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Biology Education

A program that prepares individuals to teach biology programs at various educational levels.

Types of Degrees Biology Education Majors Are Earning

Those studying Biology Education may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	338
Master’s Degree	357
Doctor’s Degree	1

What Biology Education Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Biology Education emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Education and Training — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.8 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.5 / 7.
• Psychology — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Sociology and Anthropology — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

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

Skills

Skills emphasized by a Biology Education program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Learning Strategies — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Biology Education careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Biology Education graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Training and Teaching Others	4.7 / 7
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.4 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.3 / 7
Coaching and Developing Others	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.3 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.2 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.2 / 7
Working with Computers	4.1 / 7
Developing Objectives and Strategies	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Biology Education professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Blackboard software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Desmos	Analytical or scientific software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Google Docs	Word processing software	—
Padlet	Computer based training software	—
Geogebra	Analytical or scientific software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Biology Education graduates include:

• Educator
• Instructor
• Associate Professor
• Faculty Member
• Lecturer
• Professor
• Adjunct Instructor
• Assistant Professor
• College Professor
• Outdoor Education Instructor
• Education Professor
• Music Education Professor
• Physical Education Instructor
• Adjunct Education Professor
• Educational Teaching Instructor

What Can You Do With a Biology Education Degree?

Graduates with a degree in Biology Education commonly enter the following occupations:

Occupation	Job Growth	Median Salary	25th–75th Pctile
Education Teachers, Postsecondary	2.4%	$98,329	$80,157–$116,500
Biological Science Teachers, Postsecondary	6.3%	$41,048	$34,688–$47,408

^{Job-growth = projected employment change for the parent occupation. Source: ONET / BLS Employment Projections.*}

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	47.4%
Bachelor’s degree	31.1%
Master’s degree	6.8%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	6.6%
Post-doctoral training	3.5%
Less than a high school diploma	2.3%
Post-master’s certificate	1.5%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	0.9%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Biology Education?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 70.8% of Biology Education degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	493	70.8%
Men	203	29.2%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Biology Education graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	487	70.0%
Asian	30	4.3%
Hispanic or Latino	74	10.6%
Black or African American	32	4.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native	3	0.4%
Two or More Races	21	3.0%
Race Unknown	27	3.9%
International Students	22	3.2%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Biology Education Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Biology Education 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	$49,919
4 years	$50,204
5 years	$56,331

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $56,331 — roughly 13% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Biology Education Programs

Fully online options are documented by IPEDS for Biology Education. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Bachelor’s	4	5
Master’s	10	11
Doctoral (Research)	1	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Biology Education Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Biology Education graduates earn a median of $50,204 four years after completion — roughly 32% 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	Annual Degrees Awarded
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas	39,881
Secondary Education and Teaching	10,594
Teacher Education, Multiple Levels	8,732
Physical Education Teaching and Coaching	6,964
Reading Teacher Education	5,986
Music Teacher Education	4,544
English/Language Arts Teacher Education	3,018
Mathematics Teacher Education	2,993
Junior High/Intermediate/Middle School Education and Teaching	2,976
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas, Other	2,352
Social Studies Teacher Education	1,963
Art Teacher Education	1,860

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.