: 95% daily; telephone communication: 90% daily; importance of being exact or highly accurate: 80% extremely important; written letters and memos: 71% daily; constant contact with others: 67%; dealing with external customers or the public: 57% extremely important; time spent sitting: 62% more than half the time; freedom to make decisions: 57% some freedom; consequences of error: 38% extremely serious; coordinating or leading others: 38% very important; time pressure: 38% weekly or more; competition: 43% moderate; dealing with unpleasant, angry, or discourteous people: 33% monthly or more; conflict situations: 43% monthly or more; and typical workweek: 62% report 40 hours. The work features intensive communication, indoor settings, very high accuracy requirements, serious consequences of error, and moderate competition.
Editorial suggestions include experimenting with literature searches, information structuring, and document drafts while recording errors and rework. This page has not established an exact occupational GenAI exposure score, adoption rate, or effect. O*NET software mentions do not establish clinical adoption, and 10.4% growth in BLS2025—2035 is not an independent GenAI effect. Tools cannot confer actual qualifications, permissions, or informed communication.
The typical U.S. qualification is a genetic counseling master's degree, generally 2 years after a bachelor's degree with supervised rotations. The standard ABGC educational pathway requires an ACGC-accredited genetic counseling master's degree plus an examination; other genetics or medical master's degrees do not automatically qualify. O*NET education data show 90% master's degrees, 5% post-master's certificates, and 5% professional degrees. JobZone5 and SVP8 are general preparation classifications, not a uniform ten-year threshold. The BLS classification of no on-the-job training does not remove rotations or licensing requirements.
Most U.S. states require licensure, usually requiring certification. Check state and employer requirements separately. ABGC certification is maintained every 5 years through continuing education or reexamination requirements. In China, physician practice requires qualification, registration, and work within scope under Articles 13/14 of the Physicians Law. Check institutional and personnel qualifications separately for genetic counseling within prenatal diagnostic technologies. The dual-signature rule for prenatal diagnosis reports does not cover all counseling. Do not apply physician requirements to all research support positions. O*NET's four certifications are directory entries only and do not confer licensure.
Common failures include incomplete family history, incorrect pedigree interpretation, or treating uncertain results or results of uncertain significance as confirming or excluding a diagnosis; clinical diagnosis, testing, or procedures beyond the scope of practice or institutional authorization, or failure to obtain informed consent; inadequate explanation of testing limitations and family implications, inappropriate delivery of bad news, or lack of psychological support and referral; false, missing, or retrospectively modified consultation reports, testing, informed consent, and follow-up records; leaks, unauthorized access, or unauthorized external provision of sensitive genetic, pedigree, and testing information; and key counseling work dependent on one person or unclear referral and follow-up handovers. Key controls are checks, review, and traceable records consistent with scope of practice, ethics, privacy, and informed consent. Escalate, consult, or refer immediately for uncertain significance or matters beyond scope, prioritizing patient and family safety and information protection.
Under U.S. coverage, employment in this occupation is projected to grow 10.4% during 2025—2035 (from about 4,200 to about 4,600 jobs, much faster than average), with about 300 annual openings over the period, including replacements. Advances in genetic testing and demand for genetic services affect staffing, but this occupation has a small base and limited absolute job numbers. Adjacent directions include clinical and counseling psychologists, clinical neuropsychologists, geneticists, physician assistants, clinical nurse specialists, psychiatric nurses, epidemiologists, and medical and health services managers, requiring further learning, qualifications, and experience. See this page's explanations of mainland China roles, practice entry, and statistical coverage.
Source card | Research process: First check the official scope of U.S. SOC 29-9092.00 (genetic counselors) and O*NET tasks, work activities, work context, interest code, work styles, certification directory, and training opportunities. Then obtain BLS OEWS 2025 national median and percentile wages, presented through O*NET, and BLS Employment Projections 2025—2035 employment, growth, and openings. Use O*NET industry distribution and hot technologies (6 software skills) as industry and digital tool prompts. References for entry, ethics, privacy, and human genetic resources include the Physicians Law of the People's Republic of China, the National Health Commission, National Health Commission human genetic resources management rules, and the Personal Information Protection Law of the People's Republic of China. For mainland China, show gaps according to statistical coverage and the evidence policy rather than using proxy figures.
