Physiology & Pathology Sciences

Types of Degrees Physiology & Pathology Sciences Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many physiology and pathology sciences graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Master’s Degree	1,932
Doctor’s Degree	550
Graduate Certificate	6

What Physiology & Pathology Sciences Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to physiology 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 Physiology Majors

This major prepares you for careers in which these 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.
• 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.
• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• 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 Physiology Majors

physiology majors are found most commonly in careers in which the following skills are important:

• 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.
• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Abilities for Physiology Majors

Physiology majors often go into careers where the following abilities are vital:

• 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 Physiology & Pathology Sciences Major?

People with a physiology 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
Exercise Physiologists	13.2%	$49,270
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 Physiology & Pathology Sciences?

This major is dominated by women with about 59% of recent graduates being female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	256
Black or African American	195
Hispanic or Latino	146
White	986
International Students	167
Other Races/Ethnicities	182

Geographic Diversity

Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in Physiology. About 8.6% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

• China
• India
• Canada
• South Korea
• Saudi Arabia

How Much Do Physiology & Pathology Sciences Majors Make?

Master’s Degree Starting Salary

According to 2019-2020 data from the U.S. Department of Education, students who graduated with a master’s degree in physiology have a median salary of $36,214 during the early years of their career. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $29,857 (25th percentile) and $41,054 (75th percentile).

Note that some of these people may have jobs that are not directly related to a physiology degree.

Salaries According to BLS

Physiology majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $83,600 to $122,320 (25th to 75th percentile). This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.

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 Physiology & Pathology Sciences

Some careers associated with physiology require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. 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 physiology careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	0.4%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	1.1%
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)	1.4%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	2.0%
Bachelor’s Degree	28.8%
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.	2.8%
Master’s Degree	25.3%
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.	0.0%
Doctoral Degree	19.2%
Post-Doctoral Training	19.1%

Online Physiology & Pathology Sciences Programs

In 2020-2021, 248 schools offered a physiology 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	4	0
Bachelor’s Degree	10	1
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	200	4
Post-Master’s	3	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	185	1
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	3	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Physiology & Pathology Sciences Worth It?

The median salary for a physiology grad is $96,420 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 142% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $1,130,400 after 20 years!

Majors Related to Physiology & Pathology Sciences

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

Major	Number of Grads
General Biology	8,920
Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology	3,221
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
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

More about our data sources and methodologies.