Qualifications
This will probably come as a surprise to you, so you'd better take a seat before continuing on down the page. Comfy? Okay, here goes: Genetics is a science.
Whoa. You alright? We know: crazy, right?
Science is knowledge, and knowledge has to be hunted down and stuffed into your brain. It takes a lot of time and a lot of work, but hey, such is the price tag of being a real-deal expert.
First things first. No matter what you want to do with this expertise, you're going to need a four-year degree. Baseline. No getting around it. From there, build up as necessary.
Let's say you want to be doctor—a clinical geneticist. Before you can practice, you're going to need (source):
An M.D.
Six whopping years of residency.
A USMLE certification.
An ABMG certification.
Yeah, you did that math right. You're looking at a minimum of eight years of post-high-school school and another six of training. That's fourteen years from high school graduation to getting the job.
Here's another common path for you to compare that to. Let's say you want to be a genetic counselor (the other most common trade for a geneticist).
Here, you'll need (source):
A Master's Degree
A state license
A bit easier, right? But also a lot less money.
Of course, there are other things to do with a career in genetic research, and each of them will require a specific list of degrees and certifications. Whatever you do, it's probably best to start with the four-year, and then look into exactly what's needed for your specific path to putting your gene love to use.