Source card | This round, on 2026-10-02, checked O*NET tasks and work context, 2025 wages and recruitment-related software data, BLS2025—2035 Table 1.2, and OOH2025 industry medians. Chinese laws were checked against registered current documents and activity scope. Earlier access dates for methodological sources are retained; this does not claim they were all reread this round.
Source card | Source register: This page's register lists the O*NET 29-9092.00 occupational profile, details, employment trends, occupational interests, national wages, hot technologies, industry distribution, national training, and certification directory; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS 2025), Employment Projections (2025—2035), methodology, employment projections education and training crosswalk, and 2018 SOC Direct Match Title File; adjacent occupational entries such as clinical and counseling psychologists (19-3033.00) and geneticists; the O*NET Database; NBS average wages of employed persons in urban units and MOHRSS enterprise compensation survey information; the Physicians Law and Personal Information Protection Law of the People's Republic of China; National Health Commission prenatal diagnosis, medical ethics administration, and human genetic resources management materials; the National Database of Laws and Regulations; International Labour Organization research on generative AI and employment exposure; the NIST AI Risk Management Framework; and FermatMind coverage rules. Each fact's source_refs point to an id in this register.
Limitations on use：An occupational description that does not cover mainland China's practice entry requirements or laws.
Limitations on use：An occupational description, not a practice qualification or clinical guideline.
Limitations on use：Projections include replacement demand; they do not equal actual recruitment. This occupation has a small base.
Limitations on use：Wages include commissions, production bonuses, and certain allowances, but exclude overtime premiums, nonproduction bonuses, stock bonuses, employer benefit costs, and self-employment income.
Limitations on use：Averages by industry and broad job category in enterprises above designated size, not an exact occupational distribution.
Limitations on use：Insufficient evidence: The original MOHRSS URL did not yield readable content this round. It cannot support exact wages or establish that no such data exist nationally.
Limitations on use：The original law and competent authority interpretations govern; genetic and medical data have additional specialized provisions.
Limitations on use：Regulations and requirements published by the competent authority govern.
Limitations on use：Check approval and filing according to resource type, purpose, and specific activity. Do not treat the 2026 consultation draft as an effective rule.
Limitations on use：The original law and competent authority interpretations govern.
Limitations on use：The legal texts included in the database govern.
Limitations on use：Task exposure does not mean jobs automatically disappear or establish a specific adoption rate.
Limitations on use：The interest code describes an occupation and is not for individual prediction.
Limitations on use：Not a medical ethics, medical device, or genetic data protection standard.
Limitations on use：The original methodology documents govern.
Limitations on use：Advisory guidance, not clinical guidelines or binding regulatory rules.
Limitations on use：Internal coverage rules, not an external factual source.
Limitations on use：A certification directory is not equivalent to practice registration or institutional authorization.
Limitations on use：A description of typical entry preparation that does not replace qualification and training requirements set by competent authorities and institutions.
Limitations on use：Coverage of an adjacent occupation, not this occupation.
Limitations on use：Coverage of an adjacent occupation, not this occupation.
Limitations on use：Database and classification information do not establish eligibility to practice.
Limitations on use：For mapping titles to SOC codes, not a basis for licensure.
Limitations on use：Technology mentions do not establish the transfer of skills or clinical permissions.
Limitations on use：The industry distribution uses U.S. coverage and does not establish a mainland China mapping.
Limitations on use：Check against the original text and the actual applicable activity.
Limitations on use：Check against the original text and the actual applicable activity.
Limitations on use：Editorial ratings use the existing occupational responsibilities and AI task analysis on this page. They are not adoption rates, measured effects, job-disappearance or personal-unemployment probabilities, or official scores from Stanford or another external institution. No measured time weights or future robot deployment are assumed.
Insufficient evidence: This page has not obtained an exact occupational wage distribution for China or U.S. regional and within-industry wage percentiles. NBS industry and broad job categories are not exact occupations. Verified OOH industry medians for this occupation are shown separately. Assess legal qualifications and wage gaps separately; do not substitute overseas figures, industry averages, or advertised pay.
