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Field of degree: Biology

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Biology field of degree. Employment: 3,789,370. Median annual wage: $80,000.

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Table 1. Biology degree, 2024
Data	Biology	All fields
Employment	3,789,370	65,886,610
Median wage	80,000	73,000
Percent employed part time	15	15
Percent employed in occupations requiring at least a bachelor's degree	69	61
Percent with an advanced degree	60	39
Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

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Chart 1. Types of biology, 2024
Biology majors	Major share
Biology	63
Biochemical Sciences	9
Physiology	5
Microbiology	4
Molecular Biology	4
Other	16
Note: The sum of percents by major may not total 100 due to rounding. Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

Chart 2. Employment distribution of workers with a biology degree, by occupational group, 2024.

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Chart 2. Employment distribution of workers with a biology degree, by occupational group, 2024
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	9
Business and financial operations occupations	6
Other	29
Note: The sum of percents by major may not total 100 due to rounding. Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

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, 2024	Percent of this occupation with an advanced degree, 2024	Percent growth, projected 2025–35	Typical entry-level education
Physicians, all other	14	100	3	Doctoral or professional degree
Managers, all other	4	22	5	Bachelor's degree
Physical scientists, all other	4	68	2	Bachelor's degree
Dentists, general	3	100	6	Doctoral or professional degree
Health specialties teachers, postsecondary	3	75	18	Doctoral or professional degree
Registered nurses	3	14	6	Bachelor's degree
Biological scientists, all other	2	53	5	Bachelor's degree
Elementary school teachers, except special education	2	50	0	Bachelor's degree
Medical scientists, except epidemiologists	2	63	13	Doctoral or professional degree
Pharmacists	2	76	5	Doctoral or professional degree
Note: Occupational profiles may comprise multiple SOC occupations, which may have differing education categories. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and U.S. Census Bureau.

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 October 29, 2026).

Last modified date: October 29, 2026