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Marine Sciences

Types of Degrees Marine Sciences Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Marine Sciences may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	2
Associate’s Degree	17
Bachelor’s Degree	306
Master’s Degree	121
Doctor’s Degree	36

What Marine Sciences Majors Need to Know

Programs in Marine Sciences emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Marine Sciences graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Marine Sciences emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Biology — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.0 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set developed in a Marine Sciences program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Abilities

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

• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Marine Sciences graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Working with Computers	4.4 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.2 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.2 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.2 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.1 / 7
Processing Information	4.1 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Marine Sciences professionals:

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

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Marine Sciences graduates include:

• Research Scientist
• Labor Relations Teacher
• Assistant Professor
• Flight Teacher
• Foreign Service Teacher
• College Instructor
• Lecturer
• College Teacher
• University Teacher
• Military Science Teacher
• Associate Professor
• City Planning Teacher
• Foreign Student Adviser Teacher
• Project Management Professor
• Liberal Arts Teacher

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	40.5%
Master’s degree	29.0%
Post-doctoral training	10.0%
Doctoral degree	7.0%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	3.4%
Postsecondary certificate	2.7%
High school diploma or equivalent	2.3%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	2.3%
Some college courses	2.2%
Post-master’s certificate	0.4%
First professional degree	0.3%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Marine Sciences?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 62% of Marine Sciences degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	299	62.0%
Men	183	38.0%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	286	59.3%
Asian	34	7.1%
Hispanic or Latino	77	16.0%
Black or African American	6	1.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native	1	0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	19	3.9%
Two or More Races	25	5.2%
Race Unknown	12	2.5%
International Students	22	4.6%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Marine Sciences Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Marine Sciences graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$27,992
4 years	$38,329
5 years	$48,064

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $48,064 — roughly 72% above the 1-year mark.

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

Is a Degree in Marine Sciences Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Marine Sciences graduates earn a median of $38,329 four years after completion — roughly 1% 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
Marine Sciences	30.32
Environmental Geosciences	30.4101
Natural Sciences	30.1801
Sustainability Studies	30.3301

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.