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Ecology & Systematics Biology

Instructional content for this group of programs is defined in codes 26.1301 - 26.1399.

Types of Degrees Ecology & Systematics Biology Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Ecology & Systematics Biology have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	1
Associate’s Degree	23
Bachelor’s Degree	4,673
Master’s Degree	3,663
Doctor’s Degree	935

What Ecology & Systematics Biology Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Ecology & Systematics Biology develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Ecology & Systematics Biology graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Ecology & Systematics Biology emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Biology — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.4 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

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

Skills

Skills developed in a Ecology & Systematics Biology program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

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

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Ecology & Systematics Biology careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Ecology & Systematics Biology graduates report doing:

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

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Ecology & Systematics Biology professionals:

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

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Ecology & Systematics Biology graduates include:

• College Professor
• Instructor
• College Faculty Member
• Associate Professor
• Lecturer
• Assistant Professor
• Professor
• University Faculty Member
• Research Scientist
• Faculty Member
• Scientist
• Adjunct Instructor
• Clinical Trials Manager
• Clinical Project Manager
• Research Coordinator

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Ecology & Systematics Biology graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	29.1%
Master’s degree	23.0%
Post-doctoral training	19.5%
Doctoral degree	18.9%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	2.8%
Postsecondary certificate	2.3%
Some college courses	1.5%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.3%
High school diploma or equivalent	1.2%
Post-master’s certificate	0.5%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Ecology & Systematics Biology?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 69% of Ecology & Systematics Biology degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	6,410	69.0%
Men	2,885	31.0%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Ecology & Systematics Biology graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	5,143	55.3%
Asian	766	8.2%
Hispanic or Latino	1,138	12.2%
Black or African American	426	4.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native	18	0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	14	0.2%
Two or More Races	465	5.0%
Race Unknown	259	2.8%
International Students	1,066	11.5%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Ecology & Systematics Biology Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Ecology & Systematics Biology graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$44,645
4 years	$55,280
5 years	$64,232

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $64,232 — roughly 44% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Ecology & Systematics Biology Programs

Online study is reported by IPEDS for Ecology & Systematics 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	12
Master’s	12	19
Doctoral (Research)	1	5

^{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 Ecology & Systematics Biology Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Ecology & Systematics Biology graduates earn a median of $55,280 four years after completion — roughly 45% 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
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
Genetics	1,733

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.