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Pharmacology

Types of Degrees Pharmacology Majors Are Earning

Those studying Pharmacology have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	67
Master’s Degree	217
Doctor’s Degree	199

What Pharmacology Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Pharmacology emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• Biology — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Medicine and Dentistry — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — 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 developed in a Pharmacology program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Pharmacology careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Pharmacology graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Working with Computers	4.4 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.3 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.2 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.2 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.2 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.1 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.1 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.1 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.1 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Pharmacology professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
SAS	Analytical or scientific software	—
IBM SPSS Statistics	Analytical or scientific software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Geographic information system GIS software	Geographic information system	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Learning management system LMS	Computer based training software	✓

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Pharmacology graduates include:

• University Faculty Member
• Adjunct Instructor
• Lecturer
• Faculty Member
• College Faculty Member
• Assistant Professor
• Professor
• Instructor
• Associate Professor
• College Professor
• Podiatry Professor
• Gastroenterology Teacher
• Anesthesiology Teacher
• Dietetics Teacher
• Health and Safety Instructor

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Master’s degree	25.9%
Bachelor’s degree	23.2%
Doctoral degree	20.4%
Post-doctoral training	19.8%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	3.6%
Postsecondary certificate	3.3%
Some college courses	1.6%
High school diploma or equivalent	1.2%
Post-master’s certificate	0.6%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.4%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Pharmacology?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 60.9% of Pharmacology degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	294	60.9%
Men	189	39.1%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	188	38.9%
Asian	75	15.5%
Hispanic or Latino	50	10.4%
Black or African American	36	7.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native	1	0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	1	0.2%
Two or More Races	23	4.8%
Race Unknown	18	3.7%
International Students	91	18.8%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Pharmacology Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Pharmacology graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$58,787
4 years	$74,178
5 years	$91,829

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $91,829 — roughly 56% above the 1-year mark.

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

Is a Degree in Pharmacology Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Pharmacology graduates earn a median of $74,178 four years after completion — roughly 95% 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
Pharmacology and Toxicology	26.10
Environmental Toxicology	26.1006
Molecular Pharmacology	26.1002
Molecular Toxicology	26.1005
Neuropharmacology	26.1003
Pharmacology and Toxicology, Other	26.1099
Pharmacology and Toxicology	26.1007
Toxicology	26.1004
Anatomy	26.0403
Cell/Cellular Biology and Histology	26.0401
Medical Microbiology and Bacteriology	26.0503
Biostatistics	26.1102

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.