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Radiation Biology/Radiobiology

Types of Degrees Radiation Biology/Radiobiology Majors Are Earning

Those studying Radiation Biology/Radiobiology may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	9
Master’s Degree	4
Doctor’s Degree	5

What Radiation Biology/Radiobiology Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Radiation Biology/Radiobiology build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Radiation Biology/Radiobiology graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Radiation Biology/Radiobiology emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Biology — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Chemistry — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills built by a Radiation Biology/Radiobiology program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Radiation Biology/Radiobiology careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Radiation Biology/Radiobiology graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Working with Computers	4.4 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.4 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.3 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.2 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.1 / 7
Processing Information	4.1 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.1 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Radiation Biology/Radiobiology professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
The MathWorks MATLAB	Analytical or scientific software	✓
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
R	Object or component oriented development software	✓
SAS	Analytical or scientific software	—
IBM SPSS Statistics	Analytical or scientific software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Python	Object or component oriented development software	✓

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Radiation Biology/Radiobiology graduates include:

• Clinical Trials Manager
• Research Coordinator
• Clinical Project Manager
• Clinical Coordinator
• Postdoctoral Associate
• Clinical Research Monitor
• Clinical Research Director
• Clinical Program Manager
• Clinical Research Manager
• Clinical Research Coordinator
• Clinical Trial Manager
• Postdoctoral Research Fellow
• Oncology Clinical Research Coordinator
• Clinical Manager
• Postdoctoral Fellow

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Radiation Biology/Radiobiology graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	33.1%
Post-doctoral training	20.0%
Master’s degree	17.7%
Doctoral degree	15.6%
Postsecondary certificate	3.9%
Some college courses	3.1%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	3.0%
High school diploma or equivalent	2.4%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.8%
Post-master’s certificate	0.5%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Radiation Biology/Radiobiology?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 72.2% of Radiation Biology/Radiobiology degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	13	72.2%
Men	5	27.8%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Radiation Biology/Radiobiology graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	11	61.1%
Asian	2	11.1%
Hispanic or Latino	1	5.6%
Two or More Races	1	5.6%
International Students	3	16.7%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Radiation Biology/Radiobiology Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Radiation Biology/Radiobiology graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$39,812
4 years	$57,445
5 years	$71,613

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $71,613 — roughly 80% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Radiation Biology/Radiobiology Programs

Online study is tracked by IPEDS for Radiation Biology/Radiobiology. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Master’s	1	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Radiation Biology/Radiobiology Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Radiation Biology/Radiobiology graduates earn a median of $57,445 four years after completion — roughly 51% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology	26.02
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology	26.0210
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology, Other	26.0299
Biochemistry	26.0202
Biophysics	26.0203
Molecular Biochemistry	26.0205
Molecular Biology	26.0204
Molecular Biophysics	26.0206
Photobiology	26.0208
Structural Biology	26.0207
Anatomy	26.0403
Animal Genetics	26.0804

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.