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Aquatic Biology/Limnology

Types of Degrees Aquatic Biology/Limnology Majors Are Earning

Those studying Aquatic Biology/Limnology have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	110
Master’s Degree	9

What Aquatic Biology/Limnology Majors Need to Know

Studies in Aquatic Biology/Limnology develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Aquatic Biology/Limnology graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Aquatic Biology/Limnology emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Biology — Importance 4.8 / 5; level 6.5 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Chemistry — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.

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

Skills

Skills built by a Aquatic Biology/Limnology program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Science — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Aquatic Biology/Limnology careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Aquatic Biology/Limnology graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Processing Information	4.6 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.5 / 7
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.4 / 7
Working with Computers	4.4 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.4 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.4 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.1 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Aquatic Biology/Limnology 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	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
SAS	Analytical or scientific software	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Geographic information system GIS software	Geographic information system	—
ClustalW	Analytical or scientific software	—
The MathWorks MATLAB	Analytical or scientific software	✓
R	Object or component oriented development software	✓

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Aquatic Biology/Limnology graduates include:

• Research Scientist
• Scientist
• Research Associate
• Research Technician
• Biologist
• Molecular Biology Scientist
• Postdoctoral Research Fellow (Postdoc Research Fellow)
• Neurophysiologist
• Cell Biologist
• Molecular Research Biologist
• Anatomy Instructor
• MCAT Biology Instructor (Medical College Admission Test Biology Instructor)
• College Professor
• Bacteriology Teacher
• Apiculture Teacher

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Post-doctoral training	27.0%
Master’s degree	24.7%
Doctoral degree	22.1%
Bachelor’s degree	20.4%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	3.9%
Post-master’s certificate	0.8%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	0.4%
Some college courses	0.3%
High school diploma or equivalent	0.3%
Postsecondary certificate	0.2%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Aquatic Biology/Limnology?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 57.1% women and 42.9% men among Aquatic Biology/Limnology graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	68	57.1%
Men	51	42.9%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Aquatic Biology/Limnology graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	81	68.1%
Asian	7	5.9%
Hispanic or Latino	14	11.8%
Black or African American	1	0.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	1	0.8%
Two or More Races	11	9.2%
Race Unknown	2	1.7%
International Students	2	1.7%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Aquatic Biology/Limnology Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Aquatic Biology/Limnology 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	$44,645
4 years	$55,280
5 years	$64,232

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $64,232 — roughly 44% above the 1-year mark.

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

Is a Degree in Aquatic Biology/Limnology Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Aquatic Biology/Limnology graduates earn a median of $55,280 four years after completion — roughly 45% 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
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology	26.13
Conservation Biology	26.1307
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology	26.1310
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics and Population Biology, Other	26.1399
Ecology	26.1301
Environmental Biology	26.1305
Epidemiology and Biostatistics	26.1311
Epidemiology	26.1309
Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography	26.1302
Population Biology	26.1306
Systematic Biology/Biological Systematics	26.1308
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.