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Ecology

Types of Degrees Ecology Majors Are Earning

Those studying Ecology can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	824
Master’s Degree	194
Doctor’s Degree	183

What Ecology Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Ecology emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Biology — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

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

Skills

Skills built by a Ecology program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Abilities

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

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Ecology graduates report doing:

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

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Ecology 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	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
R	Object or component oriented development software	✓
The MathWorks MATLAB	Analytical or scientific software	✓
ESRI ArcGIS software	Geographic information system	✓

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Ecology graduates include:

• College Faculty Member
• Professor
• College Professor
• University Faculty Member
• Assistant Professor
• Instructor
• Associate Professor
• Lecturer
• Clinical Trials Manager
• Clinical Project Manager
• Research Coordinator
• Research Scientist
• Clinical Program Manager
• Clinical Trial Coordinator
• Postdoctoral Fellow

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	34.6%
Doctoral degree	21.4%
Master’s degree	17.6%
Post-doctoral training	16.1%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	2.9%
Postsecondary certificate	2.6%
Some college courses	1.9%
High school diploma or equivalent	1.6%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.1%
Post-master’s certificate	0.3%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Ecology?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 61.8% of Ecology degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	742	61.8%
Men	459	38.2%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	807	67.2%
Asian	71	5.9%
Hispanic or Latino	151	12.6%
Black or African American	22	1.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native	5	0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	1	0.1%
Two or More Races	57	4.7%
Race Unknown	38	3.2%
International Students	49	4.1%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Ecology Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Ecology 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	$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.}

Online Ecology Programs

Distance learning is tracked by IPEDS for Ecology. 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	1	2

^{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 Ecology Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Ecology 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
Aquatic Biology/Limnology	26.1304
Conservation Biology	26.1307
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology	26.1310
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics and Population Biology, Other	26.1399
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
Animal Physiology	26.0707

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.