---

Anatomy

Types of Degrees Anatomy Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Anatomy may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	686
Master’s Degree	177
Doctor’s Degree	39

What Anatomy Majors Need to Know

Programs in Anatomy emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Anatomy graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Anatomy emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• Biology — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Medicine and Dentistry — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.4 / 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 developed in a Anatomy program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Abilities

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

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Anatomy graduates report doing:

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

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Anatomy professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
SAS	Analytical or scientific software	—
IBM SPSS Statistics	Analytical or scientific software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Geographic information system GIS software	Geographic information system	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
DOC Cop	Information retrieval or search software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Anatomy graduates include:

• College Professor
• Assistant Professor
• University Faculty Member
• Instructor
• Lecturer
• Professor
• Associate Professor
• Faculty Member
• College Faculty Member
• Adjunct Instructor
• Dentistry Teacher
• Medical Aides Teacher
• Health and Safety Instructor
• Clinical Assistant Professor
• First Aid Teacher

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Master’s degree	25.9%
Bachelor’s degree	23.2%
Doctoral degree	20.4%
Post-doctoral training	19.8%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	3.6%
Postsecondary certificate	3.3%
Some college courses	1.6%
High school diploma or equivalent	1.2%
Post-master’s certificate	0.6%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.4%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Anatomy?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 67.2% of Anatomy degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	606	67.2%
Men	296	32.8%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	319	35.4%
Asian	282	31.3%
Hispanic or Latino	159	17.6%
Black or African American	30	3.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native	3	0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	2	0.2%
Two or More Races	54	6.0%
Race Unknown	15	1.7%
International Students	38	4.2%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Anatomy Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Anatomy graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$39,752
4 years	$59,833
5 years	$74,905

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $74,905 — roughly 88% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Anatomy Programs

Fully online options are documented by IPEDS for Anatomy. 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	2	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 Anatomy Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Anatomy graduates earn a median of $59,833 four years after completion — roughly 57% 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
Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences	26.04
Cell Biology and Anatomy	26.0407
Cell/Cellular and Molecular Biology	26.0406
Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences, Other	26.0499
Cell/Cellular Biology and Histology	26.0401
Developmental Biology and Embryology	26.0404
Medical Microbiology and Bacteriology	26.0503
Pharmacology	26.1001
Toxicology	26.1004
Biostatistics	26.1102
Immunology	26.0507
Microbiology and Immunology	26.0508

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.