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Field of degree: Biology

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Biology field of degree. Employment: 3,584,600. Median annual wage: $75,000.

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Table 1. Biology degree, 2023
Data	Biology	All fields
Employment	3,584,600	63,725,710
Median wage	75,000	70,000
Percent employed part time	15	15
Percent employed in occupations requiring at least a bachelor's degree	70	62
Percent with an advanced degree	59	38
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.

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Chart 1. Types of biology, 2023
Biology majors	Major share
Biology	64%
Biochemical Sciences	8
Physiology	5
Microbiology	5
Molecular Biology	4
Other	15
Note: The sum of percents by major may not total 100 due to rounding. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.

Chart 2. Employment distribution of workers with a biology degree, by occupational group, 2023.

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Chart 2. Employment distribution of workers with a biology degree, by occupational group, 2023
Occupational group	Occupational group share
Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations	34%
Management occupations	12
Life, physical, and social science occupations	11
Educational instruction and library occupations	10
Business and financial operations occupations	6
Other	28
Note: The sum of percents by major may not total 100 due to rounding. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.

Table 2. Top-employing occupations for workers with a biology degree.

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Table 2. Top-employing occupations for workers with a biology degree
Occupation	Percent degree holders in this field, this occupation, 2023	Percent of this occupation with an advanced degree, 2023	Percent growth, projected 2024–34	Typical entry-level education
Physicians, all other	13%	100%	3%	Doctoral or professional degree
Physical scientists, all other	4	69	1	Bachelor's degree
Health specialties teachers, postsecondary	4	74	17	Doctoral or professional degree
Managers, all other	3	21	4	Bachelor's degree
Registered nurses	3	14	5	Bachelor's degree
Dentists, general	3	100	4	Doctoral or professional degree
Pharmacists	2	76	5	Doctoral or professional degree
Elementary school teachers, except special education	2	49	-2	Bachelor's degree
Medical scientists, except epidemiologists	2	67	9	Doctoral or professional degree
Biological scientists, all other	2	47	1	Bachelor's degree
Note: Occupational profiles may comprise multiple SOC occupations, which may have differing education categories. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (projected growth, entry-level education) and U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (degree holders, advanced degrees).

Suggested citation:

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Field of degree: Biology,
at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/field-of-degree/biology/biology-field-of-degree.htm (visited August 28, 2025).

Last Modified Date: Thursday, August 28, 2025