How much do you think a first-year Biology major should earn? The average starting salary for a biology major who just graduated is $37,000. If a student wants to be making more than that when they receive their degree, he or she should definitely focus on finding a job related to what he or she studied in school while they were getting their degree. It is not uncommon for Biology majors to be offered a 10% raise if they go into the field that relates directly to their major.
Starting Salary For Biology Major a biology major will get paid an average of $53,000 per year in their initial job. This equals to $26 per hour. However the starting salary for biology jobs is generally around the mid-40s — with some exceptions like doctors earning up to $200,000 per year after graduation. Biological and life science majors can expect a starting salary that’s right around $50,000 annually as a lab assistant or technician in a hospital or medical research center.
Starting Salary For Biology Major Overview
The starting salary for a biology major is pretty good, so you might be wondering how to go about making six figures with one. Well, we have some good news: it’s not as hard as you might think!
In fact, there are plenty of jobs that pay over $100K right off the bat, even if you’re just starting out with your career. But before we get into those jobs, let’s talk about what a biology degree can do for you. It’s no secret that there are tons of amazing jobs out there for people with biology degrees—including high-paying jobs in healthcare and medical research—and that’s because biology is an incredibly diverse degree. You can get experience in everything from agriculture to wildlife conservation and marine biology.
And on top of all that? Your chances of getting hired after graduation are pretty excellent. The unemployment rate for those with a biology degree is only about 2%, which means most people who graduate with this kind of education will find themselves in demand pretty quickly after school ends!
The Pay Scale for Biology Majors
any graduates fresh out of college dream of changing the world, but if your degree is in biology, you can make it happen. Biology majors have a range of exciting options when deciding what to do with their major. Being a biologist can be rewarding, significant work, and you can take your degree as far as working with and studying wildlife to developing beneficial drugs for third world-specific diseases. Biology degree salary depends on area of specialization, level of education and years of experience in the field.
Research Biologist
Scientific research in biology offers the widest range of job opportunities and direction. Biologists working as researchers can find employment in government entities or colleges and universities. Other opportunities for employment include scientific research and development institutions as well as pharmaceutical and medical manufacturing companies. In 2020, the average annual salary for a biological scientist employed in scientific research and development was $101,050, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, or BLS.
Salary can vary significantly depending on the type and size of the employer. For instance, biologists working in federal governmental institutions earned an average of $88,950, while those working in scholarly research at colleges and universities earned $71,140. Biologists working at pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing companies averaged $90,010. Gwynedd Mercy University reports that biologist working in the biomedical engineering field earn average salaries of $64,391 per year.
Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist
Another exciting employment avenue that biologists can take involves working in the field of zoology and wildlife biology, studying the habits and behavior of animals. Biologists in this subset develop and conduct experimental studies with animals, either in their natural habitat or a controlled environment. Other responsibilities might include collecting biological data and identifying specimens for analysis and writing peer-reviewed papers for publication based on the scientific findings.
Pros of Pursuing a Biology Major
- Lots of opportunities. Biology graduates are highly sought after as candidates for medical, dental, and veterinary schools.
- High salaries. Biology majors make an average salary of $60,000 per year, but $100,000 or more is common for medical workers with biology degrees. The average yearly salary for a biology major is $103,208. The entire field is experiencing salary growth — in one year, biology major salaries rose by close to 2%.
- Opportunities for world-class research. Most college biology programs participate in research projects that benefit society in the United States, and even all over the world.
- Learn important problem-solving skills. The skills taught throughout a biology curriculum have many real-world applications, making classes feel more fulfilling as you progress.
Cons of Pursuing a Biology Major
Remember, a con for one person might not be an issue for another. So before you keep reading, don’t make your decision based on difficulty and instead base it on interest.
- Difficulty. The rewards of a biology major come with many challenges. Courses are considered among the most difficult compared to other majors.
- Limited personal time. Biology majors usually report a below-average amount of free time throughout their college experience.
- High tuition costs. A lot of biology majors graduate undergrad, then immediately enter a master’s or doctorate program, so tuition costs can stack up before you start your career.
According to the Bureau, in 2020 the median annual salary for zoologists and wildlife biologists was $66,350. The top 10 percent earned a median salary of $106,320, while the bottom 10 percent earned less than $41,720. Animal scientists – a similar job to zoologist – earned a median annual salary of $63,490 per year.
Secondary Teacher
Biology majors in college can become secondary school biology teachers with a bachelor’s degree and an additional teaching certificate. Certification programs can take two years, but some institutions offer fast-track one-year options. The median annual salary for a biology major with a high school teaching credential was $62,870 per year as of 2020, according to the BLS. The top 10 percent earned a median income of $102,130, while the bottom 10 percent earned no more than $41,330.
Postsecondary Teacher
Another sector of education, postsecondary biology instruction, can be a satisfying career option. Biology majors with a bachelor’s degree or a master’s may find jobs as instructors at technical trade schools and junior colleges. According to the BLS, in 2020 these biological science teachers earned an average biology degree salary of $58,790 and $83,220 per year, respectively. New York, California, and Texas had the highest employment level in this industry. College and university instructors of biology with a Ph.D. earned median annual salaries of $85,600.
