---

Physical & Biological Anthropology

Types of Degrees Physical & Biological Anthropology Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Physical & Biological Anthropology can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	21
Master’s Degree	20
Doctor’s Degree	2

What Physical & Biological Anthropology Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Physical & Biological Anthropology build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Physical & Biological Anthropology graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Physical & Biological 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 built by a Physical & Biological 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 Physical & Biological 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, Physical & Biological 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 Physical & Biological Anthropology professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail 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	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Physical & Biological Anthropology graduates include:

• Compliance Director
• Winter Sports Manager
• Water Registrar
• Superintendent of Generation
• Director of Vocational Training
• Bowling Alley Manager
• Entertainment Director
• Branch Chief
• Show Operations Supervisor
• Director of Entertainment
• Camp Director
• Protective Signal Operations Supervisor
• Project Director
• Education Supervisor
• Area Supervisor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Physical & Biological 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 Physical & Biological Anthropology?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 88.4% of Physical & Biological Anthropology degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	38	88.4%
Men	5	11.6%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	24	55.8%
Asian	5	11.6%
Hispanic or Latino	7	16.3%
Black or African American	1	2.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native	1	2.3%
Two or More Races	4	9.3%
International Students	1	2.3%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Physical & Biological Anthropology Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Physical & Biological Anthropology 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	$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 Physical & Biological Anthropology Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Physical & Biological 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
Medical Anthropology	45.0203
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.