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Cell Physiology

Types of Degrees Cell Physiology Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Cell Physiology can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	2
Master’s Degree	18
Doctor’s Degree	31

What Cell Physiology Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Cell Physiology emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Biology — Importance 4.9 / 5; level 6.6 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.3 / 7.
• Chemistry — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.

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

Skills

Skills built by a Cell Physiology program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Science — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Active Learning — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Abilities

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

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.4 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Cell Physiology graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.6 / 7
Working with Computers	4.5 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.4 / 7
Processing Information	4.4 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.4 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.3 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.3 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.3 / 7
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.3 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Cell Physiology professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Statistical software	Analytical or scientific software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
National Instruments LabVIEW	Development environment software	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Spreadsheet software	Spreadsheet software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
SAS	Analytical or scientific software	—
IBM SPSS Statistics	Analytical or scientific software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
The MathWorks MATLAB	Analytical or scientific software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
The Mathworks SimBiology	Analytical or scientific software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Cell Physiology graduates include:

• Physiology Instructor
• Embryology Teacher
• Science Professor
• Herpetology Teacher
• Anatomy Professor
• Bacteriology Professor
• Life Sciences Teacher
• Professor
• Biology Instructor
• Biochemistry Professor
• Zoology Teacher
• Parasitology Teacher
• Human Anatomy Teacher
• Adjunct Biology Professor
• Adjunct Biology Instructor

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	44.6%
Post-doctoral training	34.2%
Master’s degree	15.7%
Bachelor’s degree	2.6%
Post-master’s certificate	2.1%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	0.9%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Cell Physiology?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 68.6% of Cell Physiology degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	35	68.6%
Men	16	31.4%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	22	43.1%
Asian	7	13.7%
Hispanic or Latino	8	15.7%
Black or African American	1	2.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	1	2.0%
Two or More Races	4	7.8%
Race Unknown	2	3.9%
International Students	6	11.8%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Cell Physiology Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Cell Physiology 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	$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 Cell Physiology Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Cell Physiology 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
Biomechanics	26.0913
Cardiovascular Science	26.0907
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.