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Cell Biology & Anatomy

Types of Degrees Cell Biology & Anatomy Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Cell Biology & Anatomy can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	7
Master’s Degree	91
Doctor’s Degree	29

What Cell Biology & Anatomy Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Cell Biology & Anatomy emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Biology — Importance 4.9 / 5; level 6.6 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Chemistry — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.

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

Skills

Skills built by a Cell Biology & Anatomy program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Science — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Abilities

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

• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.3 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Cell Biology & Anatomy graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.6 / 7
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Processing Information	4.5 / 7
Working with Computers	4.5 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.4 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.4 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.3 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.3 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.3 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.2 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Cell Biology & 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	—
The MathWorks MATLAB	Analytical or scientific software	✓
R	Object or component oriented development software	✓
Python	Object or component oriented development software	✓
SAS	Analytical or scientific software	—
IBM SPSS Statistics	Analytical or scientific software	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
National Instruments LabVIEW	Development environment software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Cell Biology & Anatomy graduates include:

• Research Scientist
• Scientist
• Neurophysiologist
• Biologist
• Molecular Research Biologist
• Cell Biologist
• Molecular Biology Scientist
• Postdoctoral Research Fellow (Postdoc Research Fellow)
• Researcher
• Botany Teacher
• Science Professor
• Arboriculture Teacher
• Biology Adjunct Professor
• Assistant Professor
• Plant Taxonomy Teacher

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Post-doctoral training	32.8%
Doctoral degree	28.5%
Master’s degree	23.6%
Bachelor’s degree	12.0%
Post-master’s certificate	1.9%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.9%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	0.4%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Cell Biology & Anatomy?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 66.9% of Cell Biology & Anatomy degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	85	66.9%
Men	42	33.1%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	77	60.6%
Asian	7	5.5%
Hispanic or Latino	14	11.0%
Black or African American	9	7.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native	2	1.6%
Two or More Races	9	7.1%
Race Unknown	2	1.6%
International Students	7	5.5%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Cell Biology & Anatomy Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Cell Biology & Anatomy 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	$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.}

Is a Degree in Cell Biology & Anatomy Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Cell Biology & 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
Anatomy	26.0403
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
Immunology	26.0507
Medical Microbiology and Bacteriology	26.0503
Microbiology and Immunology	26.0508
Molecular Biology	26.0204
Neuroanatomy	26.1502
Neurobiology and Anatomy	26.1503

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.