Big Five Personality · MBTI · Intelligence and Reasoning Test · Emotional Intelligence Test
| Core processes of adjacent roles | Clinical and counseling psychologists focus on psychological assessment, diagnosis, therapy, and counseling; clinical neuropsychologists on neuropsychological testing, cognitive assessment, and reports; physician assistants on histories, some clinical care, and follow-up under collaboration or supervision; clinical nurse specialists on specialty nursing assessment, implementation, care coordination, and education; geneticists on experimental design, analysis, papers, and projects; and healthcare managers on schedules, budgets, quality, compliance, and personnel. |
| Main outputs | Main outputs of this occupation | Verifiable genetic-counseling consultation reports covering family-history summaries, risk assessments, testing discussions, recommendations, referrals, and follow-up; pretest and post-test records; interpretation and disclosure records; psychosocial assessments and referral recommendations; consent, privacy, and data-use records; and required research and teaching materials. | Main outputs of adjacent roles | Clinical and counseling psychologists produce psychological-assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and counseling records; clinical neuropsychologists produce testing and assessment reports; physician assistants produce care and follow-up records under collaboration or supervision; clinical nurse specialists produce specialty nursing assessment, implementation, and coordination records; geneticists produce designs, data, papers, and project reports; healthcare managers produce operations, quality, budget, and compliance records. |
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| Responsible party | Responsibility in this occupation | Be accountable for your family histories, risk assessments, testing discussions, result disclosures, reports, communication, and procedural ethical counseling records. Appropriately qualified personnel, organizations, ethics committees, or authorities decide under rules on clinical diagnosis, treatment, medications, surgery, prenatal procedures, laboratory testing, human-genetic-resource collection, preservation and external provision, research, teaching, data sharing, and major ethics, privacy, and safety incidents. This occupation does not replace their decisions. | Responsibility in adjacent roles | Usually defined by the organization, professional qualifications, privileges, ethics, and laws, concerning patients, families, organizations, medical ethics, and public health. |
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| Permissions and approvals | Authority and approval in this occupation | Histories, risk assessment, testing discussions, result disclosure, reports, and follow-up must remain within qualifications, organizational privileges, specialized credentials, and ethics. Clinical diagnosis, treatment, prenatal procedures, laboratory testing, genetic-resource collection, preservation and external provision, research, teaching, data sharing, and test requests, fees or reimbursement beyond authority require qualified-person, organizational, or ethics-committee approval or referral under rules. Do not practice or conclude beyond scope or authority. | Authority and approval in adjacent roles | Authority comes from qualifications, organizational privileges, professional ethics, and laws, generally excluding independent judgment beyond scope or powers. Refer diagnosis, treatment, procedures, experiments, genetic resources, and research to appropriately qualified personnel or organizations. |
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| Limits of conclusions | Limits on conclusions in this occupation | State verifiable histories, test facts, and risk assessments, distinguishing confirmed, uncertain, and further-verification needs, especially uncertain results. Do not make unauthorized judgments or commitments on clinical diagnosis, treatment plans, prenatal procedures, laboratory conclusions, or statutory assessments beyond scope. Pause and escalate or refer uncertain results, suspected laboratory errors, family-information leaks, and ethical disputes. Descriptions must withstand superior, quality, ethics, and regulatory review. | Limits on conclusions in adjacent roles | Conclusions usually remain within the profession, organization, and individual's scope and generally do not establish final clinical diagnosis, disability, work-capacity, or forensic findings. Cross-professional, assessment, and judicial uses have scope limits. |
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Checking guidance | Lawful appropriate qualifications and practice within privileges and ethics are required. Emotionally intense communication and sensitive genetic information commonly require pre-employment and periodic training, psychological support, and privacy and ethics training and assessment.
Checking guidance | U.S. O*NET places this occupation in Job Zone Five, extensive preparation, SVP 8.0 and above, generally requiring graduate education. Education responses are 90% master's degree, 5% post-master's certificate, and 5% professional degree. BLS lists typical master's entry education, no related experience, and no on-the-job training. This does not replace employer and competent-authority qualification and training requirements.
