Geneticists

Research and study the inheritance of traits at the molecular, organism or population level. May evaluate or treat patients with genetic disorders.

Most important skills

Reading Comprehension
Science
Active Listening
Writing
Speaking
Critical Thinking
Active Learning
Complex Problem Solving

Key knowledge

Biology
English Language
Education and Training
Mathematics
Chemistry
Computers and Electronics
Medicine and Dentistry
Administration and Management

What the work involves

Write grants and papers or attend fundraising events to seek research funds.
Verify that cytogenetic, molecular genetic, and related equipment and instrumentation is maintained in working condition to ensure accuracy and quality of experimental results.
Maintain laboratory safety programs and train personnel in laboratory safety techniques.
Instruct medical students, graduate students, or others in methods or procedures for diagnosis and management of genetic disorders.
Confer with information technology specialists to develop computer applications for genetic data analysis.
Collaborate with biologists and other professionals to conduct appropriate genetic and biochemical analyses.
Attend clinical and research conferences and read scientific literature to keep abreast of technological advances and current genetic research findings.
Supervise or direct the work of other geneticists, biologists, technicians, or biometricians working on genetics research projects.

Strongest interest areas (O*NET): Investigative, Conventional, Realistic.

Qualifications and licensing

Most common education: Post-Doctoral Training (36% of respondents)
Related experience: Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years (41.7%)
On-the-job training: Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year (36%)
Preparation level: O*NET job zone 5: Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
Licensing: Not yet verified. Check your state licensing board.

Check before planning

Licensing for Geneticists is not yet verified for any state: check the state licensing board before planning.
Projection education uses SOC 19-1029 (detailed_parent); it may describe a broader group.

Limits

Distributions show what current workers or occupational experts report, not legal minimums.
Requirements vary by employer and state; time to qualify is not estimated.

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections · dataset 2026.10.8 · method e3-qualification-1.0.0

Work environment

How the typical conditions of this occupation compare with 911 occupations in O*NET (very low = the lowest fifth).

Levels are relative. Most occupations involve a lot of contact with people, for example, so “very low” can still mean regular contact; the last column shows what workers actually reported.

Rankings compare typical U.S. occupation-level work conditions; individual jobs and employers vary. Data: O*NET 31.0 Work Context and BLS wages (May 2025).
Condition	Level	Compared with other occupations	Most common answer (O*NET survey)
Contact with others	Very low	Lower on contact with others than 89% of occupations compared	40% of surveyed respondents chose “Contact with others most of the time”
Dealing with the public	Very low	Lower on dealing with the public than 95% of occupations compared	52% of surveyed respondents chose “Not important at all”
Teamwork	Low	Lower on teamwork than 68% of occupations compared	48% of surveyed respondents chose “Very important”
Freedom to make decisions	Very high	Higher on freedom to make decisions than 89% of occupations compared	64% of surveyed respondents chose “A lot of freedom”
Time pressure	Very low	Lower on time pressure than 95% of occupations compared	36% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a year or more but not every month”
Conflict situations	Very low	Lower on conflict situations than 88% of occupations compared	72% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a year or more but not every month”
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people	Very low	Lower on dealing with unpleasant or angry people than 94% of occupations compared	68% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a year or more but not every month”
Consequence of error	Low	Lower on consequence of error than 68% of occupations compared	42% of surveyed respondents chose “Serious”

Work-pressure profile

Time pressure: very low
Conflict situations: very low
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people: very low
Consequence of error: low

Each part is shown on its own. There is no combined stress score, and conditions vary by employer and role.

Full answer distributions