Photobiology

What Photobiology Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to photobiology were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.

Knowledge Areas for Photobiology Majors

According to O*NET survey takers, a major in photobiology should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:

• Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
• Chemistry - Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• 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.

Skills for Photobiology Majors

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

• Science - Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• 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.

Abilities for Photobiology Majors

Photobiology majors often go into careers where the following abilities are vital:

• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
• Category Flexibility - The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.

What Can You Do With a Photobiology Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with photobiology:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Molecular and Cellular Biologists	8.0%	$79,590

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Photobiology

Some degrees associated with photobiology may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

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

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	4.4%
Bachelor’s Degree	30.4%
Master’s Degree	13.0%
Doctoral Degree	21.7%
Post-Doctoral Training	30.4%

Majors Related to Photobiology

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

Major	Number of Grads
Biochemistry	10,015
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology	1,653
Molecular Biology	1,438
Molecular Biochemistry	442
Other Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology	312
Biophysics	286
Molecular Biophysics	167
Radiation Biology/Radiobiology	23
Structural Biology	18

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.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020

More about our data sources and methodologies.