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Zoology Major

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Zoology

298 Master's Degrees Annually
187 Doctor's Degrees Annually
#183 in Popularity (Master's)
$83,600 Median Salary

Types of Degrees Zoology Majors Are Getting

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

Education Level Number of Grads
Master’s Degree 298
Doctor’s Degree 187
Graduate Certificate 4

What Zoology Majors Need to Know

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to zoology and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for Zoology Majors

Zoology majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

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  • 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.
  • Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

Skills for Zoology Majors

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

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  • 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 Zoology Majors

A major in zoology will prepare for your careers in which the following abilities are important:

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  • Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • 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 Zoology Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with zoology:

Job Title Job Growth Rate Median Salary
Biological Science Professors 15.1% $82,550
Clinical Research Coordinators 9.9% $123,860
Molecular and Cellular Biologists 8.0% $79,590
Natural Sciences Managers 9.9% $123,860
Water Resource Specialists 9.9% $123,860
Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists 7.7% $63,420

Who Is Getting a Master’s Degree in Zoology?

298 Master's Degrees Annually
61% Percent Women
17% Percent Racial-Ethnic Minorities*
This major is dominated by women with about 61% of recent graduates being female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

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Race/Ethnicity Number of Grads
Asian 11
Black or African American 5
Hispanic or Latino 26
White 213
International Students 24
Other Races/Ethnicities 19

Geographic Diversity

Zoology appeals to people across the globe. About 8.1% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

  • China
  • India
  • Nepal
  • Canada
  • Brazil

How Much Do Zoology Majors Make?

Master’s Degree Starting Salary

The U.S. Department of Education found that students who graduated in 2017-2019 with a master’s degree in zoology made a median starting salary of $30,757 per year. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $28,143 (25th percentile) and $33,372 (75th percentile).

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It is possible that some of these people may have taken positions that were not related to zoology.

Salaries According to BLS

Average salaries range from $67,760 to $97,340 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to zoology. 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.

Median Salary for a Zoology Major  ( 67760 to 97340 )
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250K
Median Salary for a High School Graduate  ( 30000 to 57900 )
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Median Salary for a Bachelor's Degree Holder  ( 45600 to 99000 )
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250K
Median Salary for an Advanced Degree Holder  ( 55600 to 125400 )
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250K

Some careers associated with zoology require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

Find out what the typical degree level is for zoology careers below.

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Education Level Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma 0.5%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED) 1.5%
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) 1.3%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) 1.8%
Bachelor’s Degree 37.3%
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. 2.6%
Master’s Degree 22.7%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level. 1.0%
Doctoral Degree 18.2%
Post-Doctoral Training 13.1%

Online Zoology Programs

In 2020-2021, 118 schools offered a zoology 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) 2 0
Certificate (2-4 Years) 0 0
Associate’s Degree 10 1
Bachelor’s Degree 3 0
Post-Baccalaureate 0 0
Master’s Degree 81 3
Post-Master’s 1 0
Doctor’s Degree (Research) 75 0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) 1 0
Doctor’s Degree (Other) 0 0

Is a Degree in Zoology Worth It?

The median salary for a zoology grad is $83,600 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 110% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $874,000 after 20 years!

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

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
Pharmacology & Toxicology 825
Genetics 717
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.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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