Botany/Plant Biology

Types of Degrees Botany/Plant Biology Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many botany/plant biology graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Bachelor’s Degree	307
Doctor’s Degree	212
Master’s Degree	158
Basic Certificate	9
Associate Degree	4
Graduate Certificate	1

What Botany/Plant Biology Majors Need to Know

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to botany 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 Botany Majors

According to O*NET survey takers, a major in botany 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.
• Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• 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.
• 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 Botany Majors

A major in botany prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:

• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• 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.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Abilities for Botany Majors

As you progress with your botany degree, there are several abilities you should pick up that will help you in whatever related career you choose. These abilities include:

• 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.
• 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).
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

What Can You Do With a Botany/Plant Biology Major?

People with a botany degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Biological Science Professors	15.1%	$82,550
Clinical Research Coordinators	9.9%	$123,860
Molecular and Cellular Biologists	8.0%	$79,590
Natural Sciences Managers	9.9%	$123,860
Water Resource Specialists	9.9%	$123,860

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Botany/Plant Biology?

This is a less frequently chosen undergraduate major. Only 307 students graduated with a bachelor’s degree in botany/plant biology in 2021, making it rank #234 in popularity. This major is dominated by women with about 57% of recent graduates being female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	18
Black or African American	5
Hispanic or Latino	37
White	205
International Students	7
Other Races/Ethnicities	35

Geographic Diversity

Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in Botany. About 2.3% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

• China
• India
• Nepal
• Taiwan
• Brazil

How Much Do Botany/Plant Biology Majors Make?

Bachelor’s Degree Starting Salary

The U.S. Department of Education found that students who graduated in 2017-2019 with a bachelor’s degree in botany/plant biology made a median starting salary of $26,293 per year. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $26,293 (25th percentile) and $29,699 (75th percentile).

It’s important to note that just because the people reporting these salaries have a degree in botany, it does not mean that they are working in a job related to their degree.

Salaries According to BLS

Botany majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $83,600 to $139,680 (25th to 75th percentile). This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.

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 Botany/Plant Biology

Some careers associated with botany require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

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

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	0.7%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	1.7%
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)	1.8%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	2.4%
Bachelor’s Degree	35.6%
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.	2.0%
Master’s Degree	18.8%
Doctoral Degree	19.9%
Post-Doctoral Training	17.0%

Online Botany/Plant Biology Programs

In 2020-2021, 81 schools offered a botany program of some type. 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)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	0	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	0	0
Associate’s Degree	4	0
Bachelor’s Degree	2	0
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	70	0
Post-Master’s	1	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	66	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Botany/Plant Biology Worth It?

The median salary for a botany 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 Botany/Plant Biology

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

Major	Number of Grads
General Biology	107,165
Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology	14,535
Neurobiology & Neurosciences	11,615
Physiology & Pathology Sciences	8,813
Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology	7,247
Cell Biology & Anatomical Sciences	6,206
Microbiological Sciences & Immunology	4,566
Biological & Biomedical Sciences (Other)	4,420
Biotechnology	3,911
Zoology	2,984
Biomathematics & Bioinformatics	2,957
Genetics	1,543
Pharmacology & Toxicology	1,042
Molecular Medicine	83

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.