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Stanford Health Care
Palo Alto, California

Genetic Counselor, Cancer Center

CounselorFull-Time

Pay as listed: $57.53-$76.22/hr · Palo Alto, California · pays above the median of 49 Counselor listings (86th percentile).

Listed compensation

$57.53-$76.22/hr

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

Ask the employer about call expectations, weekend coverage, nights and shift pattern and time off.

Posted 1h ago · Verified live

Job Description

If you're ready to be part of our legacy of hope and innovation, we encourage you to take the first step and explore our current job openings. Your best is waiting to be discovered.

Day - 08 Hour (United States of America)

This position is for a cancer genetic counseling position at the new Sutter Medicine Stanford Healthcare Hospital in Oakland, California.

The genetic counselor will work in -person in Oakland, supported by a genetic counselor assistant.

This position will require a several month training at Stanford Palo Alto.

This is a Stanford Health Care job.

A Brief Overview

The Genetic Counselor Level I is an entry level position focused on acquiring job skills and knowledge of policies and procedures. A GC I develops clinical judgement within defined guidelines and practices to determine appropriate action. Performs work in assigned area(s) to develop expertise needed to be fully functional in an assigned specialty area/clinic.

Locations

Stanford Health Care

What You Will Do

Collecting appropriate family history information, reviewing patient medical records, and records of key affected individuals in the family, as needed

Educating patients about hereditary conditions, inheritance patterns, genetic contributions to disease, recurrence risks in the patient and family members, and any guidelines specific to the genetic condition

Discussing genetic testing options and potential outcomes; Obtaining informed consent

Conveying information and results to patients in a level appropriate to the patient’s understanding and addressing the emotional impact of the information to facilitate patient processing

Identifying potential genetic risks to family members and recommending genetic counseling and testing in the family

Maintaining case documentation and clinical notes

Providing Appropriate Referrals to Specialty Services

Working with the healthcare team to deliver timely genetic counseling and testing to patients; contributing to the development of a patient’s care plan

Pursuing professional growth by participating in educational programs, reviewing literature, and attending local, regional and national conferences.

Participating in process improvement projects

Education Qualifications

Master's degree in genetic counseling from an accredited college or university

Experience Qualifications

0 to 1 years of relevant experience required.

  • Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
  • Ability to develop a clinically appropriate genetic counseling plan
  • Ability to facilitate genetic testing for patients and communicate results
  • Ability to effectively communicate with individuals and families from diverse backgrounds in a compassionate manner.
  • Ability to provide genetic, medical and technical information in an understandable and comprehensive way
  • Ability to provide appropriate referrals
  • Ability to work independently and apply clinical judgement
  • Knowledge of genetic conditions and disorders
  • Knowledge of and ability to apply genetic counseling methods and techniques
  • Knowledge of community support services and funding agencies
  • Ability to supervise, advise and train other medical professionals and/or students in the area of expertise
  • Ability to develop and present educational programs and/or workshops

Licenses and Certifications

CGCL - CA Genetic Counselor License required.

Physical Demands and Work Conditions

Blood Borne Pathogens

Category II - Tasks that involve NO exposure to blood, body fluids or tissues, but employment may require performing unplanned Category I tasks

These Principles Apply to ALL Employees

SHC Commitment to Providing an Exceptional Patient & Family Experience

Stanford Health Care sets a high standard for delivering value and an exceptional experience for our patients and families. Candidates for employment and existing employees must adopt and execute C-I-CARE standards for all of patients, families and towards each other.

C-I-CARE is the foundation of Stanford’s patient-experience and represents a framework for patient-centered interactions. Simply put, we do what it takes to enable and empower patients and families to focus on health, healing and recovery.

You will do this by executing against our three experience pillars, from the patient and family’s perspective:

  • Know Me: Anticipate my needs and status to deliver effective care
  • Show Me the Way: Guide and prompt my actions to arrive at better outcomes and better health
  • Coordinate for Me: Own the complexity of my care through coordination

#LI-BS1

Equal Opportunity Employer Stanford Health Care (SHC) strongly values diversity and is committed to equal opportunity and non-discrimination in all of its policies and practices, including the area of employment.

Accordingly, SHC does not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity and/or expression, religion, age, national or ethnic origin, political beliefs, marital status, medical condition, genetic information, veteran status, or disability, or the perception of any of the above.

People of all genders, members of all racial and ethnic groups, people with disabilities, and veterans are encouraged to apply. Qualified applicants with criminal convictions will be considered after an individualized assessment of the conviction and the job requirements.

Base Pay Scale: Generally starting at $57.53 - $76.22 per hour

The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to, internal equity, experience, education, specialty and training. This pay scale is not a promise of a particular wage.

Key Responsibilities

The genetic counselor will collect family history, educate patients on hereditary conditions, and facilitate genetic testing options. They will also maintain clinical documentation and collaborate with the healthcare team to develop patient care plans.

Requirements

Candidates must hold a Master's degree in genetic counseling from an accredited institution and possess a California Genetic Counselor License. The role requires 0 to 1 years of relevant experience and the ability to work independently in a clinical setting.

Qualifications

Education
Master's degree (postgraduate degree)

Key Skills

Family history collectionPatient educationGenetic testing facilitationCase managementReferral coordinationClinical judgmentCommunicationCompassionate careMedical record reviewTechnical information presentation

Genetics — Counselor Career Context

Of the 50 active Genetics listings this role was benchmarked against, 56% are remote, 26% have no call, 64% require no weekends.

The cost-of-living index for California is 110.7 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$139k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $126k in an average-cost state. 63.6% of California clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Stanford Health Care holds silver-tier status on WeekdayDoc's Top Employers work-life index, composite score 72/100, 38 active listings.

Top Counselor Jobs

42 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution42 jobs · 33 employers

11
<$90k
12
$90k-105k
7
$105k-120k
7
$120k-135k
5
$135k+

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks33 jobs

401k / retirement match
94% this job
CME allowance
42%
Sign-on bonus
36%
Loan repayment
15%
PSLF eligible
12%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Genetic Counselor

Sutter Health · Sunnyvale, California

$112k-$167k
#2

Dental Therapist

InterDent Service · Salem, Oregon

From $155k
#3

Behavioral Health Provider (ASW/LCSW or AMFT/LMFT) - Napa

$88k-$138k
#4

Licensed Mental Health Therapist (LMFT, LCSW, LPCC)

$118k-$135k
+ 40 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 6.2this job 1.5
Below most Genetics (Counseling) listings for work-life

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 34 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • On-site

Living in Palo Alto

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$3.26M
Typical market rent
$4,678/mo
Residents’ average commute
21 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
110.4
State income tax
Up to 13.3%
Sources & methodology

Sources: Zillow home values (Aug 2026), Zillow market rents (Aug 2026), U.S. Census ACS 2024 five-year.

BEA 2024 · San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

City-level figures. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.