Geneticists
Research and study the inheritance of traits at the molecular, organism or population level. May evaluate or treat patients with genetic disorders.
- O*NET-SOC code
19-1029.03 - Preparation Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
Wages
BLS doesn't publish wages for Geneticists separately. These are the figures for Biological Scientists, All Other (19-1029), its parent occupation.
Median annual wage, U.S.$98,920
Employment, U.S.55,850
Median hourly wage$47.56
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $60,430 | $76,800 | $98,920 | $127,670 | $168,010 |
By state (50)
| State | Employment | Median annual | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 340 | $87,260 | 0.44 |
| Alaska | 370 | $106,870 | 3.14 |
| Arizona | 760 | $90,290 | 0.65 |
| Arkansas | 360 | $76,400 | 0.78 |
| California | 11,880 | $113,530 | 1.82 |
| Colorado | 850 | $93,970 | 0.82 |
| Connecticut | 170 | $111,940 | 0.28 |
| Delaware | $113,400 | ||
| District of Columbia | 850 | $84,590 | 3.39 |
| Florida | 1,920 | $83,780 | 0.54 |
| Georgia | 1,230 | $96,820 | 0.70 |
| Hawaii | 370 | $95,600 | 1.63 |
| Idaho | 430 | $83,320 | 1.41 |
| Illinois | 1,300 | $82,640 | 0.59 |
| Indiana | 640 | $84,570 | 0.56 |
| Iowa | 550 | $82,720 | 0.98 |
| Kansas | 760 | $76,400 | 1.47 |
| Kentucky | 260 | $79,400 | 0.36 |
| Louisiana | 580 | $69,590 | 0.83 |
| Maine | 340 | $104,570 | 1.49 |
| Maryland | 4,970 | $121,680 | 5.01 |
| Massachusetts | 2,930 | $107,100 | 2.24 |
| Michigan | 860 | $81,540 | 0.54 |
| Minnesota | 750 | $76,400 | 0.71 |
| Mississippi | 320 | $91,170 | 0.76 |
| Missouri | 1,120 | $63,290 | 1.07 |
| Montana | 550 | $91,560 | 3.02 |
| Nebraska | 240 | $82,770 | 0.65 |
| Nevada | 410 | $74,210 | 0.74 |
| New Hampshire | 310 | $83,740 | 1.28 |
| New Jersey | 540 | $104,750 | 0.35 |
| New Mexico | 420 | $84,120 | 1.34 |
| New York | 2,520 | $104,120 | 0.72 |
| North Carolina | 2,780 | $100,070 | 1.56 |
| Ohio | 610 | $95,560 | 0.31 |
| Oklahoma | 300 | $79,950 | 0.49 |
| Oregon | 700 | $86,260 | 0.99 |
| Pennsylvania | 1,810 | $100,780 | 0.83 |
| Rhode Island | 100 | $101,750 | 0.56 |
| South Carolina | 240 | $91,560 | 0.29 |
| South Dakota | 170 | $73,920 | 1.03 |
| Tennessee | 420 | $80,500 | 0.35 |
| Texas | 2,480 | $80,870 | 0.49 |
| Utah | 590 | $93,250 | 0.95 |
| Vermont | 90 | $77,960 | 0.84 |
| Virginia | 1,650 | $96,030 | 1.11 |
| Washington | 2,620 | $108,110 | 2.05 |
| West Virginia | 230 | $84,590 | 0.91 |
| Wisconsin | 740 | $78,480 | 0.70 |
| Wyoming | 170 | $91,560 | 1.70 |
Similar occupations
Similarity is our measure: the cosine of importance x level over all 120 O*NET skills, knowledge areas and abilities. It is not an O*NET finding. More.
Circles are the 20 most similar occupations, coloured by Job Zone. Lines join pairs where one is among the other's 10 most similar; darker lines are pairs O*NET also lists as related. Drag a circle to move it out of the way; select one to open it.
| # | Occupation | Job Zone | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Molecular and Cellular Biologists | 5 | 0.989 |
| 2 | Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists | 5 | 0.983 |
| 3 | Biochemists and Biophysicists | 5 | 0.971 |
| 4 | Biologists | 5 | 0.971 |
| 5 | Microbiologists | 4 | 0.969 |
| 6 | Biological Science Teachers, Postsecondary | 5 | 0.966 |
| 7 | Bioinformatics Scientists | 5 | 0.963 |
| 8 | Epidemiologists | 5 | 0.963 |
| 9 | Animal Scientists | 5 | 0.955 |
| 10 | Biological Technicians | 4 | 0.954 |
One skill away
Among the 50 occupations most similar to Geneticists, those at the same Job Zone or lower, where exactly one skill rated at least 3 in importance needs a level more than 0.75 points higher (on O*NET's 0-7 level scale). Our definition. Change the thresholds.
