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Biology Education

Types of Degrees Biology Education Majors Are Earning

Those studying Biology Education have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	338
Master’s Degree	357
Doctor’s Degree	1

What Biology Education Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

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

• Education and Training — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.8 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.5 / 7.
• Psychology — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Sociology and Anthropology — Importance 3.3 / 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 Biology Education program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Learning Strategies — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Abilities

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

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.

Common Job Activities

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

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Training and Teaching Others	4.7 / 7
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.4 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.3 / 7
Coaching and Developing Others	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.3 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.2 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.2 / 7
Working with Computers	4.1 / 7
Developing Objectives and Strategies	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Biology Education professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Blackboard software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Desmos	Analytical or scientific software	—
Google Docs	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Padlet	Computer based training software	—
Geogebra	Analytical or scientific software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Biology Education graduates include:

• Educator
• Instructor
• Associate Professor
• Lecturer
• Assistant Professor
• College Professor
• Faculty Member
• Adjunct Instructor
• Professor
• Adult Basic Education Instructor
• Visual Education Teacher
• Education Instructor
• Mathematics Education Professor
• Educational Instructor
• Secondary Education Professor

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	47.4%
Bachelor’s degree	31.1%
Master’s degree	6.8%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	6.6%
Post-doctoral training	3.5%
Less than a high school diploma	2.3%
Post-master’s certificate	1.5%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	0.9%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Biology Education?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 70.8% of Biology Education degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	493	70.8%
Men	203	29.2%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	487	70.0%
Asian	30	4.3%
Hispanic or Latino	74	10.6%
Black or African American	32	4.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native	3	0.4%
Two or More Races	21	3.0%
Race Unknown	27	3.9%
International Students	22	3.2%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Biology Education Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Biology Education graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$49,919
4 years	$50,204
5 years	$56,331

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $56,331 — roughly 13% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Biology Education Programs

Distance learning is reported by IPEDS for Biology Education. 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	4	5
Master’s	10	11
Doctoral (Research)	1	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 Biology Education Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Biology Education graduates earn a median of $50,204 four years after completion — roughly 32% 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
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas	13.13
Agricultural Teacher Education	13.1301
Art Teacher Education	13.1302
Business and Innovation/Entrepreneurship Teacher Education	13.1303
Chemistry Teacher Education	13.1323
Communication Arts and Literature Teacher Education	13.1339
Computer Teacher Education	13.1321
Drama and Dance Teacher Education	13.1324
Driver and Safety Teacher Education	13.1304
Earth Science Teacher Education	13.1337
English/Language Arts Teacher Education	13.1305
Environmental Education	13.1338

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.