What it is
Biology is the study of living things — from molecules and cells to organisms and ecosystems. It's the broad foundation of the life sciences and one of the most popular majors, prized both for its own careers and as the gateway to medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, research, and many health professions.
Because it's so broad, biology is best understood as a launchpad: what you do with it depends heavily on whether you stop at the bachelor's, specialize, or go on to graduate or professional school.
What you'll study
A biology degree builds from foundational science into specialized coursework:
- Year 1General biology, general chemistry, calculus/statistics
- Year 2Cell & molecular biology, organic chemistry, genetics
- Year 3Physiology, ecology, evolution, microbiology; physics (for pre-health)
- Year 4Upper-level electives (immunology, neurobiology, etc.), research or capstone
Nearly all programs are lab-intensive, and many students do independent research. Pre-health students layer in the prerequisites (organic chemistry, biochemistry, physics) med/dental/pharmacy schools require.
Concentrations & focus areas
- Cell & Molecular BiologyLife at the cellular level
- Ecology & Environmental BiologyOrganisms and ecosystems
- PhysiologyHow bodies work
- GeneticsHeredity and genomes
- MicrobiologyMicrobes and disease
- Marine / Organismal BiologyWhole-organism study
- Pre-Health / Pre-MedPrerequisites for professional school
Skills you'll build
- Scientific reasoningForming and testing hypotheses
- Lab techniqueExperiments, instruments, data collection
- Data analysis & statisticsInterpreting results
- Scientific writingCommunicating findings
- Systems understandingHow biological systems connect
Careers & job titles
Biology opens a wide range of paths — the specific job depends on your degree level:
- Biological / lab technicianRunning experiments (common first job)
- Research assistant / associateAcademic, pharma, or biotech labs
- Quality / environmental / regulatory rolesIn industry and government
- Science teacher, science writer, medical/pharma salesScience-adjacent careers
- Physician, dentist, pharmacist, PA, nurseVia professional school
- Research scientist / professorVia a PhD
Job outlook & demand
Outlook depends on the path. Lab and technician roles grow about as fast as average; medical scientists are projected to grow ~9% and biochemists ~6% (2024–34). The health-profession pathways biology feeds (nursing, PA, medicine) are growing strongly. Biotech is a large employer but can be cyclical.
Pay: median, range & trajectory
Pay splits sharply by level. Per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2024): biological technicians ~$52,000 (a common first job for bachelor's grads), microbiologists ~$87,330, medical scientists ~$100,590, and biochemists/biophysicists ~$103,650 (usually a PhD). Biology grads who become physicians or other clinicians often earn $130,000–$275,000+.
Important context: many biology students use the degree as a pre-medical or pre-health track or a step to graduate school. A bachelor's alone often starts in lab-technician, quality, environmental, or science-adjacent roles (~$50,000), while the highest returns come from pairing biology with a graduate or professional degree — a PhD for research, or an MD/DO/DDS/PharmD/PA path for the highest lifetime earnings.
Degree levels it's offered at
Offered across these levels — click a level to learn about it:
The bachelor's is the base; a master's (or a targeted one like biostatistics/bioinformatics) or a PhD opens research careers; and biology commonly feeds professional degrees (MD, DDS, PharmD, etc.).
Is it right for you?
You might thrive in biology if you are curious about how living things work, enjoy lab work and problem-solving, and are comfortable with chemistry and some math. It suits future doctors, researchers, and science communicators alike.
Be strategic: a biology bachelor's alone has mixed job outcomes — the strongest returns come from pairing it with a graduate or professional degree, or specializing (biochemistry, bioinformatics, health professions). If you want a job right out of undergrad, consider a more applied major (nursing, health sciences) or add a marketable minor.
Explore further
Keep exploring:
Key facts
- ScopeLiving things from molecules to ecosystems
- DegreeBA/BS; commonly a pre-health/pre-grad track
- StudyCell/molecular biology, genetics, physiology, ecology (lab-heavy)
- CareersTechnician, researcher, teacher, or (with pro school) clinician
- Pay~$52k (technician) to $100k+ (with grad degree) to $200k+ (medicine)
Where to learn more
Authoritative sources for careers and pay: