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Other Botany/Plant Biology

Types of Degrees Other Botany/Plant Biology Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Other Botany/Plant Biology can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	11
Master’s Degree	15
Doctor’s Degree	21

What Other Botany/Plant Biology Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Other Botany/Plant Biology 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 built by a Other Botany/Plant Biology 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

Abilities most relevant to Other Botany/Plant Biology 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, Other Botany/Plant Biology 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 Other Botany/Plant Biology professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser 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	—
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 Other Botany/Plant Biology graduates include:

• Clinical Trials Manager
• Clinical Project Manager
• Research Coordinator
• Scientist
• Research Scientist
• Clinical Research Nurse Coordinator
• Postdoctoral Research Fellow
• Clinical Program Coordinator
• Clinical Coordinator
• Clinical Research Coordinator
• Clinical Study Manager
• Clinical Data Coordinator
• Clinical Research Monitor
• Clinical Program Manager
• Clinical Manager

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Other Botany/Plant Biology 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 Other Botany/Plant Biology?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 51.1% women and 48.9% men among Other Botany/Plant Biology graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	24	51.1%
Men	23	48.9%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	29	61.7%
Asian	3	6.4%
Hispanic or Latino	4	8.5%
Black or African American	4	8.5%
Two or More Races	4	8.5%
Race Unknown	1	2.1%
International Students	2	4.3%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Other Botany/Plant Biology Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Other Botany/Plant Biology 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.}

Is a Degree in Other Botany/Plant Biology Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Other Botany/Plant Biology 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	26.0301
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.