| Occupation | Skill to build | Level gap | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biologists | Programming | 2.63 | 0.971 |
| Animal Scientists | Systems Evaluation | 0.76 | 0.955 |
| Forestry and Conservation Science Teachers, Postsecondary | Instructing | 1.13 | 0.939 |
| Bioinformatics Technicians | Programming | 1.88 | 0.937 |
| Pharmacists | Service Orientation | 1.12 | 0.937 |
| Allergists and Immunologists | Service Orientation | 0.87 | 0.933 |
| Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary | Speaking | 0.76 | 0.929 |
| Range Managers | Operations Analysis | 2.00 | 0.928 |
| Industrial Ecologists | Systems Evaluation | 0.76 | 0.927 |
| Environmental Compliance Inspectors | Quality Control Analysis | 0.76 | 0.925 |
Software to learn next
Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Geneticists, excluding software Geneticists already lists and any you named. Ranked by how many of them use it, weighted by how much more common it is among them than across all occupations (lift). Our ranking.
| Software | Similar jobs using it | Lift |
|---|---|---|
| Statistical software | 9 of 20 | 10.4x |
| Laboratory information management system LIMS | 6 of 20 | 15.4x |
| IBM SPSS Statistics | 10 of 20 | 5.0x |
| ESRI ArcGIS software | 10 of 20 | 5.0x |
| The MathWorks MATLAB | 9 of 20 | 3.7x |
| Primer3 | 3 of 20 | 46.2x |
| Geographic information system GIS software | 7 of 20 | 4.6x |
| Database management software | 3 of 20 | 17.3x |
| Software development tools | 4 of 20 | 6.8x |
| Graphics software | 5 of 20 | 4.4x |
Skills
From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.
| Skill | Type | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | Essential skill | 4.25 | 5.00 |
| Science | Essential skill | 4.12 | 4.38 |
| Writing | Essential skill | 4.00 | 4.88 |
| Critical Thinking | Essential skill | 4.00 | 4.38 |
| Active Learning | Essential skill | 4.00 | 4.12 |
| Speaking | Essential skill | 4.00 | 4.12 |
| Active Listening | Essential skill | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| Complex Problem Solving | Transferable skill | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | Transferable skill | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| Mathematics | Essential skill | 3.88 | 4.00 |
| Learning Strategies | Essential skill | 3.88 | 3.88 |
| Monitoring | Essential skill | 3.75 | 3.88 |
| Instructing | Transferable skill | 3.75 | 3.75 |
| Systems Analysis | Transferable skill | 3.62 | 3.62 |
| Social Perceptiveness | Transferable skill | 3.50 | 3.75 |
| Coordination | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.25 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Persuasion | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Time Management | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.50 |
| Systems Evaluation | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Negotiation | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Service Orientation | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Operations Monitoring | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 2.75 |
| Quality Control Analysis | Transferable skill | 2.62 | 2.62 |
| Management of Financial Resources | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 2.12 |
| Management of Material Resources | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 2.12 |
| Operations Analysis | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 1.50 |
| Troubleshooting | Transferable skill | 2.00 | 1.12 |
| Programming | Transferable skill | 1.88 | 1.12 |
| Technology Design | Transferable skill | 1.88 | 1.12 |
| Operation and Control | Transferable skill | 1.75 | 0.88 |
| Equipment Selection | Transferable skill | 1.12 | not rated |
| Equipment Maintenance | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
| Installation | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
| Repairing | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Biology | 4.84 | 6.80 |
| English Language | 4.28 | 5.08 |
| Education and Training | 3.72 | 5.28 |
| Mathematics | 3.71 | 4.64 |
| Chemistry | 3.46 | 4.56 |
| Computers and Electronics | 3.04 | 4.24 |
| Medicine and Dentistry | 2.88 | 2.84 |
| Administration and Management | 2.64 | 3.80 |
| Personnel and Human Resources | 2.48 | 3.28 |
| Communications and Media | 2.44 | 2.68 |
| Engineering and Technology | 2.20 | 2.64 |
| Administrative | 2.12 | 2.44 |
| Physics | 2.04 | 2.44 |
| Psychology | 1.96 | 1.92 |
| Sociology and Anthropology | 1.88 | 2.28 |
| Law and Government | 1.84 | 1.64 |
| Public Safety and Security | 1.80 | 1.44 |
| Therapy and Counseling | 1.67 | 1.48 |
