Neurobiology & Neurosciences

Types of Degrees Neurobiology & Neurosciences Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many neurobiology and neurosciences graduations there were in 2017-2018 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Bachelor’s Degree	7,624
Doctor’s Degree	710
Master’s Degree	287
Graduate Certificate	68
Undergraduate Certificate	19
Basic Certificate	5
Associate’s Degree	3

What Neurobiology & Neurosciences Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, neurobiology 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 Neurobiology Majors

This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:

• Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• 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.
• 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.

Skills for Neurobiology Majors

The following list of skills has been highlighted as some of the most essential for careers related to neurobiology:

• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• 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.

Abilities for Neurobiology Majors

Some of the most crucial abilities to master while a neurobiology student include the following:

• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• 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).
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

What Can You Do With a Neurobiology & Neurosciences Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with neurobiology:

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
Molecular and Cellular Biologists	8.0%	$79,590
Natural Sciences Managers	9.9%	$123,860

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Neurobiology & Neurosciences?

This is a less frequently chosen undergraduate major. Only 7,624 students graduated with a bachelor’s degree in neurobiology and neurosciences in 2018, making it rank #59 in popularity. This major is dominated by women with about 65% of recent graduates being female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	1,614
Black or African American	391
Hispanic or Latino	803
White	3,983
International Students	282
Other Races/Ethnicities	551

Geographic Diversity

Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in Neurobiology. About 3.7% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

• China
• India
• Canada
• South Korea
• Taiwan

How Much Do Neurobiology & Neurosciences Majors Make?

Bachelor’s Degree Starting Salary

Data from the U.S. Department of Education shows that neurobiology and neurosciences students who graduated in 2015-2017 with a bachelor’s degree made a median starting salary of $31,000 per year. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $28,225 (25th percentile) and $33,450 (75th percentile).

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

Salaries According to BLS

Average salaries range from $83,600 to $97,340 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to neurobiology. This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.

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.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Neurobiology & Neurosciences

Some careers associated with neurobiology 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.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to neurobiology have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	0.7%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	1.7%
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)	1.7%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	2.4%
Bachelor’s Degree	25.2%
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.	1.6%
Master’s Degree	14.8%
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	25.7%
Post-Doctoral Training	26.4%

Online Neurobiology & Neurosciences Programs

In the 2017-2018 academic year, 298 schools offered some type of neurobiology and neurosciences program. 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)	3	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	2	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	0	0
Associate’s Degree	1	0
Bachelor’s Degree	9	1
Post-Baccalaureate	3	0
Master’s Degree	108	0
Post-Master’s	4	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	140	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	1	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Neurobiology & Neurosciences Worth It?

The median salary for a neurobiology 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!

Majors Related to Neurobiology & Neurosciences

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

Major	Number of Grads
General Biology	95,805
Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology	14,048
Physiology & Pathology Sciences	8,072
Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology	6,799
Cell Biology & Anatomical Sciences	5,493
Microbiological Sciences & Immunology	4,316
Biological & Biomedical Sciences (Other)	3,131
Zoology	3,044
Biotechnology	3,038
Biomathematics & Bioinformatics	2,253
Genetics	1,379
Pharmacology & Toxicology	1,167
Botany/Plant Biology	684
Molecular Medicine	52

References

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By LadyofHats under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.