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Botany

Types of Degrees Botany Majors Are Earning

Those studying Botany have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	2
Bachelor’s Degree	334
Master’s Degree	91
Doctor’s Degree	111

What Botany Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Botany develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Botany graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Botany 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 4.3 / 7.
• Chemistry — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a Botany 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.
• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Botany careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 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, Botany graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Working with Computers	4.4 / 7
Getting Information	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
Analyzing Data or Information	4.2 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.2 / 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 Botany professionals:

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

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

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	32.2%
Master’s degree	18.8%
Post-doctoral training	18.4%
Doctoral degree	15.9%
Postsecondary certificate	4.0%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	3.2%
Some college courses	2.8%
High school diploma or equivalent	2.1%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.2%
Post-master’s certificate	1.0%
First professional degree	0.5%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Botany?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 59.3% women and 40.7% men among Botany graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	319	59.3%
Men	219	40.7%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Botany graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	328	61.0%
Asian	27	5.0%
Hispanic or Latino	58	10.8%
Black or African American	12	2.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native	2	0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	2	0.4%
Two or More Races	33	6.1%
Race Unknown	20	3.7%
International Students	56	10.4%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Botany Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Botany graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$32,663
4 years	$39,154
5 years	$38,098

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $38,098 — roughly 17% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Botany Programs

Distance learning are documented by IPEDS for Botany. 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
Bachelor’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 Botany Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Botany graduates earn a median of $39,154 four years after completion — roughly 3% 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
Botany/Plant Biology	26.03
Botany/Plant Biology, Other	26.0399
Plant Molecular Biology	26.0308
Plant Pathology/Phytopathology	26.0305
Plant Physiology	26.0307
Anatomy	26.0403
Animal Genetics	26.0804
Animal Physiology	26.0707
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology	26.0210
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology, Other	26.0299
Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other	26.9999
Biology/Biological Sciences, General	26.0101

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.