How long does the training take?

Typically about four years for the degree. That is the usual route rather than a rule — people arrive by other paths all the time.

How much do biological scientists, all other make?

The US median is $98,920 a year, meaning half earn more and half less. Pay varies widely by state, employer and experience.

Do you need a degree for this work?

Yes — a degree is the usual way in.

Where can you train for this work?

1,758 US colleges, community colleges and trade schools award credentials in a matching program. See which ones →

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Biological scientists, all other: pay, training and the programs that lead there

Science · SOC 19-1029

$98,920US median pay, 2025

+4.7%Projected growth, 2025–35

4,300Openings per year

DegreeUsual way in

How you get in

A degree is the usual way in.

Bachelor's degree
Work in: biological scientists, all other

Programs that lead to this job

These are the federal program codes (CIP) that the Department of Education maps to this occupation, and how many US colleges, community colleges or trade schools report awarding credentials in each.

Program	Code	Schools
Biology/Biological Sciences, General	CIP 26.0101	1,632
Neuroscience	CIP 26.1501	316
Biotechnology	CIP 26.1201	186
Nutrition Sciences	CIP 30.1901	146
Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other	CIP 26.9999	134
Cell/Cellular and Molecular Biology	CIP 26.0406	99
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology	CIP 26.0210	96
Biostatistics	CIP 26.1102	91
Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography	CIP 26.1302	87
Molecular Biology	CIP 26.0204	74
Ecology	CIP 26.1301	63
Pharmacology	CIP 26.1001	56
Environmental Biology	CIP 26.1305	54
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology	CIP 26.1310	41
Botany/Plant Biology	CIP 26.0301	38
Anatomy	CIP 26.0403	37
Genetics, General	CIP 26.0801	36
Pathology/Experimental Pathology	CIP 26.0910	36
Conservation Biology	CIP 26.1307	35
Medical Microbiology and Bacteriology	CIP 26.0503	34
Human Biology	CIP 30.2701	33
Microbiology and Immunology	CIP 26.0508	32
Entomology	CIP 26.0702	32
Marine Sciences	CIP 30.3201	32
Computational Biology	CIP 26.1104	28

…and 39 more related programs.

See the 1,758 schools that offer these programs →

Common questions

How long does the training take?: Typically about four years for the degree. That is the usual route rather than a rule — people arrive by other paths all the time.
How much do biological scientists, all other make?: The US median is $98,920 a year, meaning half earn more and half less. Pay varies widely by state, employer and experience.
Do you need a degree for this work?: Yes — a degree is the usual way in.
Where can you train for this work?: 1,758 US colleges, community colleges and trade schools award credentials in a matching program. See which ones →

Pay and growth are national figures. What you earn depends on where you work, your employer and your experience, and these are projections rather than promises. Education requirements describe how most people enter the job, not a rule — plenty of people take another route.

Pay, growth, openings and entry requirements: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35. Program-to-occupation mapping: NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk (2020/2018). School counts: IPEDS completions, 2022–23.

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