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Mycology

Types of Degrees Mycology Majors Are Earning

Those studying Mycology can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Master’s Degree	6

What Mycology Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Mycology 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

Skills developed in a Mycology 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 Mycology 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, Mycology 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 Mycology professionals:

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

• Scientist
• Research Scientist
• Biologist
• Molecular Research Biologist
• Molecular Biology Scientist
• Neurophysiologist
• Cell Biologist
• Postdoctoral Research Fellow (Postdoc Research Fellow)
• Botany Teacher
• Mammalogy Teacher
• Embryology Teacher
• Biochemistry Professor
• Herpetology Teacher
• College Faculty Member
• Biological Sciences Instructor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Mycology 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.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Mycology?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 83.3% of Mycology degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	1	16.7%
Men	5	83.3%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	5	83.3%
Black or African American	1	16.7%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Mycology Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Mycology 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	$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.}

Is a Degree in Mycology Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Mycology 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
Medical Microbiology and Bacteriology	26.0503
Microbiological Sciences and Immunology, Other	26.0599
Microbiology and Immunology	26.0508
Microbiology, General	26.0502
Parasitology	26.0505
Virology	26.0504
Anatomy	26.0403
Animal Genetics	26.0804
Animal Physiology	26.0707

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.