Pharmacology & Toxicology

Types of Degrees Pharmacology & Toxicology Majors Are Getting

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

Education Level	Number of Grads
Master’s Degree	459
Doctor’s Degree	338
Graduate Certificate	28

What Pharmacology & Toxicology Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to pharmacology were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.

Knowledge Areas for Pharmacology Majors

According to O*NET survey takers, a major in pharmacology should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:

• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• 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.
• Chemistry - Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.

Skills for Pharmacology Majors

The following list of skills has been highlighted as some of the most essential for careers related to pharmacology:

• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
• 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.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Abilities for Pharmacology Majors

Some of the most crucial abilities to master while a pharmacology 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.
• Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

What Can You Do With a Pharmacology & Toxicology Major?

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

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Biological Science Professors	15.1%	$82,550
Clinical Research Coordinators	9.9%	$123,860
Health Specialties Professors	25.9%	$97,370
Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists	13.4%	$84,810
Molecular and Cellular Biologists	8.0%	$79,590
Natural Sciences Managers	9.9%	$123,860
Water Resource Specialists	9.9%	$123,860

Who Is Getting a Master’s Degree in Pharmacology & Toxicology?

This major is dominated by women with about 66% of recent graduates being female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	56
Black or African American	37
Hispanic or Latino	32
White	200
International Students	107
Other Races/Ethnicities	27

Geographic Diversity

Students from other countries are interested in Pharmacology, too. About 23.3% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

• India
• China
• Saudi Arabia
• South Korea
• Nigeria

How Much Do Pharmacology & Toxicology Majors Make?

Master’s Degree Starting Salary

Data from the U.S. Department of Education shows that pharmacology and toxicology students who graduated in 2017-2019 with a master’s degree made a median starting salary of $36,587 per year. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $30,298 (25th percentile) and $54,131 (75th percentile).

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

Salaries According to BLS

Average salaries range from $96,420 to $122,320 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to pharmacology. 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 Pharmacology & Toxicology

Some degrees associated with pharmacology may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. 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 pharmacology careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	0.5%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	1.2%
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)	1.6%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	2.3%
Bachelor’s Degree	28.3%
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.	1.7%
Master’s Degree	20.8%
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.	0.0%
Doctoral Degree	21.9%
Post-Doctoral Training	21.8%

Online Pharmacology & Toxicology Programs

In 2020-2021, 132 schools offered a pharmacology 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)	0	0
Associate’s Degree	1	0
Bachelor’s Degree	7	3
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	124	0
Post-Master’s	4	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	137	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	1	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Pharmacology & Toxicology Worth It?

The median salary for a pharmacology 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 Pharmacology & Toxicology

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

Major	Number of Grads
General Biology	8,920
Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology	3,221
Physiology & Pathology Sciences	2,488
Biomathematics & Bioinformatics	2,290
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
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 Fvasconcellos under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.