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Animal Biology

Types of Degrees Animal Biology Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Animal Biology can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	5
Associate’s Degree	21
Bachelor’s Degree	1,738
Master’s Degree	75
Doctor’s Degree	74

What Animal Biology Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Animal Biology emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Biology — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.

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

Skills

Skills built by a Animal Biology program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

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

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Animal Biology graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Working with Computers	4.4 / 7
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.3 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.1 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.1 / 7
Processing Information	4.0 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.0 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Animal Biology professionals:

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

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Animal Biology graduates include:

• Clinical Trials Manager
• Research Coordinator
• Clinical Project Manager
• Clinical Data Coordinator
• Postdoctoral Research Fellow
• Clinical Research Nurse Coordinator
• Postdoctoral Associate
• Clinical Research Monitor
• Postdoctoral Researcher
• Postdoctoral Fellow
• Clinical Program Manager
• Clinical Trial Manager
• Clinical Research Coordinator
• Clinical Coordinator
• Clinical Research Administrator

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	43.0%
Master’s degree	17.8%
Doctoral degree	11.8%
Post-doctoral training	11.1%
Postsecondary certificate	4.3%
Some college courses	3.6%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	3.3%
High school diploma or equivalent	2.8%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	2.4%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Animal Biology?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 73% of Animal Biology degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	1,396	73.0%
Men	517	27.0%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	1,323	69.2%
Asian	103	5.4%
Hispanic or Latino	223	11.7%
Black or African American	46	2.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native	14	0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	2	0.1%
Two or More Races	110	5.8%
Race Unknown	44	2.3%
International Students	48	2.5%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Animal Biology Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Animal Biology 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	$29,186
4 years	$39,528
5 years	$51,678

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $51,678 — roughly 77% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Animal Biology Programs

Online study is reported by IPEDS for Animal Biology. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Bachelor’s	2	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Animal Biology Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Animal Biology graduates earn a median of $39,528 four years after completion — roughly 4% 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
Zoology/Animal Biology	26.07
Animal Behavior and Ethology	26.0708
Animal Physiology	26.0707
Entomology	26.0702
Wildlife Biology	26.0709
Zoology/Animal Biology, Other	26.0799
Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography	26.1302
Biochemistry	26.0202
Biology/Biological Sciences, General	26.0101
Cell/Cellular and Molecular Biology	26.0406
Computational Biology	26.1104
Ecology	26.1301

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.