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Microbiology Science & Immunology

Instructional content for this group of programs is defined in codes 26.0502 - 26.0599.

Types of Degrees Microbiology Science & Immunology Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Microbiology Science & Immunology can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	3
Bachelor’s Degree	3,014
Master’s Degree	1,021
Doctor’s Degree	673

What Microbiology Science & Immunology Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Microbiology Science & Immunology emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Microbiology Science & Immunology graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Microbiology Science & Immunology emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Biology — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.3 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

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

Skills

Skills developed in a Microbiology Science & Immunology 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.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Microbiology Science & Immunology 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 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Microbiology Science & Immunology graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Working with Computers	4.4 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.3 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.2 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	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 Microbiology Science & Immunology 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	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
SAS	Analytical or scientific software	✓
IBM SPSS Statistics	Analytical or scientific software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
The MathWorks MATLAB	Analytical or scientific software	✓
R	Object or component oriented development software	✓
Python	Object or component oriented development software	✓

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Microbiology Science & Immunology graduates include:

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

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Microbiology Science & Immunology graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	32.0%
Master’s degree	20.3%
Post-doctoral training	18.2%
Doctoral degree	15.8%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	3.6%
Postsecondary certificate	3.2%
Some college courses	2.4%
High school diploma or equivalent	2.0%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.7%
Post-master’s certificate	0.7%
First professional degree	0.1%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Microbiology Science & Immunology?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 65.3% of Microbiology Science & Immunology degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	3,078	65.3%
Men	1,633	34.7%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Microbiology Science & Immunology graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	2,232	47.4%
Asian	669	14.2%
Hispanic or Latino	954	20.3%
Black or African American	176	3.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native	6	0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	2	0.0%
Two or More Races	208	4.4%
Race Unknown	118	2.5%
International Students	346	7.3%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Microbiology Science & Immunology Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Microbiology Science & Immunology 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	$39,180
4 years	$52,367
5 years	$65,002

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $65,002 — roughly 66% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Microbiology Science & Immunology Programs

Online study is reported by IPEDS for Microbiology Science & Immunology. 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	2	0
Master’s	4	4
Doctoral (Research)	1	1

^{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 Microbiology Science & Immunology Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Microbiology Science & Immunology graduates earn a median of $52,367 four years after completion — roughly 38% 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
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.