Biology degree: salary, jobs & colleges
Bachelor's graduates in biology earn a median $57,996 four years after finishing, across 837 U.S. colleges. At ages 25-34, people whose degree is in biology earn $55,839, $6,210 less than all bachelor's holders. The most common job is registered nurses (6%).
Median across 837 colleges; middle half $51,767–$64,303.
College Scorecard field of study (graduates who received federal aid)
Middle half $35,797–$79,431. 12,117 survey respondents.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata; field "Biology"; EducationGuide calculation
- All bachelor's, 25-34$62,049
- High school, 25-34$35,638
- This degree vs high school+$20,201/yr
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers not in school
Median across colleges reporting.
College Scorecard field of study
Jobs biology graduates hold
What employed 25-34-year-olds whose bachelor's is in biology actually do, with U.S. wages and the outlook for each job. The first column comes from the Census survey; wages and growth from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
| Job | Share of graduates | U.S. median wage | Jobs growth 2025-35 | Typical entry | Interests |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurses | 6% | $97,550 | +5.6% | Bachelor's degree | SCI |
| Clinical Laboratory Technologists And Technicians | 3% | $62,930 | +2.7% | Bachelor's degree | — |
| Other Managers | 3% | — | — | — | — |
| Physical Scientists, All Other | 3% | $122,570 | +2.1% | Bachelor's degree | IRC |
| Elementary And Middle School Teachers | 2% | $64,170 | -0.4% | — | — |
| Other Life, Physical, And Social Science Technicians | 2% | — | — | — | — |
| Postsecondary Teachers | 2% | $82,250 | +6.0% | — | — |
| Customer Service Representatives | 2% | $44,770 | -5.3% | High school diploma or equivalent | CES |
These 8 jobs account for 24% of employed graduates: people with this degree spread across many kinds of work.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata (ages 25-34, bachelor's as highest degree, employed); BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35; O*NET 31.0 interest codes (R realistic, I investigative, A artistic, S social, E enterprising, C conventional).
Biology earnings by state
Two views of pay: recent graduates of the state's colleges four years out (College Scorecard), and everyone ages 25-34 living in the state with this field of degree (Census). States show a figure only with at least 3 colleges or 100 survey respondents.
| State | Graduates, 4 yrs (colleges) | Ages 25-34 (respondents) |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $48,523 (13) | $44,627 (126) |
| Arizona | $56,037 (4) | $49,544 (224) |
| Arkansas | $49,990 (10) | — |
| California | $62,384 (45) | $65,989 (1,602) |
| Colorado | $55,356 (13) | $53,625 (358) |
| Connecticut | $70,738 (14) | $62,968 (120) |
| District of Columbia | $70,444 (3) | — |
| Florida | $50,840 (26) | $50,762 (664) |
| Georgia | $51,345 (26) | $47,369 (393) |
| Hawaii | $49,335 (3) | — |
| Idaho | $51,730 (6) | — |
| Illinois | $59,097 (32) | $58,884 (473) |
| Indiana | $58,225 (19) | $55,860 (202) |
| Iowa | $62,172 (13) | — |
| Kansas | $58,036 (10) | — |
| Kentucky | $52,487 (13) | $45,343 (128) |
| Louisiana | $45,450 (16) | $47,730 (145) |
| Maine | $57,674 (4) | — |
| Maryland | $58,580 (15) | $65,628 (257) |
| Massachusetts | $65,991 (33) | $62,968 (405) |
| Michigan | $54,038 (25) | $54,572 (297) |
| Minnesota | $62,595 (21) | $59,662 (237) |
| Mississippi | $46,266 (9) | — |
| Missouri | $55,358 (25) | $52,473 (221) |
| Montana | $44,241 (4) | — |
| Nebraska | $56,715 (10) | — |
| Nevada | — | $43,993 (100) |
| New Hampshire | $72,593 (7) | — |
| New Jersey | $65,960 (24) | $60,915 (447) |
| New Mexico | $51,742 (4) | — |
| New York | $62,737 (65) | $61,101 (840) |
| North Carolina | $53,986 (29) | $53,625 (504) |
| Ohio | $57,506 (37) | $56,977 (304) |
| Oklahoma | $49,936 (8) | — |
| Oregon | $50,586 (12) | $49,325 (173) |
| Pennsylvania | $64,910 (70) | $60,869 (522) |
| Rhode Island | $68,499 (6) | — |
| South Carolina | $49,338 (18) | $48,923 (210) |
| South Dakota | $58,099 (5) | — |
| Tennessee | $53,784 (15) | $50,274 (221) |
| Texas | $53,410 (46) | $55,839 (900) |
| Utah | $57,010 (5) | — |
| Vermont | $63,374 (3) | — |
| Virginia | $58,732 (25) | $54,991 (403) |
| Washington | $56,154 (11) | $62,946 (333) |
| West Virginia | $57,088 (6) | — |
| Wisconsin | $59,018 (20) | $61,101 (244) |
College Scorecard field of study (median of each college's graduates); Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata; EducationGuide calculations.
Colleges where biology graduates earn the most
In the states we cover so far (Florida, Virginia, California): 38 in Florida, 38 in Virginia, 71 in California offer this major. Open a college to see cost to finish and payback for your income.
| # | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of the PacificCA | $83,012 | $21,500 |
| 2 | Loyola Marymount UniversityCA | $80,317 | $24,625 |
| 3 | University of California-BerkeleyCA | $79,163 | $14,000 |
| 4 | Dominican University of CaliforniaCA | $75,913 | $27,000 |
| 5 | Westmont CollegeCA | $75,889 | $23,250 |
| 6 | San Francisco State UniversityCA | $74,204 | $15,000 |
| 7 | California State University-East BayCA | $74,010 | $21,500 |
| 8 | California State University-ChicoCA | $71,726 | $18,750 |
| 9 | Virginia Military InstituteVA | $71,547 | $23,000 |
| 10 | California State University-San MarcosCA | $70,789 | $24,174 |
| 11 | University of VirginiaVA | $70,240 | $19,500 |
| 12 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis ObispoCA | $69,854 | $22,949 |
College Scorecard field of study. Colleges meeting our core-data standard; online campuses left out.
Related degrees
Biology degree questions
How much do Biology graduates make?
Biology graduates earn a median $57,996 four years after finishing, across 837 U.S. colleges that report it (the middle half of colleges: $51,767 to $64,303; College Scorecard, graduates who received federal aid). Among all workers ages 25-34 whose bachelor's degree is in biology, the median is $55,839 (Census ACS 2020-2024).
Is a Biology degree worth it?
At ages 25-34, people with a bachelor's in biology earn a median $55,839: $6,210 less than all bachelor's degree holders ($62,049) and $20,201 more than high school graduates ($35,638). EducationGuide calculation from Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers not in school.
What jobs do Biology graduates get?
Among employed 25-34-year-olds whose bachelor's is in biology, the most common jobs are registered nurses (6%), clinical laboratory technologists and technicians (3%), other managers (3%). Registered Nurses earn a U.S. median $97,550.
How much do Biology graduates earn in Florida?
Across 26 Florida colleges reporting, Biology graduates earn a median $50,840 four years after graduating; at ages 25-34, Floridians with this field of degree earn $50,762.
Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey microdata; Bureau of Labor Statistics; O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Method
Data: JSON · Markdown · all degrees
Cite this: “Biology degree: salary, jobs and colleges,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/degrees/biology.