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Plant Genetics

Types of Degrees Plant Genetics Majors Are Earning

Those studying Plant Genetics can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	10
Master’s Degree	9
Doctor’s Degree	13

What Plant Genetics Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Plant Genetics 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 4.4 / 7.
• Chemistry — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

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

Skills

Skills emphasized by a Plant Genetics 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

Abilities most relevant to Plant Genetics careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Plant Genetics graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Working with Computers	4.4 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.4 / 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	4.2 / 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 Plant Genetics professionals:

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

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Plant Genetics graduates include:

• Clinical Trials Manager
• Research Coordinator
• Clinical Project Manager
• Clinical Trial Manager
• Clinical Research Manager
• Clinical Manager
• Postdoctoral Fellow
• Clinical Program Manager
• Clinical Research Nurse Coordinator
• Clinical Study Manager
• Clinical Program Coordinator
• Postdoctoral Researcher
• Clinical Data Coordinator
• Clinical Research Director
• Postdoctoral Associate

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	33.1%
Post-doctoral training	20.0%
Master’s degree	17.7%
Doctoral degree	15.6%
Postsecondary certificate	3.9%
Some college courses	3.1%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	3.0%
High school diploma or equivalent	2.4%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.8%
Post-master’s certificate	0.5%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Plant Genetics?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 65.6% of Plant Genetics degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	21	65.6%
Men	11	34.4%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	23	71.9%
Asian	3	9.4%
Race Unknown	1	3.1%
International Students	5	15.6%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Plant Genetics Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Plant 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 Plant Genetics Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Plant 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
Microbial and Eukaryotic Genetics	26.0803
Molecular Genetics	26.0802
Anatomy	26.0403
Animal Physiology	26.0707
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology	26.0210
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology, Other	26.0299

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.