Biological & Biomedical Sciences

Types of Degrees Biological & Biomedical Sciences Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many biological and biomedical sciences graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Master’s Degree	19,635
Doctor’s Degree	7,594
Graduate Certificate	1,622

What Biological & Biomedical Sciences Majors Need to Know

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to biological and biomedical sciences and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for Biological & Biomedical Sciences Majors

This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:

• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

Skills for Biological & Biomedical Sciences Majors

The following list of skills has been highlighted as some of the most essential for careers related to biological and biomedical sciences:

• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Abilities for Biological & Biomedical Sciences Majors

Some of the most crucial abilities to master while a biological and biomedical sciences student include the following:

• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
• Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).

What Can You Do With a Biological & Biomedical Sciences Major?

People with a biological and biomedical sciences degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Biochemists and Biophysicists	11.4%	$93,280
Bioinformatics Scientists	8.0%	$79,590
Biological Science Professors	15.1%	$82,550
Biological Scientists	8.0%	$79,590
Biostatisticians	33.9%	$87,780
Clinical Data Managers	33.9%	$87,780
Clinical Research Coordinators	9.9%	$123,860
Computer and Information Research Scientists	19.0%	$118,370
Data Warehousing Specialists	9.3%	$90,270
Database Architects	9.3%	$90,270
Epidemiologists	8.2%	$69,660
Exercise Physiologists	13.2%	$49,270
Geneticists	8.0%	$79,590
Health Specialties Professors	25.9%	$97,370
Life Scientists	9.0%	$78,190
Mathematical Science Occupations	9.1%	NA
Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists	13.4%	$84,810
Microbiologists	8.2%	$71,650
Molecular and Cellular Biologists	8.0%	$79,590
Natural Sciences Managers	9.9%	$123,860
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education	7.5%	$60,320
Software Developers, Applications	30.7%	$103,620
Statisticians	33.9%	$87,780
Water Resource Specialists	9.9%	$123,860
Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists	7.7%	$63,420

Who Is Getting a Master’s Degree in Biological & Biomedical Sciences?

The major attracts more women than men. About 62% of the recent graduates in this field are female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of biological and biomedical sciences majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	2,614
Black or African American	1,733
Hispanic or Latino	2,132
White	8,755
International Students	2,929
Other Races/Ethnicities	1,472

Geographic Diversity

Students from other countries are interested in Biological & Biomedical Sciences, too. About 14.9% of those with this major are international students.

How Much Do Biological & Biomedical Sciences Majors Make?

Master’s Degree Starting Salary

The median early-career salary of biological and biomedical sciences students with a master’s degree is $41,213 a year according to 2019-2020 data from the U.S. Department of Education. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $31,316 (25th percentile) and $57,268 (75th percentile).

It’s important to note that just because the people reporting these salaries have a degree in biological and biomedical sciences, it does not mean that they are working in a job related to their degree.

Salaries According to BLS

Average salaries range from $75,690 to $105,940 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to biological and biomedical sciences. This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Biological & Biomedical Sciences

Some careers associated with biological and biomedical sciences require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

Find out what the typical degree level is for biological and biomedical sciences careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	0.2%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	0.7%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	0.8%
Some College Courses	0.4%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	1.6%
Bachelor’s Degree	35.9%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	3.7%
Master’s Degree	25.1%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.	1.1%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession.	0.2%
Doctoral Degree	16.7%
Post-Doctoral Training	13.9%

Online Biological & Biomedical Sciences Programs

In 2020-2021, 1,891 schools offered a biological and biomedical sciences program of some type. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	52	3
Certificate (2-4 Years)	4	0
Associate’s Degree	494	23
Bachelor’s Degree	243	35
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	2,270	55
Post-Master’s	74	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	1,818	4
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	12	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Biological & Biomedical Sciences Worth It?

The median salary for a biological and biomedical sciences grad is $92,600 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 132% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $1,054,000 after 20 years!

Majors Related to Biological & Biomedical Sciences

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to biological and biomedical sciences.

Major	Number of Grads
Engineering	61,791
Computer & Information Sciences	60,971
Mathematics & Statistics	15,127
Physical Sciences	12,705
Engineering Technologies	7,672
Agriculture & Agriculture Operations	7,531
Architecture & Related Services	6,944
Natural Resources & Conservation	5,744
Communications Technologies & Support	585
Science Technologies / Technicians	79

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By Kelly White under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.