Hours-checking suggestion | O*NET respondents report 62% at 40 hours weekly and 38% above 40 hours. This is a respondent distribution. Ask target roles about clinic and research arrangements, wage components, and overtime, without presenting possible performance or project pay as national facts.
Checking guidance | Interfaces with clinicians, laboratories, imaging, psychology, social work, ethics, quality control, and medical insurance define counseling, testing, reporting, and referral responsibilities and must be clarified beforehand.
Checking guidance | Traceable medical records, reports, testing, consent, and data-use records define counseling, ethics, privacy, and responsibility. Clarify templates, deadlines, amendments, archiving, access, and retention beforehand. Genetic and pedigree information also follow sensitive-personal-information and human-genetic-resource requirements.
For identifiable health and pedigree information, check the lawful basis, sensitive information rules, necessary scope, and recipient permissions. Anonymous information is a separate matter. Check research ethics and genetic resources approvals according to the specific activity; do not claim that every teaching or counseling activity requires administrative permission.
Work context highlights email: 100% daily; face-to-face or individual and team discussions: 95% daily; environmentally controlled indoor work: 95% daily; telephone: 90% daily; importance of being exact or highly accurate: 80% extremely important; constant contact with others: 67%; written letters and memos: 71% daily; consequences of error: 38% extremely serious; and typical workweek: 62% report 40 hours.
Interest and work style data are only for self-questioning and do not establish hiring or performance conclusions.
Risk assessment, communication of results, and consultation reports depend on human abilities such as evidence interpretation, communication, and writing. Digital tools support searching, recording, organization, and statistics.
Scope of practice and permissions for testing, communication of findings, and data sharing depend on practice credentials, institutional authorization, and ethics approvals. Tools do not confer authority.
Calculate the model probabilities of carrying A and expressing the trait, compare them with the draft's 3%, and explain ratios/percentage points. Check the difference between follow-up dates and the time remaining from 09:12 to the public-group request deadline.
Record at least the two risks of treating a VUS as a confirmed diagnosis and unauthorized public disclosure. Pause unverified conclusions and public transmission while retaining lawful information checks and explanations of limitations. Record pending confirmation from laboratory/authorized clinical personnel and the coordinator's acknowledgment.
The draft's 3% is 0.03; the correct model's 30% is 0.30. The difference is 27 percentage points, and the draft is 1/10 of the correct model value. There is no evidence connecting the VUS in B01 to M2. Do not reclassify it as confirming or excluding a diagnosis, or treat the model explanation as clinical advice.
The two dates in F01 differ by 10 days; list this conflict as pending confirmation by Q. From the 09:10 handover to 09:12, 2 minutes have passed without acknowledgment; from 09:12 to 09:30, 18 minutes remain. Do not claim follow-up is confirmed or transmission is complete.
Keep public disclosure under R1 paused. Explain that C01 does not authorize that purpose, and refer the matter to the information permissions owner to check the lawful basis and recipient scope. Refer interpretation of B01 to authorized clinical/laboratory roles and F01 to Q. Record each material ID, unknowns, draft content, and pending actions in the three tables. If no reply has arrived, keep the status as not acknowledged.
Check that IDs in the three tables and draft agree, and that model assumptions, VUS limitations, date conflicts, and privacy handling all have a basis. If no other errors are found, say so; do not invent two errors. Peer or expert challenges are optional, not a completion requirement.
The work sample shows only information organization and arithmetic checking in this exercise. It does not demonstrate qualifications, independent consultation ability, or long-term fit.
| Written examination or scenario test |
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| Pedigree interpretation, risk communication, communication of results, psychological support, and report writing |
| Case analysis answers, consultation reports, and proposed communication points |
| A scenario test does not establish independent consultation or communication-of-results ability |
| Onboarding and probation | Compliance with scope of practice, ethics, privacy, informed consent, documentation, and escalation procedures | Consultation reports, informed consent, follow-up, adverse event, and escalation form records | Applicability and authorization depend on practice credentials, institutional authorization, and assessments |
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Retain versions, times, and answers. Unverified matters remain unknown.
