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Other Microbiological Sciences

Types of Degrees Other Microbiological Sciences Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Other Microbiological Sciences have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	171
Master’s Degree	36
Doctor’s Degree	46

What Other Microbiological Sciences Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Other Microbiological Sciences emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Biology — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Administrative — 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

Skills emphasized by a Other Microbiological Sciences program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

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

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Other Microbiological Sciences careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Other Microbiological Sciences graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Working with Computers	4.4 / 7
Getting Information	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
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	4.1 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.1 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.0 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.0 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Other Microbiological Sciences professionals:

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

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Other Microbiological Sciences graduates include:

• Clinical Project Manager
• Clinical Trials Manager
• Research Coordinator
• Postdoctoral Research Fellow
• Clinical Manager
• Clinical Research Administrator
• Clinical Research Director
• Clinical Program Coordinator
• Postdoctoral Researcher
• Clinical Trial Coordinator
• Oncology Clinical Research Coordinator
• Clinical Program Manager
• Clinical Trial Manager
• Postdoctoral Associate
• Clinical Research Manager

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	42.6%
Doctoral degree	13.6%
Post-doctoral training	13.2%
Master’s degree	12.1%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	5.0%
Postsecondary certificate	5.0%
Some college courses	4.0%
High school diploma or equivalent	3.0%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.5%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Other Microbiological Sciences?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 67.6% of Other Microbiological Sciences degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	171	67.6%
Men	82	32.4%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Other Microbiological Sciences graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	88	34.8%
Asian	75	29.6%
Hispanic or Latino	41	16.2%
Black or African American	3	1.2%
Two or More Races	14	5.5%
Race Unknown	9	3.6%
International Students	23	9.1%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Other Microbiological Sciences Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Other Microbiological Sciences 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 Other Microbiological Sciences Programs

Distance learning is reported by IPEDS for Other Microbiological Sciences. 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
Master’s	1	0

^{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 Other Microbiological Sciences Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Other Microbiological Sciences 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
Microbiology and Immunology	26.0508
Microbiology, General	26.0502
Mycology	26.0506
Parasitology	26.0505
Virology	26.0504
Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences, Other	26.0499
Structural Biology	26.0207
Aerospace Physiology and Medicine	26.0912

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.