--- title: "Cytogenetic Technologist" description: "Analyze chromosomes or chromosome segments found in biological specimens, such as amniotic fluids, bone marrow, solid tumors, and blood to aid in the…" canonical: "https://nuecareer.com/careers/cytogenetic-technologist" last-updated: "2026-08-23T15:56:39.581Z" --- # Cytogenetic Technologist **Category:** Healthcare Practitioners and Technical · **SOC code:** 29-2011 · **O\*NET-SOC code:** 29-2011.01 Analyze chromosomes or chromosome segments found in biological specimens, such as amniotic fluids, bone marrow, solid tumors, and blood to aid in the study, diagnosis, classification, or treatment of inherited or acquired genetic diseases. Conduct analyses through classical cytogenetic, fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) or array comparative genome hybridization (aCGH) techniques. Also advertised as: Certified Cytogenetic Technologist; Clinical Cytogeneticist Scientist (CCS); Cytogenetic Technologist; Cytogenetics Clinical Laboratory Specialist (CG CLSp); Cytogenetics Technical Specialist; Cytogenetics Technologist; Molecular Genetics Technologist. ## At a glance - **Median annual wage:** $62,930 (BLS OEWS, May 2025) - **Median hourly wage:** $30.26/hr - **Wage range (10th–90th percentile):** $38,910 to $100,990, with the middle half between $47,650 and $81,450 - **Total US employment:** 332,940 - **Typical entry education:** Bachelor's - **Preparation required:** Medium preparation — O\*NET rates this "Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed" - **Projected growth:** +1.7% over 2024–2034 (BLS EP, 2024–2034) - **Annual job openings:** 22,600 openings a year - **AI-resilience score:** 20/100 — a NueCareer heuristic over O\*NET work activities and context, not a BLS or O\*NET figure ## Pay National wage distribution, BLS OEWS, May 2025, across 332,940 US jobs. | Percentile | Annual wage | | --- | --- | | 10th | $38,910 | | 25th | $47,650 | | 50th (median) | $62,930 | | 75th | $81,450 | | 90th | $100,990 | | Mean (average) | $67,350 | ### Pay by state The 15 highest-paying states, by median annual wage. The cost-of-living-adjusted column divides the state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, so the columns answer different questions: the first is what the job pays there, the second is what that pay buys there. | State | Median annual wage | Cost-of-living adjusted | Employment | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | NY | $97,280 | $90,140 | 16,460 | | OR | $83,010 | $80,311 | 2,660 | | NH | $81,020 | $77,780 | 800 | | MA | $79,120 | $74,813 | 10,850 | | VT | $78,680 | $80,320 | 460 | | DC | $76,560 | $69,663 | 960 | | CA | $76,010 | $68,651 | 29,210 | | RI | $75,780 | $74,091 | 1,060 | | MN | $74,440 | $75,481 | 7,190 | | WA | $72,760 | $67,992 | 7,430 | | IL | $71,950 | $71,980 | 10,330 | | CO | $70,050 | $67,975 | 5,000 | | ME | $68,690 | $70,778 | 1,250 | | DE | $68,630 | $68,762 | 690 | | NJ | $68,450 | $62,911 | 7,000 | 39 more states with published wage data are omitted here. The full table for all 54 states is at https://nuecareer.com/careers/cytogenetic-technologist/salary-by-state, or as JSON at https://nuecareer.com/api/v1/careers/cytogenetic-technologist. ## Outlook BLS projects employment to move from 351,200 in the 2024–2034 base year to 357,200 by the end of the cycle — a gain of 6,000 jobs, or +1.7%. Slower than average: 1.7% against 3.1% projected for all occupations over the same cycle. About 22,600 openings a year are expected on average, counting openings from growth as well as from workers leaving the occupation permanently. Source: BLS EP, 2024–2034. ## How to get in - **Typical entry education:** Bachelor's degree (BLS Employment Projections). - **Preparation level:** Medium preparation — O\*NET's preparation band for this occupation is "Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed". - **Related work experience typically required:** None. - **Typical on-the-job training:** None. ### Education people in this job actually hold O\*NET surveys incumbents, so this distribution describes who is in the job today and can differ from the BLS entry requirement above. | Education level | Share of workers | | --- | --- | | Bachelor's Degree | 76.2% | | Post-Baccalaureate Certificate | 23.8% | ## What the work involves - Arrange and attach chromosomes in numbered pairs on karyotype charts, using standard genetics laboratory practices and nomenclature, to identify normal or abnormal chromosomes. - Count numbers of chromosomes and identify the structural abnormalities by viewing culture slides through microscopes, light microscopes, or photomicroscopes. - Examine chromosomes found in biological specimens to detect abnormalities. - Select appropriate culturing system or procedure based on specimen type and reason for referral. - Analyze chromosomes found in biological specimens to aid diagnoses and treatments for genetic diseases such as congenital disabilities, fertility problems, and hematological disorders. - Harvest cell cultures using substances such as mitotic arrestants, cell releasing agents, and cell fixatives. - Summarize test results and report to appropriate authorities. - Prepare biological specimens such as amniotic fluids, bone marrow, tumors, chorionic villi, and blood, for chromosome examinations. ## Skills and knowledge ### Essential skills - Reading Comprehension — importance 3.9 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale - Critical Thinking — importance 3.9 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale - Writing — importance 3.8 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale - Active Listening — importance 3.6 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale - Speaking — importance 3.6 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale - Science — importance 3.3 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale - Active Learning — importance 3.3 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale - Monitoring — importance 3.1 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale ### Transferable skills These are the skills that carry into other occupations, and they drive the related-occupation and career-change rankings on this site. - Judgment and Decision Making — importance 3.5 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale - Complex Problem Solving — importance 3.4 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale - Time Management — importance 3.1 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale - Social Perceptiveness — importance 3.0 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale - Coordination — importance 3.0 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale - Systems Analysis — importance 3.0 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale - Instructing — importance 2.9 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale - Operations Monitoring — importance 2.9 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale ### Knowledge areas - Biology — importance 4.2 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale - Chemistry — importance 3.6 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale - English Language — importance 3.2 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale - Computers and Electronics — importance 3.1 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale - Mathematics — importance 3.0 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale - Customer and Personal Service — importance 2.7 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale ### Abilities - Oral Comprehension — importance 4.0 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale - Written Comprehension — importance 4.0 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale - Information Ordering — importance 4.0 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale - Near Vision — importance 4.0 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale - Oral Expression — importance 3.9 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale - Deductive Reasoning — importance 3.9 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale ## Who it suits O\*NET rates every occupation on the six Holland (RIASEC) interest areas, on a 1–7 scale. This occupation's strongest areas are Investigative (I), Realistic (R), Conventional (C). | Interest area | Score (1–7) | | --- | --- | | I — Investigative | 5.91 | | R — Realistic | 5.32 | | C — Conventional | 5.02 | | S — Social | 1.93 | | E — Enterprising | 1.56 | | A — Artistic | 1.48 | ### Personality fit These scores are **derived by NueCareer**, not published by any government agency: they are cosine similarities between a personality type's trait profile and this occupation's O\*NET interest and work-style ratings, expressed 0–100. Treat them as a starting point for exploration, not as evidence that a type belongs in a job. | Type | Fit score (0–100) | | --- | --- | | ISTJ | 90.3 | | ISTP | 81.7 | | INTJ | 81.2 | | ISFJ | 67.8 | | ESTJ | 65.8 | Best-fitting types: ISTJ. The bank also flags this occupation as introvert-friendly, meaning O\*NET work-context ratings put it low on public contact and performing for the public. ## Related occupations O\*NET's primary related occupations, in its own ranked order. - [Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologist](https://nuecareer.com/careers/medical-and-clinical-laboratory-technologist) — median $62,930 - [Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technician](https://nuecareer.com/careers/medical-and-clinical-laboratory-technician) — median $62,930 - [Histotechnologist](https://nuecareer.com/careers/histotechnologist) — median $62,930 - [Cytotechnologist](https://nuecareer.com/careers/cytotechnologist) — median $62,930 - [Histology Technician](https://nuecareer.com/careers/histology-technician) — median $62,930 - [Nuclear Medicine Technologist](https://nuecareer.com/careers/nuclear-medicine-technologist) — median $101,370 - [Microbiologist](https://nuecareer.com/careers/microbiologist) — median $87,990 - [Molecular and Cellular Biologist](https://nuecareer.com/careers/molecular-and-cellular-biologist) — median $98,920 - [Biological Technician](https://nuecareer.com/careers/biological-technician) — median $57,510 - [Bioengineer and Biomedical Engineer](https://nuecareer.com/careers/bioengineer-and-biomedical-engineer) — median $109,370 ## Sources - **O\*NET** — O\*NET 30.3 Database, May 2026. https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html - **BLS OEWS** — BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. https://www.bls.gov/oes/ - **BLS EP** — BLS Employment Projections, Table 1.2, 2024–2034. https://www.bls.gov/emp/ - **BLS OOH** — BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–2034 edition. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/ - **BEA RPP** — BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024. https://www.bea.gov/data/prices-inflation/regional-price-parities-state-and-metro-area --- This bank includes information from the O\*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). O\*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. NueCareer has transformed the data by joining it to BLS wage and projection data and deriving facet, personality-fit and AI-resilience scores. BLS and BEA data are public domain (17 U.S.C. §105). O\*NET content is used under [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). How these figures are sourced and derived: https://nuecareer.com/careers/methodology JSON representation of this page: https://nuecareer.com/api/v1/careers/cytogenetic-technologist