Find jobsGet started

How to hire genetic counselors

A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.

$48.09U.S. median hourly pay
$88,900–$116,140Middle half, yearly
3,740People in this job in the U.S.

Job description template

Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.

[Job title] at [Company name]
[City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range]

About the role
[Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.]

What you will do
• Analyze genetic information to identify patients or families at risk for specific disorders or syndromes.
• Discuss testing options and the associated risks, benefits and limitations with patients and families to assist them in making informed decisions.
• Interpret laboratory results and communicate findings to patients or physicians.
• Interview patients or review medical records to obtain comprehensive patient or family medical histories, and document findings.
• Provide counseling to patient and family members by providing information, education, or reassurance.
• Provide genetic counseling in specified areas of clinical genetics, such as obstetrics, pediatrics, oncology and neurology.
• Provide patients with information about the inheritance of conditions such as cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, and various forms of cancer.
• Write detailed consultation reports to provide information on complex genetic concepts to patients or referring physicians.

What you bring
• [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any]
• [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: Master's degree]
• Strong active listening, reading comprehension, active learning, critical thinking, speaking and writing skills
• Working knowledge of biology, therapy and counseling, English Language and medicine and dentistry
• [Anything else you would really turn someone away for]

Pay and benefits
[Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $48.09 an hour ($100,040 a year).
[Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.]

How to apply
[Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]

Check your finished job post

Interview questions for genetic counselors

Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.

  1. Tell me about a time you had to analyze genetic information to identify patients or families at risk for specific disorders or syndromes. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
  2. Tell me about a time you had to discuss testing options and the associated risks, benefits and limitations with patients and families to assist them in making informed decisions. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
  3. Tell me about a time you had to interpret laboratory results and communicate findings to patients or physicians. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
  4. Tell me about a time you had to interview patients or review medical records to obtain comprehensive patient or family medical histories, and document findings. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
  5. Tell me about a time you had to understand a request or problem that was explained poorly. How did you make sure you got it right?
  6. Tell me about written instructions, a policy or a manual you had to follow closely. How did you make sure you followed it correctly?
  7. Tell me about something new you had to learn quickly for work. How did you learn it?
  8. Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?

Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.

What genetic counselors do

  • Analyze genetic information to identify patients or families at risk for specific disorders or syndromes.
  • Discuss testing options and the associated risks, benefits and limitations with patients and families to assist them in making informed decisions.
  • Interpret laboratory results and communicate findings to patients or physicians.
  • Interview patients or review medical records to obtain comprehensive patient or family medical histories, and document findings.
  • Provide counseling to patient and family members by providing information, education, or reassurance.
  • Provide genetic counseling in specified areas of clinical genetics, such as obstetrics, pediatrics, oncology and neurology.
  • Provide patients with information about the inheritance of conditions such as cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, and various forms of cancer.
  • Write detailed consultation reports to provide information on complex genetic concepts to patients or referring physicians.

Skills that matter most

Active ListeningReading ComprehensionActive LearningCritical ThinkingSpeakingWritingBiologyTherapy and CounselingEnglish LanguageMedicine and Dentistry

Education, experience and outlook for genetic counselors

  • Typical education to start: Master's degree (BLS)
  • Related work experience most have: None (O*NET)
  • Job outlook: +10.4% over ten years, much faster than average · about 300 openings a year (BLS)

Related hiring guides

Post this job on JAI Bot. Free to start: JAI Bot reads every applicant against your must-haves, shows the resume evidence behind each one, and helps you reply to everyone. People make every decision.

Post a job freePay by area

Job duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.