Next, check accredited programs, licensing, and real job requirements in your jurisdiction. A short task is not evidence of competence.
| U.S. clinical positions |
| Lawful practice and employer eligibility requirements |
| Most states require licensure; check the relevant state |
| The standard ABGC pathway is an ACGC genetic counseling master's degree plus an examination; check state licensure separately |
| According to state and examination schedules |
| Certification is not equivalent to state licensure |
| Physician registration or specialized technology qualifications (China) | People performing the corresponding clinical activities | Lawful performance of the corresponding activities | Depends on actual activities; does not cover every research support position | Applicable rules including the Physicians Law and prenatal diagnostic technology requirements | According to the competent authority's rules | Institutional authorization does not replace statutory qualifications |
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| Rotations and case supervision | Professional training stage | Develop assessable counseling skills | According to the program and position | Supervised practice and assessments in accredited programs | Arranged within the program | Short exercises cannot substitute |
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| Privacy, ethics, and human genetic resources training | People working with the relevant information and activities | Identify lawful bases and activity boundaries | According to the specific rules and position | Institutional training and activity-specific checks of review, approval, and filing requirements | Check the specific project | No promise of a uniform number of days or administrative approval for every activity |
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| Continuing education and recertification | Maintaining licensure and certification | Maintain valid status | According to the state and awarding body | Maintain ABGC certification every 5 years through continuing education or reexamination requirements | Ongoing; ABGC cycle of 5 years | Does not automatically expand authorization |
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Jurisdiction check | In China, verify qualifications according to the actual activity: physician activities require registration under Articles 13/14 of the Physicians Law and work within the registered scope. Prenatal diagnostic genetic counseling requires separate checks of institutional and personnel qualifications; prenatal diagnosis reports require signatures from two qualified physicians. Do not apply physician entry requirements to all research support positions. Under the 2024 human genetic resources regulations, health authorities administer these resources; Article 3 provides that collection and preservation of human material for clinical diagnosis and treatment follow relevant laws. Approval and filing depend on resource use and the specific activity. In the United States, the typical qualification is a genetic counseling master's degree, usually 2 years after a bachelor's degree with supervised rotations. Most states require licensure; certification and state licensure are separate. The standard ABGC pathway is an ACGC-accredited genetic counseling master's degree plus an examination; other genetics or medical master's degrees do not automatically qualify.
Qualification boundaries (three) | Check education, qualifications, registration, certification, employment, authorization, and signing responsibility separately. Preparation items listed on this page provide directions for searching and checking, not an institution's formal qualification checklist. If they conflict with announcements from the competent authority or institution, those announcements take precedence.
Qualification boundaries (four) | This page provides no conclusions about individual abilities or health, feasibility of practice, or pay promises, and does not constitute medical, genetic, or ethical advice.
Typical responsibilities：Coordinate complex cancer pedigrees, multidisciplinary consultations, teaching, quality and ethics implementation, and patient and family education.
Advancement evidence：Records of complex cancer pedigree handling, teaching, and quality.
Qualification boundaries：Relevant role authorization; teaching and assessment records.
Next step：Learn clinical guideline updates, risk interventions, and counseling quality improvement methods.
Typical responsibilities：Coordinate cancer genetic service workflows, quality, ethics, data, and external collaboration, handle complex and disputed matters, and guide newcomers.
Advancement evidence：Coordination conclusions; policy, quality, ethics, and training documents.
Qualification boundaries：Relevant management appointment or institutional authorization.
Next step：Improve mechanisms for workflows, quality, ethics, data, and training.
Typical responsibilities：Coordinate complex and rare disease cases, multidisciplinary consultations, teaching, quality and ethics implementation, and family education.
Advancement evidence：Records of complex rare disease case handling, teaching, and quality.
Qualification boundaries：Relevant role authorization; teaching and assessment records.
Next step：Learn about rare disease collaborative networks, ethics, research participation, and counseling quality improvement methods.
Typical responsibilities：Coordinate pediatric and rare disease genetic service workflows, quality, ethics, data, and external collaboration, handle complex and disputed matters, and guide newcomers.
Advancement evidence：Coordination conclusions; policy, quality, ethics, and training documents.
Qualification boundaries：Relevant management appointment or institutional authorization.
Next step：Improve mechanisms for workflows, quality, ethics, data, and training.
