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Animal Physiology

Types of Degrees Animal Physiology Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Animal Physiology have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	114
Master’s Degree	14
Doctor’s Degree	38

What Animal Physiology Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Animal Physiology emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Biology — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

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

Skills

Skills emphasized by a Animal Physiology program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Animal Physiology careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.

Common Job Activities

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

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

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Animal Physiology professionals:

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

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Animal Physiology graduates include:

• Clinical Project Manager
• Research Coordinator
• Clinical Trials Manager
• Research Scientist
• Oncology Clinical Research Coordinator
• Postdoctoral Associate
• Clinical Coordinator
• Clinical Research Nurse Coordinator
• Clinical Study Manager
• Clinical Research Coordinator
• Clinical Data Coordinator
• Clinical Research Manager
• Clinical Research Director
• Clinical Research Monitor
• Clinical Manager

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	35.5%
Master’s degree	19.9%
Post-doctoral training	18.3%
Doctoral degree	14.0%
Postsecondary certificate	3.5%
Some college courses	2.8%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	2.7%
High school diploma or equivalent	2.1%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.7%
Post-master’s certificate	0.5%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Animal Physiology?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 68.1% of Animal Physiology degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	113	68.1%
Men	53	31.9%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	74	44.6%
Asian	44	26.5%
Hispanic or Latino	16	9.6%
Black or African American	16	9.6%
Two or More Races	7	4.2%
International Students	9	5.4%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Animal Physiology Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Animal Physiology 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.}

Is a Degree in Animal Physiology Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Animal Physiology 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
Entomology	26.0702
Wildlife Biology	26.0709
Zoology/Animal Biology, Other	26.0799
Zoology/Animal Biology	26.0701
Ecology	26.1301
Evolutionary Biology	26.1303
Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography	26.1302
Anatomy	26.0403
Animal Genetics	26.0804
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology	26.0210

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.