AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 29-9092.00
Will AI replace Genetic Counselors?
Genetic Counselors: AI can already handle 15 of 19 tasks; the work mostly needs a standard-tier model.
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Every task, scored
The 19 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Genetic Counselors, from most to least exposed. 15 reach 60 or more, the level at which AI already handles a task.
| Task | AI exposure | Evidence | Model tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Analyze genetic information to identify patients or families at risk for specific disorders or syndromes. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Discuss testing options and the associated risks, benefits and limitations with patients and families to assist them in making informed decisions. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Provide genetic counseling in specified areas of clinical genetics, such as obstetrics, pediatrics, oncology and neurology. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Provide patients with information about the inheritance of conditions such as cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, and various forms of cancer. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Prepare or provide genetics-related educational materials to patients or medical personnel. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Explain diagnostic procedures such as chorionic villus sampling (CVS), ultrasound, fetal blood sampling, and amniocentesis. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Refer patients to specialists or community resources. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Engage in research activities related to the field of medical genetics or genetic counseling. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Collect for, or share with, research projects patient data on specific genetic disorders or syndromes. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Identify funding sources and write grant proposals for eligible programs or services. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Determine or coordinate treatment plans by requesting laboratory services, reviewing genetics or counseling literature, and considering histories or diagnostic data. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Interview patients or review medical records to obtain comprehensive patient or family medical histories, and document findings. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Assess patients' psychological or emotional needs, such as those relating to stress, fear of test results, financial issues, and marital conflicts to make referral recommendations or assist patients in managing test outcomes. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Evaluate or make recommendations for standards of care or clinical operations, ensuring compliance with applicable regulations, ethics, legislation, or policies. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Write detailed consultation reports to provide information on complex genetic concepts to patients or referring physicians. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Read current literature, talk with colleagues, or participate in professional organizations or conferences to keep abreast of developments in genetics. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Design and conduct genetics training programs for physicians, graduate students, other health professions or the general community. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Interpret laboratory results and communicate findings to patients or physicians. | Observed | Efficient | |
| Provide counseling to patient and family members by providing information, education, or reassurance. | Observed | Efficient |
Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 2 of 19 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 17 of 19. Importance is O*NET's 1 to 5 rating of how central the task is. Model tier is the lowest tier that can do the task under the published rubric; "No tier" marks hands-on work.
The model tier this role needs
A standard-tier model or lower covers 96% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 100% of the work is something AI can address at some tier.
Efficient, standard and frontier tiers come from the JobRoute model tier reference. The recommended tier is the lowest one that covers 80% of the work AI can address. How the method works.
Wages, employment and outlook
- US employment
- 3,740
- Median annual wage
- $100,040
- Middle half of earners
- $88,900 to $116,140
- Projected change, 2024 to 2034
- +9.3%
Employment and wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national. Projection: BLS Employment Projections 2024 to 2034.
Adjacent roles
The occupations that reuse the most of this role's skills, with the usual time to move. These are the first places to look when you plan to redeploy or retrain people in this role.
- Geneticists 72% skill overlap, about 10 months to move Exposure59
- Cytogenetic Technologists 64% skill overlap, about 13 months to move Exposure53
- Mental Health Counselors 63% skill overlap, about 13 months to move Exposure43
- Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors 62% skill overlap, about 14 months to move Exposure46
- Clinical and Counseling Psychologists 60% skill overlap, about 14 months to move Exposure56
Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.
Questions about Genetic Counselors and AI
Will AI replace Genetic Counselors?
AI already handles 15 of the 19 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, at a task exposure of 60 or more, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 65 out of 100. JobRoute scores tasks, not whole jobs, so the score shows how much of the work changes rather than whether the job disappears. BLS projects employment to change by +9.3% from 2024 to 2034.
What is the AI exposure of Genetic Counselors?
65 out of 100 on JobRoute's task exposure measure, the importance-weighted average of the role's O*NET task scores. Higher means more of the work is AI-doable today. 2 of the 19 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 17 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.
Which Genetic Counselors tasks can AI already do?
The tasks with the highest exposure are: 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; Provide genetic counseling in specified areas of clinical genetics, such as obstetrics, pediatrics, oncology and neurology. They are three of the 15 tasks that reach 60 or more.
What AI model tier does this role need?
A standard-tier model or lower covers 96% of the role's importance-weighted task work. JobRoute assigns each task the lowest tier that can do it under a published rubric and recommends the lowest tier that covers 80% of the work AI can address.
How many people work as Genetic Counselors, and what do they earn?
3,740 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $100,040 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of +9.3% from 2024 to 2034.
How to cite
Data version 2026-11-02, JobRoute method v1.0.0. Download all occupations or this occupation as JSON. Methodology.
JobRoute (2026). AI exposure: Genetic Counselors. Data version 2026-11-02, method v1.0.0. Built on O*NET 30.3, BLS OEWS May 2025 and the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026). CC BY 4.0. https://www.jobroute.ai/jobs/genetic-counselors
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