United States
$85k–$120kUS mid–senior hospital and laboratory roles, BLS and employer data, 2024.
Work–life
66
Mostly outpatient schedules; emotionally demanding cases can extend follow-up.
Genetic counselors are a small but growing clinical workforce, concentrated in cancer, prenatal, pediatric and laboratory settings.
Pay and title recognition differ widely across health systems, while demand rises with broader genomic testing.
The pay ladder
Graduate trainee (US)TraineeNew counselor (US)EntryGenetic counselor (US)MedianSenior specialty counselorSeniorDirector / industry leadPeak
Graduate trainee (US)
Typical stipend or entry support during clinical training; varies by program.
New counselor (US)
Common early-career hospital or laboratory range in the mid-2020s.
Genetic counselor (US)
Near the 2023 US BLS median annual wage.
Senior specialty counselor
Specialty, supervisory and high-cost-market roles commonly pay more.
Director / industry lead
Management, laboratory leadership and industry positions vary substantially.
Pay and life by country
Typical mid-to-senior packages, hours and leave — not entry stipends. Figures are rounded bands with a year and market in the notes.
South Korea
₩45M–₩75MKorea clinical-genetics and hospital support roles, 2024 estimates.
Work–life
52
Small workforce and specialist-center concentration can increase workload.
Japan
¥4M–¥7MJapan hospital and research-linked genetics roles, 2024 estimates.
Work–life
55
Hospital hierarchy and limited dedicated posts shape schedules.
Germany
€45k–€70kGermany clinical genetics and public-hospital roles, 2024.
Work–life
70
Strong leave protections, though access to specialist services is uneven.
United Kingdom
£35k–£60kUK NHS genetic-counselor bands and senior posts, 2024.
Work–life
72
Structured public-service leave; referral pressure can be high.
Singapore
S$55k–S$90kSingapore specialist hospital roles, 2024 estimates.
Work–life
62
High-acuity regional referrals and cross-border families add complexity.
What it pays around the world
United States~$95k
CanadaCA$75k–105k
United Kingdom£35k–£60k
AustraliaA$85k–125k
Germany€45k–€70k
SingaporeS$55k–90k
United States
2023 BLS median; employers include hospitals and testing laboratories.
Canada
Provincial health systems and academic centers are major employers.
United Kingdom
NHS roles commonly follow Agenda for Change bands.
Australia
Public genomic services and hospitals employ most counselors.
Germany
Title and training pathways vary within clinical genetics services.
Singapore
A regional biomedical hub with specialist hospital roles.
Key numbers
US projected job growth, 2023–33
US 2023 median pay
Typical master's program
Human genome project completion
Who employs them
Mayo Clinic
Large US health system employing counselors across specialty genetics clinics.
Invitae
Genetic-testing company whose clinical-support model has employed counseling professionals.
National Health Service
The UK's public system hosts regional clinical-genetics services.
SickKids
Toronto pediatric hospital with extensive genetics and rare-disease care.
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
Australian cancer center with hereditary-cancer services.
National University Hospital Singapore
Academic hospital serving a regional genomics hub.
Where the demand is going
Cancer predisposition testing, reproductive screening and rare-disease sequencing are expanding the number of referrals, while many regions still have too few trained counselors.
The market will favor professionals who can combine counseling practice with genomic literacy, telehealth and careful interpretation of uncertain evidence.
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