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other cognitive science

What other cognitive science Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing other cognitive science emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Administrative — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Biology — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set developed in a other cognitive science program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Active Listening — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

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

• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, other cognitive science graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.4 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.4 / 7
Working with Computers	4.4 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	4.2 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	4.1 / 7
Scheduling Work and Activities	4.0 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.0 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by other cognitive science professionals:

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

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for other cognitive science graduates include:

• Industrial Arts Teacher
• Science Teacher
• Lecturer
• College Teacher
• Naval Science Teacher
• Medical Secretary Teacher
• Military Science Teacher
• Liberal Arts Teacher
• Instructor
• Military Science Instructor
• Flight Simulator Teacher
• Assistant Professor
• Braille Teacher
• Interior Design Teacher
• University Professor

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	53.4%
Master’s degree	12.0%
Postsecondary certificate	7.7%
Some college courses	6.2%
Post-doctoral training	6.0%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	5.6%
High school diploma or equivalent	4.7%
Doctoral degree	3.9%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.5%

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

How Much Do other cognitive science Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of other cognitive science 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	$46,058
4 years	$67,809
5 years	$79,238

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $79,238 — roughly 72% above the 1-year mark.

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

Is a Degree in other cognitive science Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, other cognitive science graduates earn a median of $67,809 four years after completion — roughly 78% 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
Cognitive Science	30.25
Cognitive Science, General	30.2501
Contemplative Studies/Inquiry	30.2502
Anthrozoology	30.3401
Biological and Physical Sciences	30.0101
Computational Science	30.3001
Data Science, General	30.7001
Data Science, Other	30.7099
Marine Sciences	30.3201
Natural Sciences	30.1801
Science, Technology and Society	30.1501

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.