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Zoology Major

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Zoology

2,450 Bachelor's Degrees Annually
298 Master's Degrees Annually
#126 in Popularity
$83,600 Median Salary

Types of Degrees Zoology Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many zoology graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level Number of Grads
Bachelor’s Degree 2,450
Master’s Degree 298
Doctor’s Degree 187
Associate Degree 39
Basic Certificate 5
Graduate Certificate 4
Undergraduate Certificate 1

What Zoology Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to zoology were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.

Knowledge Areas for Zoology Majors

Zoology majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

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  • English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
  • 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.
  • Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

Skills for Zoology Majors

zoology majors are found most commonly in careers in which the following skills are important:

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  • Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
  • Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
  • 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.
  • Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Abilities for Zoology Majors

Zoology majors often go into careers where the following abilities are vital:

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  • Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • 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 Zoology Major?

People with a zoology degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title Job Growth Rate Median Salary
Biological Science Professors 15.1% $82,550
Clinical Research Coordinators 9.9% $123,860
Molecular and Cellular Biologists 8.0% $79,590
Natural Sciences Managers 9.9% $123,860
Water Resource Specialists 9.9% $123,860
Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists 7.7% $63,420

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Zoology?

2,450 Bachelor's Degrees Annually
73% Percent Women
25% Percent Racial-Ethnic Minorities*
This is a less frequently chosen undergraduate major. Only 2,450 students graduated with a bachelor’s degree in zoology in 2021, making it rank #126 in popularity. This major is dominated by women with about 73% of recent graduates being female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

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Race/Ethnicity Number of Grads
Asian 146
Black or African American 62
Hispanic or Latino 255
White 1,753
International Students 32
Other Races/Ethnicities 202

Geographic Diversity

Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in Zoology. About 1.3% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

  • China
  • India
  • Nepal
  • Canada
  • Brazil

How Much Do Zoology Majors Make?

Bachelor’s Degree Starting Salary

According to 2019-2020 data from the U.S. Department of Education, students who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in zoology have a median salary of $24,443 during the early years of their career. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $22,266 (25th percentile) and $27,184 (75th percentile).

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Note that some of these people may have jobs that are not directly related to a zoology degree.

Salaries According to BLS

Average salaries range from $67,760 to $97,340 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to zoology. 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.

Median Salary for a Zoology Major  ( 67760 to 97340 )
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250K
Median Salary for a High School Graduate  ( 30000 to 57900 )
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250K
Median Salary for a Bachelor's Degree Holder  ( 45600 to 99000 )
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250K
Median Salary for an Advanced Degree Holder  ( 55600 to 125400 )
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250K

Some careers associated with zoology 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.

Find out what the typical degree level is for zoology careers below.

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Education Level Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma 0.5%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED) 1.5%
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) 1.3%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) 1.8%
Bachelor’s Degree 37.3%
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. 2.6%
Master’s Degree 22.7%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level. 1.0%
Doctoral Degree 18.2%
Post-Doctoral Training 13.1%

Online Zoology Programs

In 2020-2021, 118 schools offered a zoology program of some type. 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) 0 0
Certificate (1-2 years) 2 0
Certificate (2-4 Years) 0 0
Associate’s Degree 10 1
Bachelor’s Degree 3 0
Post-Baccalaureate 0 0
Master’s Degree 81 3
Post-Master’s 1 0
Doctor’s Degree (Research) 75 0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) 1 0
Doctor’s Degree (Other) 0 0

Is a Degree in Zoology Worth It?

The median salary for a zoology grad is $83,600 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 110% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $874,000 after 20 years!

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

Major Number of Grads
General Biology 107,165
Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology 14,535
Neurobiology & Neurosciences 11,615
Physiology & Pathology Sciences 8,813
Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology 7,247
Cell Biology & Anatomical Sciences 6,206
Microbiological Sciences & Immunology 4,566
Biological & Biomedical Sciences (Other) 4,420
Biotechnology 3,911
Biomathematics & Bioinformatics 2,957
Genetics 1,543
Pharmacology & Toxicology 1,042
Botany/Plant Biology 691
Molecular Medicine 83

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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