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Environmental Biology

Types of Degrees Environmental Biology Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Environmental Biology have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	2
Bachelor’s Degree	368
Master’s Degree	52
Doctor’s Degree	27

What Environmental Biology Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

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

• Biology — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 5.9 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Chemistry — 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 developed in a Environmental Biology program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Science — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Environmental Biology 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 4.9 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Environmental Biology graduates report doing:

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

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Environmental Biology 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	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
R	Object or component oriented development software	✓
Python	Object or component oriented development software	✓
SAS	Analytical or scientific software	—
Geographic information system GIS software	Geographic information system	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Environmental Biology graduates include:

• Research Scientist
• Scientist
• Cell Biologist
• Conservationist
• Range Conservationist
• Natural Resources Specialist
• Range Scientist
• Wetland Scientist
• Wildlife Refuge Specialist
• Wildlife Conservationist
• Biologist
• Marine Scientist
• Entomologist
• Aquatic Biologist
• Fisheries Biologist

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	36.6%
Master’s degree	21.6%
Post-doctoral training	19.6%
Doctoral degree	16.1%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	2.4%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.9%
Postsecondary certificate	0.7%
Post-master’s certificate	0.6%
High school diploma or equivalent	0.4%
Some college courses	0.1%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Environmental Biology?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 61.5% of Environmental Biology degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	276	61.5%
Men	173	38.5%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	328	73.1%
Asian	14	3.1%
Hispanic or Latino	44	9.8%
Black or African American	9	2.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native	3	0.7%
Two or More Races	24	5.3%
Race Unknown	5	1.1%
International Students	22	4.9%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Environmental Biology Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Environmental Biology 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.}

Online Environmental Biology Programs

Online study are documented by IPEDS for Environmental Biology. 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
Master’s	1	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 Environmental Biology Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Environmental Biology 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
Ecology	26.1301
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.