---

biomechanics

Types of Degrees biomechanics Majors Are Earning

Those studying biomechanics may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	29
Master’s Degree	20
Doctor’s Degree	13

What biomechanics Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

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

• English Language — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.6 / 7.
• Biology — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.6 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5.7 / 7.
• Medicine and Dentistry — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.6 / 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 biomechanics program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Active Learning — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Abilities

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

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.7 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, biomechanics graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.6 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.5 / 7
Working with Computers	4.5 / 7
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.3 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.2 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.1 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.1 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.1 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.1 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by biomechanics professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
SAS	Analytical or scientific software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
IBM SPSS Statistics	Analytical or scientific software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Google Docs	Word processing software	—
Course management system software	Computer based training software	—
iParadigms Turnitin	Information retrieval or search software	—
DOC Cop	Information retrieval or search software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for biomechanics graduates include:

• Professor
• University Faculty Member
• Faculty Member
• Assistant Professor
• Adjunct Instructor
• Instructor
• College Professor
• Lecturer
• College Faculty Member
• Associate Professor
• Mental Health Aides Teacher
• Radiologic Technology Teacher
• Physiology Teacher
• Roentgenology Teacher
• Neurology Teacher

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Master’s degree	29.4%
Doctoral degree	29.3%
Post-doctoral training	23.7%
Bachelor’s degree	11.0%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	3.5%
Postsecondary certificate	2.1%
First professional degree	0.6%
Post-master’s certificate	0.5%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in biomechanics?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 59.7% women and 40.3% men among biomechanics graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	37	59.7%
Men	25	40.3%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	47	75.8%
Asian	3	4.8%
Hispanic or Latino	1	1.6%
Two or More Races	1	1.6%
International Students	10	16.1%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do biomechanics Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of biomechanics 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	$32,024
4 years	$53,598
5 years	$65,802

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $65,802 — roughly 105% above the 1-year mark.

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

Is a Degree in biomechanics Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, biomechanics graduates earn a median of $53,598 four years after completion — roughly 41% 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
Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences	26.09
Aerospace Physiology and Medicine	26.0912
Cardiovascular Science	26.0907
Cell Physiology	26.0903
Endocrinology	26.0904
Exercise Physiology and Kinesiology	26.0908
Molecular Physiology	26.0902
Oncology and Cancer Biology	26.0911
Pathology/Experimental Pathology	26.0910
Physiology, General	26.0901
Physiology, Pathology, and Related Sciences, Other	26.0999
Reproductive Biology	26.0905

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.