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Neurobiology & Behavior

Types of Degrees Neurobiology & Behavior Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Neurobiology & Behavior can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	155
Master’s Degree	17
Doctor’s Degree	11

What Neurobiology & Behavior Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Neurobiology & Behavior build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Neurobiology & Behavior graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Neurobiology & Behavior emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Biology — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.3 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Chemistry — Importance 3.3 / 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 emphasized by a Neurobiology & Behavior program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4 / 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 Neurobiology & Behavior careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Neurobiology & Behavior graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.5 / 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	4.1 / 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 Neurobiology & Behavior professionals:

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

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Neurobiology & Behavior graduates include:

• Research Coordinator
• Clinical Project Manager
• Clinical Trials Manager
• Research Scientist
• Scientist
• Postdoctoral Associate
• Clinical Trial Coordinator
• Postdoctoral Researcher
• Clinical Program Manager
• Postdoctoral Research Fellow
• Clinical Research Manager
• Clinical Research Monitor
• Clinical Program Coordinator
• Clinical Data Coordinator
• Clinical Research Director

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	31.3%
Post-doctoral training	20.3%
Master’s degree	18.2%
Doctoral degree	17.0%
Postsecondary certificate	3.6%
Some college courses	2.9%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	2.8%
High school diploma or equivalent	2.2%
Post-master’s certificate	1.0%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.7%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Neurobiology & Behavior?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 78.1% of Neurobiology & Behavior degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	143	78.1%
Men	40	21.9%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Neurobiology & Behavior graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	109	59.6%
Asian	19	10.4%
Hispanic or Latino	28	15.3%
Black or African American	7	3.8%
Two or More Races	6	3.3%
Race Unknown	3	1.6%
International Students	11	6.0%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Neurobiology & Behavior Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Neurobiology & Behavior 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	$31,154
4 years	$54,347
5 years	$68,598

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $68,598 — roughly 120% above the 1-year mark.

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

Is a Degree in Neurobiology & Behavior Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Neurobiology & Behavior graduates earn a median of $54,347 four years after completion — roughly 43% 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
Neurobiology and Neurosciences	26.15
Neuroanatomy	26.1502
Neurobiology and Anatomy	26.1503
Neurobiology and Neurosciences, Other	26.1599
Neuroscience	26.1501
Anatomy	26.0403
Cell/Cellular and Molecular Biology	26.0406
Cell/Cellular Biology and Histology	26.0401
Immunology	26.0507
Medical Microbiology and Bacteriology	26.0503
Microbiology and Immunology	26.0508
Molecular Biology	26.0204

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.