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Microbiology Science & Immunology Major

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Microbiology Science & Immunology

3,312 Bachelor's Degrees Annually
631 Master's Degrees Annually
#98 in Popularity
$96,420 Median Salary

Types of Degrees Microbiology Science & Immunology Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many microbiological sciences and immunology graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level Number of Grads
Bachelor’s Degree 3,312
Master’s Degree 631
Doctor’s Degree 592
Graduate Certificate 21
Associate Degree 9
Basic Certificate 1

What Microbiology Science & Immunology Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, microbiology majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.

Knowledge Areas for Microbiology Majors

Microbiology majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

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  • English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
  • Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
  • Chemistry - Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
  • Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

Skills for Microbiology Majors

When studying microbiology, you’ll learn many skills that will help you be successful in a wide range of jobs - even those that do not require a degree in the field. The following is a list of some of the most common skills needed for careers associated with this major:

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  • Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
  • Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
  • Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
  • Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Abilities for Microbiology Majors

Microbiology majors often go into careers where the following abilities are vital:

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  • Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
  • Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

What Can You Do With a Microbiology Science & Immunology Major?

People with a microbiology degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title Job Growth Rate Median Salary
Biological Science Professors 15.1% $82,550
Clinical Research Coordinators 9.9% $123,860
Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists 13.4% $84,810
Microbiologists 8.2% $71,650
Molecular and Cellular Biologists 8.0% $79,590
Natural Sciences Managers 9.9% $123,860
Water Resource Specialists 9.9% $123,860

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Microbiology Science & Immunology?

3,312 Bachelor's Degrees Annually
63% Percent Women
49% Percent Racial-Ethnic Minorities*
This is a less frequently chosen undergraduate major. Only 3,312 students graduated with a bachelor’s degree in microbiological sciences and immunology in 2021, making it rank #98 in popularity. The major attracts more women than men. About 63% of the recent graduates in this field are female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of microbiology majors is as follows:

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Race/Ethnicity Number of Grads
Asian 458
Black or African American 95
Hispanic or Latino 883
White 1,571
International Students 75
Other Races/Ethnicities 230

Geographic Diversity

Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in Microbiology. About 2.3% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

  • China
  • India
  • Saudi Arabia
  • South Korea
  • Taiwan

How Much Do Microbiology Science & Immunology Majors Make?

Bachelor’s Degree Starting Salary

The U.S. Department of Education found that students who graduated in 2017-2019 with a bachelor’s degree in microbiological sciences and immunology made a median starting salary of $32,921 per year. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $30,096 (25th percentile) and $36,905 (75th percentile).

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We don’t know for sure if all of these people took jobs related to microbiology so take that into consideration.

Salaries According to BLS

Microbiology majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $83,600 to $97,340 (25th to 75th percentile). This range includes all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Median Salary for a Microbiology Science & Immunology Major  ( 83600 to 97340 )
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Median Salary for a High School Graduate  ( 30000 to 57900 )
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250K
Median Salary for a Bachelor's Degree Holder  ( 45600 to 99000 )
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Median Salary for an Advanced Degree Holder  ( 55600 to 125400 )
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250K

Some careers associated with microbiology require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

Find out what the typical degree level is for microbiology careers below.

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Education Level Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma 0.5%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED) 1.2%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production) 1.3%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) 2.3%
Bachelor’s Degree 32.1%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master. 3.7%
Master’s Degree 18.4%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level. 0.5%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession. 0.0%
Doctoral Degree 19.6%
Post-Doctoral Training 20.6%

Online Microbiology Science & Immunology Programs

In 2020-2021, 202 schools offered a microbiology program of some type. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level Colleges Offering Programs Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year) 0 0
Certificate (1-2 years) 0 0
Certificate (2-4 Years) 0 0
Associate’s Degree 6 0
Bachelor’s Degree 8 2
Post-Baccalaureate 0 0
Master’s Degree 158 2
Post-Master’s 3 0
Doctor’s Degree (Research) 161 0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) 1 0
Doctor’s Degree (Other) 0 0

Is a Degree in Microbiology Science & Immunology Worth It?

The median salary for a microbiology grad is $96,420 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 142% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $1,130,400 after 20 years!

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You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to microbiology.

Major Number of Grads
General Biology 107,165
Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology 14,535
Neurobiology & Neurosciences 11,615
Physiology & Pathology Sciences 8,813
Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology 7,247
Cell Biology & Anatomical Sciences 6,206
Biological & Biomedical Sciences (Other) 4,420
Biotechnology 3,911
Zoology 2,984
Biomathematics & Bioinformatics 2,957
Genetics 1,543
Pharmacology & Toxicology 1,042
Botany/Plant Biology 691
Molecular Medicine 83

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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