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Medical Anthropology

Types of Degrees Medical Anthropology Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Medical Anthropology may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	251
Master’s Degree	94
Doctor’s Degree	2

What Medical Anthropology Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Medical Anthropology emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Law and Government — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

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

Skills

Skills developed in a Medical Anthropology program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

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

Abilities

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

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Medical Anthropology graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.6 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.5 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.4 / 7
Working with Computers	4.4 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.3 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.3 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.2 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.2 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.2 / 7
Communicating with People Outside the Organization	4.2 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Medical Anthropology professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft SharePoint	Document management software	—
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Microsoft Windows	Operating system software	—
Adobe Acrobat	Document management software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Medical Anthropology graduates include:

• Compliance Director
• Planning Coordinator
• Service Director
• Gas Well Drilling Manager
• Oil Well Drilling Manager
• Director of Research
• Corporation Secretary
• Director of Consumer Affairs
• Extension Work Director
• Protective Signal Operations Supervisor
• Superintendent of Generation
• Research Director
• Bowling Alley Manager
• Supervisor, Road, Administrator
• Revenue Settlements Administrator

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	50.4%
Doctoral degree	13.8%
Master’s degree	10.2%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	8.1%
High school diploma or equivalent	6.0%
Postsecondary certificate	3.9%
Some college courses	3.1%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	2.5%
Post-master’s certificate	1.2%
First professional degree	0.9%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Medical Anthropology?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 84.4% of Medical Anthropology degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	293	84.4%
Men	54	15.6%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	192	55.3%
Asian	46	13.3%
Hispanic or Latino	49	14.1%
Black or African American	32	9.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native	1	0.3%
Two or More Races	16	4.6%
Race Unknown	5	1.4%
International Students	6	1.7%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Medical Anthropology Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Medical Anthropology 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	$29,017
4 years	$40,107
5 years	$48,105

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $48,105 — roughly 66% above the 1-year mark.

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

Is a Degree in Medical Anthropology Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Medical Anthropology graduates earn a median of $40,107 four years after completion — roughly 6% 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
Anthropology	45.02
Anthropology, General	45.0201
Anthropology, Other	45.0299
Cultural Anthropology	45.0204
Forensic Anthropology	45.0205
Physical and Biological Anthropology	45.0202
Archeology	45.0301
Geography and Anthropology	45.1501
Sociology and Anthropology	45.1301
American Government and Politics (United States)	45.1002

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.