Long-Term Prospects

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Job Satisfaction

General quality of life statement

There are two numbers that matter more than anything for microbiology majors. The first is 71% job satisfaction. That is about as high as you could hope without being greedy. It means when microbiologists wake up in the morning, they don't have to hit the snooze button to put off starting the work day. They're ready to start using their microscopes or denaturing proteins.

The second important number is $84,000. That's the 75th percentile earnings for a microbiology major, which is higher than any other major in the biological and life sciences. 84,000 is a lot of dollars—just imagine the damage you could do to a dollar store.

That being said, the quality of life for this major is also pretty sweet. Sure, there will be tough days and there will be great days, but the average is far better than a lot of other majors (we're looking at you, architects). Graduate work is a definite possibility, but by no means a necessity. So if grad school isn't for you, it's totally possible to still make a nice life for yourself with a Bachelor's in microbiology.

25th Percentile Salary

Median Salary

75th Percentile Salary

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