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Microbial & Eukaryotic Genetics

What Microbial & Eukaryotic Genetics Majors Need to Know

Programs in Microbial & Eukaryotic Genetics build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Microbial & Eukaryotic Genetics graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Microbial & Eukaryotic Genetics emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Biology — Importance 4.9 / 5; level 6.7 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 5.5 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Chemistry — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a Microbial & Eukaryotic Genetics program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Science — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Abilities

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

• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.3 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Microbial & Eukaryotic Genetics graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.6 / 7
Processing Information	4.5 / 7
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Working with Computers	4.5 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.5 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.5 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.3 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.2 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.2 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Microbial & Eukaryotic Genetics professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
The MathWorks MATLAB	Analytical or scientific software	✓
C++	Object or component oriented development software	✓
R	Object or component oriented development software	✓
Python	Object or component oriented development software	✓
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Basic Local Alignment Search Tool BLAST	Analytical or scientific software	—
SAS	Analytical or scientific software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Microbial & Eukaryotic Genetics graduates include:

• Research Scientist
• Scientist
• Biologist
• Neurophysiologist
• Molecular Research Biologist
• Postdoctoral Research Fellow (Postdoc Research Fellow)
• Molecular Biology Scientist
• Cell Biologist
• Entomology Teacher
• Biology Adjunct Instructor
• Biological Sciences Instructor
• Biophysics Teacher
• Bacteriology Teacher
• Biology Adjunct Professor
• Plant Anatomy Teacher

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Post-doctoral training	34.1%
Doctoral degree	27.3%
Master’s degree	23.4%
Bachelor’s degree	12.7%
Post-master’s certificate	1.1%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.0%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	0.5%

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

How Much Do Microbial & Eukaryotic Genetics Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Microbial & Eukaryotic Genetics 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	$43,852
4 years	$57,533
5 years	$73,410

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $73,410 — roughly 67% above the 1-year mark.

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

Is a Degree in Microbial & Eukaryotic Genetics Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Microbial & Eukaryotic Genetics graduates earn a median of $57,533 four years after completion — roughly 51% 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
Genetics	26.08
Animal Genetics	26.0804
Genetics, General	26.0801
Genetics, Other	26.0899
Genome Sciences/Genomics	26.0807
Human/Medical Genetics	26.0806
Molecular Genetics	26.0802
Plant Genetics	26.0805
Anatomy	26.0403
Animal Physiology	26.0707
Aquatic Biology/Limnology	26.1304
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology	26.0210

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.