Genetic Counselor Among Careers with Bright Futures

by Dr. Hsien-Hsien Lei
Posted December 28, 2007 in Jobs Involving DNA

US News & World Report has come out with their list of Best Careers for 2008. Genetic counseling was one of the 31 best careers profiled based on job satisfaction, training difficulty, prestige, job market outlook, and pay. The average median salary for genetic counselors is pegged at $71,100.

Some 90 percent of genetic counselors are satisfied with their job. And it’s not surprising. Compared with other healthcare professions, your task is easier. You’re not expected to cure difficult diseases but merely to help a person explore options and provide support. So most of your clients are pleased with what you’ve done. Also, you’re not forced into 12-minute patient appointments. A session with a patient or family member often lasts an hour. Plus, the job market is growing.

A friend and I also had a laugh over the inclusion of "professor" as one of the best careers of 2008. My friend is an associate professor at one of the leading research universities in the United States and neither of us could stop chortling at the cheerful and easy going "executive summary."

If you can land a tenure-track position at a four-year institution, you’ll enjoy many advantages. You’ll get the pleasure of teaching—but only six to 15 hours a week, so you’re unlikely to burn out. Outside of class, you’re required to meet with students, but that too is just a few hours a week. Most of the time, you’ll do research or write on a scholarly topic that interests you. And in some specialties, you can pick up extra money by consulting. You also get to work in a delightful work environment: a college campus. Plus, after seven years, you get tenure—lifetime job security.

Pleasure of teaching? Unlikely to burn out? Just a few hours? Scholarly topic that interests you? Extra money by consulting? Delightful work environment? Tenure = lifetime job security after just seven years? ROFLMAO Who the heck did they survey?

If your profession is one of those listed as a best career of 2008, let us know if you think US News & World Report got it right!

(8 comments)

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8 Comments

Comment by NA

2007-12-28 23:51:57

The average salary for a genetic counselor is not 71,000 dollars. The average salary is 67,000 dollars. Take a look at the NSGC website and look at the last survey.

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Comment by NA

2007-12-28 23:59:30

The average salary for a genetic counselor is closer to 60,000 dollars a year. Where the heck did they get the 71,000 dollars number from?

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Comment by Hsien-Hsien Lei, PhD

2007-12-29 00:25:43

NA, Could be the difference between mean and median.

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Comment by NA

2007-12-29 03:54:22

I do agree with all of the future jobs list.

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Comment by Kristina

2007-12-30 05:10:33

This 1990 ad for a job at SEMO is a little more realistic! Read it here.

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Comment by Hsien-Hsien Lei, PhD

2007-12-31 15:23:44

Kristina, Someone needs to do a re-write of all job postings in a similar vein as the SEMO one!

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Comment by Tommy O

2008-01-09 02:10:25

the 71,000 figure was based off of avg salary with 10+ years experience.

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Comment by SchoolKid

2009-02-02 02:43:45

Is this all true? I’m doing a project for school about this job.

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