Health Sciences & Services
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Types of Degrees Health Sciences & Services Majors Are Getting
The following table lists how many health sciences and services graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.
| Education Level | Number of Grads |
|---|---|
| Bachelor’s Degree | 18,866 |
| Associate Degree | 10,218 |
| Basic Certificate | 3,850 |
| Master’s Degree | 1,333 |
| Undergraduate Certificate | 1,265 |
| Graduate Certificate | 221 |
| Doctor’s Degree | 192 |
What Health Sciences & Services Majors Need to Know
People with careers related to health science 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 Health Science Majors
According to O*NET survey takers, a major in health science should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:
- Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
- Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
- English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
- Clerical - Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
Skills for Health Science Majors
A major in health science prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:
- 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.
- Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Abilities for Health Science Majors
As you progress with your health science degree, there are several abilities you should pick up that will help you in whatever related career you choose. These abilities include:
- Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
- Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
- Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
- Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
- Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
What Can You Do With a Health Sciences & Services Major?
People with a health science degree often go into the following careers:
| Job Title | Job Growth Rate | Median Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Community Health Workers | 17.9% | $39,540 |
| Health Educators | 14.6% | $54,220 |
Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Health Sciences & Services?
Racial-Ethnic Diversity
At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of health science majors is as follows:
| Race/Ethnicity | Number of Grads |
|---|---|
| Asian | 1,913 |
| Black or African American | 2,967 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 3,560 |
| White | 8,780 |
| International Students | 335 |
| Other Races/Ethnicities | 1,311 |
Geographic Diversity
Students from other countries are interested in Health Science, too. About 1.8% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:
- Saudi Arabia
- China
- Canada
- South Korea
- Nigeria
How Much Do Health Sciences & Services Majors Make?
Bachelor’s Degree Starting Salary
The median early-career salary of health sciences and services students with a bachelor’s degree is $31,369 a year according to 2019-2020 data from the U.S. Department of Education. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $29,203 (25th percentile) and $36,626 (75th percentile).
We don’t know for sure if all of these people took jobs related to health science so take that into consideration.
Salaries According to BLS
Health Science majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $43,480 to $59,660 (25th to 75th percentile). 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.
Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Health Sciences & Services
Some degrees associated with health science may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.
Find out what the typical degree level is for health science careers below.
| Education Level | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED) | 5.4% |
| Some College Courses | 1.5% |
| Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 40.2% |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 42.9% |
| Master’s Degree | 10.1% |
| Doctoral Degree | 0.4% |
Online Health Sciences & Services Programs
In 2020-2021, 829 schools offered a health science 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) | 50 | 5 |
| Certificate (2-4 Years) | 2 | 0 |
| Associate’s Degree | 309 | 44 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 43 | 19 |
| Post-Baccalaureate | 0 | 0 |
| Master’s Degree | 69 | 28 |
| Post-Master’s | 6 | 0 |
| Doctor’s Degree (Research) | 16 | 3 |
| Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) | 5 | 2 |
| Doctor’s Degree (Other) | 2 | 1 |
Is a Degree in Health Sciences & Services Worth It?
The median salary for a health science grad is $43,480 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.
This is 9% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $71,600 after 20 years!
Top Ranking Lists for Health Sciences & Services
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Majors Related to Health Sciences & Services
You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to health science.
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.
- College Factual
- College Scorecard
- National Center for Education Statistics
- O*NET Online
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
- Image Credit: By Sandra M. Palumbo under License
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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