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Human Biology Major

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Human Biology

7 Master's Degrees Annually
10 Doctor's Degrees Annually
#311 in Popularity (Master's)
$83,600 Median Salary

Types of Degrees Human Biology Majors Are Getting

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

Education Level Number of Grads
Doctor’s Degree 10
Master’s Degree 7
Graduate Certificate 1

What Human Biology Majors Need to Know

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to human biology 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 Human Biology Majors

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

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  • Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
  • English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • 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.
  • Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
  • Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

Skills for Human Biology Majors

A major in human biology prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:

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  • Science - Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
  • Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
  • Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
  • 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 Human Biology Majors

As a human biology major, you will find yourself needing the following abilities:

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  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

What Can You Do With a Human Biology Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with human biology:

Job Title Job Growth Rate Median Salary
Anthropologists 3.9% $62,410
Biological Science Professors 15.1% $82,550
Molecular and Cellular Biologists 8.0% $79,590
Social Sciences Professors 9.8% $71,600

Who Is Getting a Master’s Degree in Human Biology?

7 Master's Degrees Annually
86% Percent Women
14% Percent Racial-Ethnic Minorities*
The major attracts more women than men. About 86% of the recent graduates in this field are female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

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Race/Ethnicity Number of Grads
Asian 0
Black or African American 0
Hispanic or Latino 1
White 5
International Students 0
Other Races/Ethnicities 1

How Much Do Human Biology Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

Average salaries range from $65,310 to $87,950 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to human biology. 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 Human Biology Major  ( 65310 to 87950 )
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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 human biology 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 human biology careers below.

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Education Level Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma 1.2%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) 0.5%
Bachelor’s Degree 9.4%
Master’s Degree 24.8%
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. 1.2%
Doctoral Degree 36.8%
Post-Doctoral Training 27.8%

Online Human Biology Programs

In 2020-2021, 38 schools offered a human biology 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 2 0
Bachelor’s Degree 2 0
Post-Baccalaureate 0 0
Master’s Degree 3 1
Post-Master’s 0 0
Doctor’s Degree (Research) 4 0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) 0 0
Doctor’s Degree (Other) 0 0

Is a Degree in Human Biology Worth It?

The median salary for a human biology 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 human biology.

Major Number of Grads
Other Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies 2,491
Sustainability Science 1,547
Nutrition Science 1,496
Behavioral Science 1,358
Computational Science 1,063
International Studies 918
Human Computer Interaction 822
Data Analytics 793
Museum Studies 696
Gerontology 655
Biological & Physical Science 639
Peace Studies & Conflict Resolution 522
Systems Theory 461
Dispute Resolution 416
Interdisciplinary Studies 402
Data Science 373
Mathematics & Computer Science 290
Historic Preservation 266
Science, Technology & Society 198
Multicultural & Diversity Studies 176
Cultural Studies & Analysis 161
Cognitive Science 123
Marine Science 104
Natural Sciences 76
Holocaust Studies 54
Medieval Studies 46
Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature 28
Classical & Ancient Studies 17
Earth Systems Science 13
Maritime Studies 9
Accounting & Computer Science 8
Linguistics and Computer Science 6
Environmental Geosciences 6
Linguistics and Anthropology 2
Biopsychology 0
Thanatology 0

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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