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Cellular Biology & Histology

Types of Degrees Cellular Biology & Histology Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Cellular Biology & Histology can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	345
Master’s Degree	41
Doctor’s Degree	100

What Cellular Biology & Histology Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Cellular Biology & Histology build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Cellular Biology & Histology graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Cellular Biology & Histology emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Biology — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Medicine and Dentistry — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.
• Chemistry — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.

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

Skills

Skills developed in a Cellular Biology & Histology program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Cellular Biology & Histology careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Near Vision — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Cellular Biology & Histology graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Documenting/Recording Information	4.3 / 7
Getting Information	4.2 / 7
Working with Computers	4.2 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.1 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.1 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.0 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	3.9 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	3.8 / 7
Processing Information	3.8 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.7 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Cellular Biology & Histology professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Laboratory information system LIS	Medical software	—
MEDITECH software	Medical software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Python	Object or component oriented development software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Spreadsheet software	Spreadsheet software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Cellular Biology & Histology graduates include:

• Cytologist
• Medical Technologist (MT)
• Cytopathology Technologist
• Cytology Coordinator
• Certified Cytotechnologist
• Cytology Technical Specialist
• Cytotechnologist
• Cytology Applications Specialist
• Histotechnologist
• Genetic Technologist
• Cytogenetics Technologist
• Cytotechnician
• Research Laboratory Specialist (Research Lab Specialist)
• Flow Cytometry Technologist
• Cytogenetic Technologist

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	45.8%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	15.8%
Master’s degree	13.7%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	6.4%
Post-doctoral training	6.2%
Doctoral degree	6.1%
Postsecondary certificate	3.3%
Some college courses	1.4%
High school diploma or equivalent	1.2%
Post-master’s certificate	0.2%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Cellular Biology & Histology?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 59.1% women and 40.9% men among Cellular Biology & Histology graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	287	59.1%
Men	199	40.9%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	200	41.2%
Asian	130	26.7%
Hispanic or Latino	43	8.8%
Black or African American	18	3.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native	2	0.4%
Two or More Races	25	5.1%
Race Unknown	20	4.1%
International Students	48	9.9%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Cellular Biology & Histology Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Cellular Biology & Histology 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.}

Is a Degree in Cellular Biology & Histology Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Cellular Biology & Histology 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 Biology and Anatomy	26.0407
Cell/Cellular and Molecular Biology	26.0406
Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences, Other	26.0499
Developmental Biology and Embryology	26.0404
Medical Microbiology and Bacteriology	26.0503
Pharmacology	26.1001
Toxicology	26.1004
Biostatistics	26.1102
Epidemiology and Biostatistics	26.1311
Immunology	26.0507

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.