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Medical Microbiology & Bacteriology

Types of Degrees Medical Microbiology & Bacteriology Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Medical Microbiology & Bacteriology have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	457
Master’s Degree	408
Doctor’s Degree	96

What Medical Microbiology & Bacteriology Majors Need to Know

Programs in Medical Microbiology & Bacteriology develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Medical Microbiology & Bacteriology graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Medical Microbiology & Bacteriology emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Biology — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.3 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set developed in a Medical Microbiology & Bacteriology program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Medical Microbiology & Bacteriology careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Medical Microbiology & Bacteriology graduates report doing:

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

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Medical Microbiology & Bacteriology professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
SAS	Analytical or scientific software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
IBM SPSS Statistics	Analytical or scientific software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Geographic information system GIS software	Geographic information system	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Calendar and scheduling software	Calendar and scheduling software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Medical Microbiology & Bacteriology graduates include:

• University Faculty Member
• Assistant Professor
• Lecturer
• Adjunct Instructor
• Instructor
• Professor
• Faculty Member
• College Professor
• Associate Professor
• College Faculty Member
• Histology Teacher
• Public Health Aides Teacher
• Coding Educator
• Occupational Therapy Teacher
• Dermatology Teacher

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Medical Microbiology & Bacteriology graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Master’s degree	26.1%
Bachelor’s degree	24.9%
Doctoral degree	19.3%
Post-doctoral training	18.6%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	3.4%
Postsecondary certificate	3.1%
Some college courses	1.6%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.3%
High school diploma or equivalent	1.3%
Post-master’s certificate	0.5%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Medical Microbiology & Bacteriology?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 69% of Medical Microbiology & Bacteriology degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	663	69.0%
Men	298	31.0%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Medical Microbiology & Bacteriology graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	535	55.7%
Asian	102	10.6%
Hispanic or Latino	159	16.5%
Black or African American	46	4.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native	1	0.1%
Two or More Races	46	4.8%
Race Unknown	26	2.7%
International Students	46	4.8%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Medical Microbiology & Bacteriology Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Medical Microbiology & Bacteriology graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$39,180
4 years	$52,367
5 years	$65,002

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $65,002 — roughly 66% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Medical Microbiology & Bacteriology Programs

Fully online options is tracked by IPEDS for Medical Microbiology & Bacteriology. 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
Bachelor’s	2	0
Master’s	1	1

^{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 Medical Microbiology & Bacteriology Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Medical Microbiology & Bacteriology graduates earn a median of $52,367 four years after completion — roughly 38% 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
Microbiological Sciences and Immunology	26.05
Immunology	26.0507
Infectious Disease and Global Health	26.0509
Microbiological Sciences and Immunology, Other	26.0599
Microbiology and Immunology	26.0508
Microbiology, General	26.0502
Mycology	26.0506
Parasitology	26.0505
Virology	26.0504
Anatomy	26.0403
Biostatistics	26.1102
Cell/Cellular and Molecular Biology	26.0406

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.