How much do genetic counselors make?
What genetic counselors earn across the U.S., in every state and in the top-paying metro areas (May 2025 BLS data).
Pay in your state
Median pay in the U.S.
$100,040
a year, or $48.09 an hour, for genetic counselors nationally. The average (mean) is $104,620 ($50.30 an hour).
The middle half earn $88,900 to $116,140. Median means half earn more and half earn less.
Pay range, U.S.
- Bottom 10% earn under
- $78,270
- 25th percentile
- $88,900
- Median
- $100,040
- 75th percentile
- $116,140
- Top 10% earn over
- $138,760
Jobs nationally
3,740
Genetic Counselors employed across the U.S.. Most work in California, Tennessee, New Jersey.
Highest-paying state
California
$137,650 a year. Lowest: Georgia at $82,750.
Genetic Counselor pay by state
Darker states pay more. Select a state for its cities and how it compares.
Genetic Counselors pay by state (median a year, May 2025)
Genetic Counselor salary in every state
Pay a year is the median, or the average where BLS publishes no median (marked "(avg)"). Click a column to sort.
| State | Pay a year | Hourly | Jobs | Per 1,000 jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | $49.39 | 50 | 0.02 | |
| California | $66.18 | 440 | 0.02 | |
| Colorado | $51.01 | 40 | 0.01 | |
| Connecticut | $48.87 | 50 | 0.03 | |
| Delaware | $50.97 | 40 | 0.08 | |
| Florida | $49.20 | 100 | 0.01 | |
| Georgia | $39.78 | – | – | |
| Illinois | $46.10 | 90 | 0.01 | |
| Indiana | $43.10 | 40 | 0.01 | |
| Kentucky | $47.97 | 50 | 0.03 | |
| Maryland | $45.22 | 50 | 0.02 | |
| Massachusetts | $46.75 | 200 | 0.05 | |
| Michigan | $40.85 | 80 | 0.02 | |
| Minnesota | $49.04 | 160 | 0.05 | |
| Missouri | $40.38 | 40 | 0.01 | |
| New Jersey | $56.61 | 240 | 0.06 | |
| New York | $51.66 | 240 | 0.03 | |
| North Carolina | $44.98 | 80 | 0.02 | |
| Ohio | $48.40 | 120 | 0.02 | |
| Pennsylvania | $45.64 | 230 | 0.04 | |
| South Carolina | $45.00 | 40 | 0.02 | |
| Tennessee | $45.37 | 340 | 0.11 | |
| Texas | $47.81 | – | – | |
| Utah | $47.32 | 50 | 0.03 | |
| Virginia | $48.06 | 100 | 0.03 | |
| Washington | $49.48 | 100 | 0.03 | |
| Wisconsin | $44.31 | 110 | 0.04 |
Top-paying metro areas for genetic counselors
Metro areas with at least 50 genetic counselors, by pay a year. Rural (nonmetropolitan) areas are not included.
| Metro area | Pay a year | Hourly | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $85.57 | 120 | |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $79.77 | 80 | |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $57.96 | 130 | |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $52.46 | 390 | |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $50.97 | 130 | |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $49.48 | 80 | |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $49.04 | 80 | |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $48.26 | 80 | |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $47.61 | 100 | |
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $47.32 | 50 | |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $46.75 | 180 | |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $46.67 | 50 | |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $46.10 | 80 |
Metro areas with the most genetic counselors
| Metro area | Jobs | Pay a year |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $109,130 | |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $97,240 | |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $120,560 | |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $106,010 | |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $177,990 | |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $99,030 | |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $95,880 | |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $102,010 | |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $165,920 | |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $102,920 | |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $100,380 | |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $97,060 | |
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $98,430 |
Related jobs
Other jobs in other practitioners, with national pay a year.
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$170,950
median a year · 124,390 jobs
Dietitians and Nutritionists
$76,400
median a year · 77,570 jobs
Optometrists
$136,570
median a year · 42,790 jobs
Chiropractors
$79,200
median a year · 39,630 jobs
Health Information Technologists and Medical Registrars
$68,020
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Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Workers, All Other
$65,790
median a year · 35,010 jobs
Athletic Trainers
$62,520
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Surgical Assistants
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Questions about genetic counselor pay
How much does a genetic counselor make?
The median pay for genetic counselors in the U.S. was $100,040 a year ($48.09 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $88,900 and $116,140.
Which states pay genetic counselors the most?
The highest pay was in California ($137,650), New Jersey ($117,750), New York ($107,450), Colorado ($106,100), Delaware ($106,010). The lowest was in Georgia ($82,750), Missouri ($83,980), Michigan ($84,970).
How much do the highest-paid genetic counselors make?
The best-paid 10% of genetic counselors earned more than $138,760 a year, while the lowest-paid 10% earned less than $78,270. Pay usually rises with experience, specialty, shift and location.
Which city pays genetic counselors the most?
Among metro areas with at least 50 genetic counselors, San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA pays the most, with median pay of $177,990 a year (May 2025).
How many genetic counselors are there in the U.S.?
About 3,740 people were employed as genetic counselors in May 2025.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, all industries. Median pay is the middle wage; where BLS publishes no median, the average (mean) is shown, marked "(avg)". BLS doesn't publish exact figures above its reporting limit; those are shown with a "+". Metro areas with fewer than 50 jobs in this occupation are left out. Pay doesn't reflect cost of living, overtime or shift differentials.