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Virology

Types of Degrees Virology Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Virology can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Master’s Degree	1
Doctor’s Degree	15

What Virology Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Virology emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Biology — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.3 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Chemistry — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set built by a Virology program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 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

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Virology careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Virology graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.4 / 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	4.2 / 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 Virology professionals:

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

• Scientist
• Clinical Trials Manager
• Research Coordinator
• Clinical Project Manager
• Research Scientist
• Clinical Research Nurse Coordinator
• Clinical Trial Coordinator
• Clinical Program Manager
• Postdoctoral Research Fellow
• Clinical Research Administrator
• Postdoctoral Researcher
• Clinical Coordinator
• Clinical Research Monitor
• Clinical Trial Manager
• Clinical Research Director

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	34.0%
Post-doctoral training	19.0%
Master’s degree	17.8%
Doctoral degree	15.6%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	3.3%
Postsecondary certificate	3.3%
Some college courses	2.6%
High school diploma or equivalent	2.0%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.4%
Post-master’s certificate	0.9%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Virology?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 68.7% of Virology degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	5	31.2%
Men	11	68.8%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	7	43.8%
Asian	1	6.2%
Hispanic or Latino	4	25.0%
Black or African American	1	6.2%
International Students	3	18.8%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Virology Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Virology 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 Virology Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Virology 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
Mycology	26.0506
Parasitology	26.0505
Anatomy	26.0403
Cell/Cellular and Molecular Biology	26.0406
Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences, Other	26.0499

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.