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Botany/Plant Biology

Instructional content for this group of programs is defined in codes 26.0301 - 26.0399.

Types of Degrees Botany/Plant Biology Majors Are Earning

Those studying Botany/Plant Biology can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	3
Bachelor’s Degree	353
Master’s Degree	181
Doctor’s Degree	226

What Botany/Plant Biology Majors Need to Know

Studies in Botany/Plant Biology emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Botany/Plant Biology graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Botany/Plant Biology emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Biology — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.3 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Chemistry — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a Botany/Plant Biology program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Botany/Plant Biology careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Botany/Plant Biology graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Working with Computers	4.5 / 7
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.4 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.3 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.2 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.2 / 7
Processing Information	4.2 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.1 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Botany/Plant Biology professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
R	Object or component oriented development software	✓
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
SAS	Analytical or scientific software	—
IBM SPSS Statistics	Analytical or scientific software	—
The MathWorks MATLAB	Analytical or scientific software	✓
Python	Object or component oriented development software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Botany/Plant Biology graduates include:

• Scientist
• Research Scientist
• Clinical Project Manager
• Research Coordinator
• Clinical Trials Manager
• Clinical Research Manager
• Clinical Research Monitor
• Clinical Trial Manager
• Clinical Program Manager
• Clinical Research Director
• Clinical Study Manager
• Postdoctoral Fellow
• Clinical Manager
• Clinical Program Coordinator
• Clinical Data Coordinator

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Botany/Plant Biology graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	31.2%
Master’s degree	19.7%
Post-doctoral training	19.0%
Doctoral degree	16.0%
Postsecondary certificate	3.7%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	3.0%
Some college courses	2.5%
High school diploma or equivalent	1.9%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.3%
Post-master’s certificate	1.1%
First professional degree	0.6%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Botany/Plant Biology?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 57.4% women and 42.6% men among Botany/Plant Biology graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	438	57.4%
Men	325	42.6%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Botany/Plant Biology graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	443	58.1%
Asian	37	4.8%
Hispanic or Latino	75	9.8%
Black or African American	20	2.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native	3	0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	2	0.3%
Two or More Races	38	5.0%
Race Unknown	24	3.1%
International Students	121	15.9%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Botany/Plant Biology Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Botany/Plant Biology graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$32,663
4 years	$39,154
5 years	$38,098

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $38,098 — roughly 17% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Botany/Plant Biology Programs

Online study are documented by IPEDS for Botany/Plant Biology. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Bachelor’s	1	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Botany/Plant Biology Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Botany/Plant Biology graduates earn a median of $39,154 four years after completion — roughly 3% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Biological Biomedical Sciences	179,083
Biology, General	101,585
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology	13,820
Neurobiology and Neurosciences	12,819
Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences	11,175
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology	9,295
Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences	6,355
Microbiological Sciences and Immunology	4,711
Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other	4,612
Biotechnology	3,869
Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology	3,638
Zoology/Animal Biology	3,408

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.