Biomathematics & Bioinformatics

Types of Degrees Biomathematics & Bioinformatics Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many biomathematics and bioinformatics graduations there were in 2017-2018 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Master’s Degree	1,278
Bachelor’s Degree	435
Doctor’s Degree	407
Graduate Certificate	115
Associate’s Degree	10
Basic Certificate	7
Undergraduate Certificate	1

What Biomathematics & Bioinformatics Majors Need to Know

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to biomathematics and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for Biomathematics Majors

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

• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
• Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

Skills for Biomathematics Majors

When studying biomathematics, you’ll learn many skills that will help you be successful in a wide range of jobs - even those that do not require a degree in the field. The following is a list of some of the most common skills needed for careers associated with this major:

• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• 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.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.

Abilities for Biomathematics Majors

A major in biomathematics will prepare for your careers in which the following abilities are important:

• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).

What Can You Do With a Biomathematics & Bioinformatics Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with biomathematics:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Bioinformatics Scientists	8.0%	$79,590
Biological Science Professors	15.1%	$82,550
Biostatisticians	33.9%	$87,780
Clinical Data Managers	33.9%	$87,780
Clinical Research Coordinators	9.9%	$123,860
Computer and Information Research Scientists	19.0%	$118,370
Data Warehousing Specialists	9.3%	$90,270
Database Architects	9.3%	$90,270
Health Specialties Professors	25.9%	$97,370
Mathematical Science Occupations	9.1%	NA
Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists	13.4%	$84,810
Natural Sciences Managers	9.9%	$123,860
Software Developers, Applications	30.7%	$103,620
Statisticians	33.9%	$87,780
Water Resource Specialists	9.9%	$123,860

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Biomathematics & Bioinformatics?

This is a less frequently chosen undergraduate major. Only 435 students graduated with a bachelor’s degree in biomathematics and bioinformatics in 2018, making it rank #207 in popularity. According to recent stats this major attracts about equal numbers of men and women. Roughly 48% of the graduates are women, and 52% are men.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of biomathematics majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	110
Black or African American	21
Hispanic or Latino	40
White	198
International Students	39
Other Races/Ethnicities	27

Geographic Diversity

Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in Biomathematics. About 9.0% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

• China
• India
• South Korea
• Taiwan
• Saudi Arabia

How Much Do Biomathematics & Bioinformatics Majors Make?

Bachelor’s Degree Starting Salary

Data from the U.S. Department of Education shows that biomathematics and bioinformatics students who graduated in 2015-2017 with a bachelor’s degree made a median starting salary of $67,800 per year. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $67,800 (25th percentile) and $67,800 (75th percentile).

We don’t know for sure if all of these people took jobs related to biomathematics so take that into consideration.

Salaries According to BLS

Biomathematics majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $93,350 to $122,320 (25th to 75th percentile). This range includes all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Biomathematics & Bioinformatics

Some degrees associated with biomathematics 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 biomathematics careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	1.0%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	1.3%
Some College Courses	0.6%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	2.3%
Bachelor’s Degree	38.9%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	1.8%
Master’s Degree	23.2%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.	0.3%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession.	0.1%
Doctoral Degree	17.2%
Post-Doctoral Training	13.5%

Online Biomathematics & Bioinformatics Programs

In the 2017-2018 academic year, 191 schools offered some type of biomathematics and bioinformatics program. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	3	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	0	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	1	0
Associate’s Degree	2	0
Bachelor’s Degree	32	4
Post-Baccalaureate	3	0
Master’s Degree	158	7
Post-Master’s	11	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	106	1
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Biomathematics & Bioinformatics Worth It?

The median salary for a biomathematics grad is $97,340 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 144% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $1,148,800 after 20 years!

Majors Related to Biomathematics & Bioinformatics

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

Major	Number of Grads
General Biology	95,805
Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology	14,048
Neurobiology & Neurosciences	8,716
Physiology & Pathology Sciences	8,072
Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology	6,799
Cell Biology & Anatomical Sciences	5,493
Microbiological Sciences & Immunology	4,316
Biological & Biomedical Sciences (Other)	3,131
Zoology	3,044
Biotechnology	3,038
Genetics	1,379
Pharmacology & Toxicology	1,167
Botany/Plant Biology	684
Molecular Medicine	52

References

• 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
• Image Credit: By Pixabay under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.