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Biopsychology

Types of Degrees Biopsychology Majors Are Earning

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

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	194

What Biopsychology Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Biopsychology emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Biology — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set built by a Biopsychology program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Biopsychology careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Biopsychology graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Working with Computers	4.4 / 7
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.3 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.3 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.2 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.2 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.1 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.1 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.1 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.1 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Biopsychology professionals:

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

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Biopsychology graduates include:

• Faculty Member
• College Faculty Member
• Lecturer
• University Faculty Member
• Assistant Professor
• Adjunct Instructor
• Professor
• Instructor
• College Professor
• Associate Professor
• Clinical Trials Manager
• Research Coordinator
• Clinical Project Manager
• Clinical Psychology Professor
• Child Development Teacher

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	28.8%
Bachelor’s degree	25.3%
Post-doctoral training	19.9%
Master’s degree	14.5%
Postsecondary certificate	3.4%
Some college courses	2.7%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	2.6%
High school diploma or equivalent	2.1%
Post-master’s certificate	0.5%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.2%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Biopsychology?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 78.9% of Biopsychology degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	153	78.9%
Men	41	21.1%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	90	46.4%
Asian	26	13.4%
Hispanic or Latino	36	18.6%
Black or African American	17	8.8%
Two or More Races	10	5.2%
Race Unknown	3	1.5%
International Students	12	6.2%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Biopsychology Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Biopsychology 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	$43,343
4 years	$45,640
5 years	$59,131

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $59,131 — roughly 36% above the 1-year mark.

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

Is a Degree in Biopsychology Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Biopsychology graduates earn a median of $45,640 four years after completion — roughly 20% 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
Multi Interdisciplinary Studies	30
Accounting and Computer Science	30.16
Anthrozoology	30.34
Behavioral Sciences	30.17
Biological and Physical Sciences	30.01
Classical and Ancient Studies	30.22
Climate Science	30.35
Cognitive Science	30.25
Computational Science	30.30
Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature	30.36
Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis	30.26
Data Analytics	30.71

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.