Genetic Counselors vs Occupational Therapist: Similar Pay, 10.4% vs 14.8% Growth

Genetic Counselors vs Occupational Therapist: what changes?

Consider Genetic Counselors if you want to assess individual or family risk for a variety of inherited conditions, such as genetic disorders and birth defects. Consider Occupational Therapist if you would rather assess, plan, and organize rehabilitative programs that help build or restore vocational, homemaking, and daily living skills, as well as general independence, to persons with disabilities or developmental…. Both list master's degree; compare training and prior experience separately.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Genetic Counselors and Occupational Therapist. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences

Genetic Counselors

National median pay (2025): $100,040
Route into the job: Master's degree
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate: Interpret laboratory results and communicate findings to patients or physicians.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 300

Know before you choose

This is a small national occupation (4,200 jobs in 2025), so location and employer concentration can matter more than the national median suggests.

See the full Genetic Counselors brief

Occupational Therapist

National median pay (2025): $100,330
Route into the job: Master's degree
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate: Test and evaluate patients' physical and mental abilities and analyze medical data to determine realistic rehabilitation goals for patients.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 10,000

Know before you choose

The work routinely happens in close physical proximity to other people; personal space is limited.

See the full Occupational Therapist brief

How the national numbers differ

Occupational Therapist has the edge on annual openings

Occupational Therapist is at 10,000 annual openings, compared with 300 annual openings for Genetic Counselors.

Occupational Therapist has the edge on projected growth

Occupational Therapist is at 14.8% projected growth, compared with 10.4% projected growth for Genetic Counselors.

National pay benchmarks are very similar.

Compare actual offers, expected paid hours, schedule, and benefits before treating either career as the higher-paying option.

50.7/ 100

Genetic Counselors

69.8/ 100

Occupational Therapist

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence

Genetic Counselors vs Occupational Therapist

Dimension	Genetic Counselors	Occupational Therapist
Median pay (2025)	$100,040	$100,330
Pay percentile	82.6 percentile	82.9 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)	10.4%	14.8%
Annual openings (2025–2035)	300	10,000
2025 employment	4,200	169,600
How you qualify	Master's degree	Master's degree
O*NET preparation group	Job Zone 5	Job Zone 5
Related work experience	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
On-the-job training	BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.	BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.

Read Genetic Counselors brief Read Occupational Therapist brief

Genetic Counselors vs Occupational Therapist: what changes?

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Genetic Counselors

Occupational Therapist

How the national numbers differ

Occupational Therapist has the edge on annual openings

Occupational Therapist has the edge on projected growth

National pay benchmarks are very similar.

Genetic Counselors vs Occupational Therapist

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