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Human Biology Major

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Human Biology

1,907 Bachelor's Degrees Annually
7 Master's Degrees Annually
#132 in Popularity
$83,600 Median Salary

Types of Degrees Human Biology Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many human biology graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level Number of Grads
Bachelor’s Degree 1,907
Associate Degree 14
Doctor’s Degree 10
Master’s Degree 7
Graduate Certificate 1

What Human Biology Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to human biology 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 Human Biology Majors

According to O*NET survey takers, a major in human biology should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:

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  • Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
  • English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • 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.
  • Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
  • Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

Skills for Human Biology Majors

human biology majors are found most commonly in careers in which the following skills are important:

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  • Science - Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
  • Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
  • Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
  • Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Abilities for Human Biology Majors

A major in human biology will prepare for your careers in which the following abilities are important:

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  • Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
  • Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
  • Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

What Can You Do With a Human Biology Major?

People with a human biology degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title Job Growth Rate Median Salary
Anthropologists 3.9% $62,410
Biological Science Professors 15.1% $82,550
Molecular and Cellular Biologists 8.0% $79,590
Social Sciences Professors 9.8% $71,600

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Biology?

1,907 Bachelor's Degrees Annually
77% Percent Women
62% Percent Racial-Ethnic Minorities*
This is a less frequently chosen undergraduate major. Only 1,907 students graduated with a bachelor’s degree in human biology in 2021, making it rank #132 in popularity. This major is dominated by women with about 77% of recent graduates being female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of human biology majors is as follows:

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Race/Ethnicity Number of Grads
Asian 528
Black or African American 205
Hispanic or Latino 346
White 646
International Students 56
Other Races/Ethnicities 126

Geographic Diversity

Human Biology appeals to people across the globe. About 2.9% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

  • Canada
  • China
  • South Korea
  • Nigeria
  • United Kingdom

How Much Do Human Biology Majors Make?

Bachelor’s Degree Starting Salary

The U.S. Department of Education found that students who graduated in 2017-2019 with a bachelor’s degree in human biology made a median starting salary of $30,117 per year. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $29,656 (25th percentile) and $30,261 (75th percentile).

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One thing to note here is that not all of these people may be working in careers related to human biology.

Salaries According to BLS

Human Biology majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $65,310 to $87,950 (25th to 75th percentile). This range includes all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

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.

Median Salary for a Human Biology Major  ( 65310 to 87950 )
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Median Salary for a High School Graduate  ( 30000 to 57900 )
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250K
Median Salary for a Bachelor's Degree Holder  ( 45600 to 99000 )
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250K
Median Salary for an Advanced Degree Holder  ( 55600 to 125400 )
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250K

Some careers associated with human biology require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to human biology have obtained the following education levels.

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Education Level Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma 1.2%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) 0.5%
Bachelor’s Degree 9.4%
Master’s Degree 24.8%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession. 1.2%
Doctoral Degree 36.8%
Post-Doctoral Training 27.8%

Online Human Biology Programs

In 2020-2021, 38 schools offered a human biology 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) 0 0
Certificate (2-4 Years) 0 0
Associate’s Degree 2 0
Bachelor’s Degree 2 0
Post-Baccalaureate 0 0
Master’s Degree 3 1
Post-Master’s 0 0
Doctor’s Degree (Research) 4 0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) 0 0
Doctor’s Degree (Other) 0 0

Is a Degree in Human Biology Worth It?

The median salary for a human biology grad is $83,600 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 110% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $874,000 after 20 years!

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You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to human biology.

Major Number of Grads
Other Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies 34,975
Biological & Physical Science 30,075
Interdisciplinary Studies 9,074
International Studies 7,368
Nutrition Science 5,330
Behavioral Science 4,169
Sustainability Science 3,005
Cognitive Science 2,776
Natural Sciences 2,214
Human Computer Interaction 1,857
Computational Science 1,360
Data Analytics 1,338
Mathematics & Computer Science 1,302
Gerontology 1,234
Peace Studies & Conflict Resolution 1,175
Science, Technology & Society 1,095
Systems Theory 884
Museum Studies 816
Dispute Resolution 648
Data Science 541
Multicultural & Diversity Studies 482
Historic Preservation 416
Cultural Studies & Analysis 405
Marine Science 334
Classical & Ancient Studies 275
Biopsychology 183
Medieval Studies 104
Philosophy, Politics, and Economics 97
History and Political Science 66
Holocaust Studies 66
Maritime Studies 50
Accounting & Computer Science 48
Earth Systems Science 44
Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature 42
Geography and Environmental Studies 40
Environmental Geosciences 20
Anthrozoology 13
Digital Humanities and Textual Studies 12
Mathematical Economics 10
Linguistics and Computer Science 6
Linguistics and Anthropology 4
Economics and Computer Science 2
History and Language/Literature 0
Thanatology 0

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.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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