An official website of the United States government

The .gov means it's official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a federal government site.

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Field of degree: Biology

PRINTER-FRIENDLY

Biology field of degree. Employment: 3,328,080. Median annual wage: $70,000.

View Chart Data

Table 1. Biology degree, 2021
Data	Biology	All fields
Employment	3,328,080	59,687,450
Median wage	70,000	63,000
Percent employed part time	16	14
Percent employed in occupations requiring at least a bachelor's degree	69	62
Percent with an advanced degree	60	38
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.

View Chart Data

Chart 1. Types of biology, 2021
Biology majors	Major share
Biology	64%
Biochemical Sciences	9
Physiology	4
Molecular Biology	4
Microbiology	4
Other	14
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, 2021.

View Chart Data

Chart 2. Employment distribution of workers with a biology degree, by occupational group, 2021
Occupational group	Occupational group share
Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations	34%
Management occupations	11
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.

View Chart Data

Table 2. Top-employing occupations for workers with a biology degree
Occupational Outlook Handbook profile	Percent growth, projected 2022–32	Typical entry-level education	Percent degree holders in this field, this occupation, 2021	Percent of this occupation with an advanced degree, 2021
Medical scientists, except epidemiologists	10%	Doctoral or professional degree	2%	71%
Registered nurses	6	Bachelor's degree	3	13
Dentists, general	4	Doctoral or professional degree	3	100
Postsecondary teachers, all other	4	Doctoral or professional degree	4	72
Managers, all other	3	Bachelor's degree	4	21
Pharmacists	3	Doctoral or professional degree	2	71
Physicians, all other	3	Doctoral or professional degree	14	100
Physical scientists, all other	2	Bachelor's degree	4	70
Elementary school teachers, except special education	1	Bachelor's degree	2	49
Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education	1	Bachelor's degree	2	55
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 September 06, 2023).

Last Modified Date: Wednesday, September 6, 2023