| Philosophy and Theology | 1.60 | 1.48 |
| Economics and Accounting | 1.57 | 1.05 |
| Geography | 1.52 | 1.72 |
| Mechanical | 1.52 | 1.44 |
| History and Archeology | 1.52 | 1.20 |
| Customer and Personal Service | 1.52 | 1.12 |
| Telecommunications | 1.52 | 0.44 |
| Production and Processing | 1.48 | not rated |
| Design | 1.44 | 1.28 |
| Foreign Language | 1.44 | 1.16 |
| Sales and Marketing | 1.24 | not rated |
| Transportation | 1.20 | not rated |
| Building and Construction | 1.04 | not rated |
| Fine Arts | 1.04 | not rated |
| Food Production | 1.00 | not rated |
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Written Comprehension | 4.75 | 5.12 |
| Written Expression | 4.38 | 5.00 |
| Oral Comprehension | 4.25 | 5.00 |
| Oral Expression | 4.25 | 5.00 |
| Inductive Reasoning | 4.25 | 4.88 |
| Deductive Reasoning | 4.00 | 4.75 |
| Problem Sensitivity | 4.00 | 4.75 |
| Category Flexibility | 4.00 | 4.12 |
| Fluency of Ideas | 3.88 | 4.12 |
| Near Vision | 3.88 | 4.12 |
| Information Ordering | 3.88 | 4.00 |
| Mathematical Reasoning | 3.88 | 4.00 |
| Speech Clarity | 3.88 | 3.88 |
| Originality | 3.75 | 4.00 |
| Number Facility | 3.75 | 3.75 |
| Flexibility of Closure | 3.50 | 3.50 |
| Speech Recognition | 3.38 | 3.38 |
| Far Vision | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Selective Attention | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Perceptual Speed | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Visualization | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Speed of Closure | 2.88 | 2.75 |
| Visual Color Discrimination | 2.62 | 2.88 |
| Memorization | 2.62 | 2.62 |
| Time Sharing | 2.50 | 2.62 |
| Finger Dexterity | 2.25 | 2.25 |
| Hearing Sensitivity | 2.00 | 2.12 |
| Auditory Attention | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| Arm-Hand Steadiness | 2.00 | 1.88 |
| Control Precision | 2.00 | 1.88 |
| Depth Perception | 2.00 | 1.88 |
| Manual Dexterity | 2.00 | 1.88 |
| Trunk Strength | 2.00 | 1.75 |
| Wrist-Finger Speed | 1.88 | 1.50 |
| Multilimb Coordination | 1.62 | 0.75 |
| Reaction Time | 1.62 | 0.62 |
| Response Orientation | 1.25 | not rated |
| Dynamic Strength | 1.12 | not rated |
| Static Strength | 1.12 | not rated |
| Dynamic Flexibility | 1.00 | not rated |
| Explosive Strength | 1.00 | not rated |
| Extent Flexibility | 1.00 | not rated |
| Glare Sensitivity | 1.00 | not rated |
| Gross Body Coordination | 1.00 | not rated |
| Gross Body Equilibrium | 1.00 | not rated |
| Night Vision | 1.00 | not rated |
| Peripheral Vision | 1.00 | not rated |
| Rate Control | 1.00 | not rated |
| Sound Localization | 1.00 | not rated |
| Spatial Orientation | 1.00 | not rated |
| Speed of Limb Movement | 1.00 | not rated |
| Stamina | 1.00 | not rated |
Software used
Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.
- R in demand
- C++ hot
- Git hot
- GitHub hot
- Linux hot
- Microsoft Access hot
- Microsoft Excel hot
- Microsoft Office software hot
- Microsoft PowerPoint hot
- Microsoft Word hot
- Oracle Java hot
- Perl hot
- Python hot
- SAS hot
- Structured query language SQL hot
- UNIX hot
- Basic Local Alignment Search Tool BLAST
- Bioinformatics databases
- ClustalW
- Database software
- Deoxyribonucleic acid DNA sequence analysis software
- Email software
- Formula translation/translator FORTRAN
- Golden Helix HelixTree
- HapMap
- Insightful S-PLUS
- Mendel
- Microsoft Visual C# .NET
- PHYLIP
- Plate reader software
All 36
- RTI International SUDAAN
- SAS JMP
- SAS/Genetics
- Sage Accounting Software
- Ward Systems Group GeneHunter
- Web browser software
Where it concentrates
BLS doesn't publish wages for Geneticists separately. These are the figures for Biological Scientists, All Other (19-1029), its parent occupation.
Metro areas ranked by BLS location quotient: the occupation's share of the area's jobs divided by its share of all US jobs. Above 1 means more concentrated than the nation. Metros employing fewer than 100 are left out.
| Metro area | Employment | Location quotient | Median annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | 1,390 | 11.28 | $98,700 |
| Ames, IA | 160 | 8.21 | $82,720 |
| Missoula, MT | 130 | 5.21 | $82,140 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 5,720 | 5.08 | $114,920 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 4,280 | 5.01 | $138,160 |
| Jefferson City, MO | 140 | 4.96 | $59,050 |
| Champaign-Urbana, IL | 140 | 3.61 | $70,870 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 1,960 | 3.54 | $108,350 |
| Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | 210 | 3.44 | $98,800 |
| Madison, WI | 440 | 2.97 | $77,550 |