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Evolutionary Biology

Types of Degrees Evolutionary Biology Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Evolutionary Biology may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	1
Bachelor’s Degree	118
Master’s Degree	29
Doctor’s Degree	28

What Evolutionary Biology Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

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

• Biology — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

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

Skills

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

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Abilities

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

• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.

Common Job Activities

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

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

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Evolutionary Biology professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
R	Object or component oriented development software	✓
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
SAS	Analytical or scientific software	—
The MathWorks MATLAB	Analytical or scientific software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Python	Object or component oriented development software	✓
IBM SPSS Statistics	Analytical or scientific software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Evolutionary Biology graduates include:

• Clinical Trials Manager
• Clinical Project Manager
• Research Coordinator
• Research Scientist
• Oncology Clinical Research Coordinator
• Clinical Trial Coordinator
• Clinical Research Administrator
• Postdoctoral Researcher
• Postdoctoral Associate
• Clinical Trial Manager
• Postdoctoral Research Fellow
• Clinical Data Coordinator
• Clinical Research Manager
• Clinical Research Monitor
• Clinical Research Director

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	35.5%
Master’s degree	19.9%
Post-doctoral training	18.3%
Doctoral degree	14.0%
Postsecondary certificate	3.5%
Some college courses	2.8%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	2.7%
High school diploma or equivalent	2.1%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.7%
Post-master’s certificate	0.5%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Evolutionary Biology?

Gender Distribution

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

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	104	59.1%
Men	72	40.9%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	95	54.0%
Asian	17	9.7%
Hispanic or Latino	20	11.4%
Black or African American	12	6.8%
Two or More Races	15	8.5%
Race Unknown	3	1.7%
International Students	14	8.0%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Evolutionary Biology Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Evolutionary 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.}

Is a Degree in Evolutionary Biology Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Evolutionary 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
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

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.