Biomathematics & Bioinformatics

Types of Degrees Biomathematics & Bioinformatics Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many biomathematics and bioinformatics graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Master’s Degree	1,686
Doctor’s Degree	467
Graduate Certificate	137

What Biomathematics & Bioinformatics Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, biomathematics majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.

Knowledge Areas for Biomathematics Majors

Biomathematics majors often go into careers in which the following 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.
• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
• Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

Skills for Biomathematics Majors

A major in biomathematics prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:

• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• 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.
• Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.

Abilities for Biomathematics Majors

As a biomathematics major, you will find yourself needing the following abilities:

• 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.
• Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• 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 Biomathematics & Bioinformatics Major?

People with a biomathematics degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Bioinformatics Scientists	8.0%	$79,590
Biological Science Professors	15.1%	$82,550
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
Health Specialties Professors	25.9%	$97,370
Mathematical Science Occupations	9.1%	NA
Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists	13.4%	$84,810
Natural Sciences Managers	9.9%	$123,860
Software Developers, Applications	30.7%	$103,620
Statisticians	33.9%	$87,780
Water Resource Specialists	9.9%	$123,860

Who Is Getting a Master’s Degree in Biomathematics & Bioinformatics?

The major attracts more women than men. About 59% of the recent graduates in this field are female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of biomathematics majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	220
Black or African American	48
Hispanic or Latino	79
White	473
International Students	778
Other Races/Ethnicities	88

Geographic Diversity

Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in Biomathematics. About 46.1% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

• China
• India
• South Korea
• Taiwan
• Saudi Arabia

How Much Do Biomathematics & Bioinformatics Majors Make?

Master’s Degree Starting Salary

The U.S. Department of Education found that students who graduated in 2017-2019 with a master’s degree in biomathematics and bioinformatics made a median starting salary of $68,045 per year. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $64,770 (25th percentile) and $70,936 (75th percentile).

We don’t know for sure if all of these people took jobs related to biomathematics so take that into consideration.

Salaries According to BLS

Average salaries range from $93,350 to $122,320 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to biomathematics. This range includes all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

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 Biomathematics & Bioinformatics

Some careers associated with biomathematics require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

Find out what the typical degree level is for biomathematics careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	1.0%
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)	1.3%
Some College Courses	0.6%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	2.3%
Bachelor’s Degree	38.9%
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.	1.8%
Master’s Degree	23.2%
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.	0.3%
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.	0.1%
Doctoral Degree	17.2%
Post-Doctoral Training	13.5%

Online Biomathematics & Bioinformatics Programs

In 2020-2021, 208 schools offered a biomathematics 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)	0	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	1	0
Associate’s Degree	4	1
Bachelor’s Degree	46	5
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	185	8
Post-Master’s	10	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	118	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Biomathematics & Bioinformatics Worth It?

The median salary for a biomathematics grad is $97,340 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 144% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $1,148,800 after 20 years!

Majors Related to Biomathematics & Bioinformatics

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to biomathematics.

Major	Number of Grads
General Biology	8,920
Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology	3,221
Physiology & Pathology Sciences	2,488
Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology	1,964
Biological & Biomedical Sciences (Other)	1,922
Biotechnology	1,567
Cell Biology & Anatomical Sciences	1,509
Microbiological Sciences & Immunology	1,244
Neurobiology & Neurosciences	1,241
Pharmacology & Toxicology	825
Genetics	717
Zoology	489
Botany/Plant Biology	371
Molecular Medicine	83

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 Pixabay under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.