Michigan·Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations·SOC 19-1029

Best Biological Scientist, All Other programs in Michigan, ranked by enrollment

All biological scientists not listed.

41 schools in Michigan run programs that feed this job, graduating 4,532 people a year. The job pays a median of $81,540 in Michigan across about 860 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).

Also calledBotanistBiologistScientistBioinformaticistMedical GeneticistResearch ScientistMolecular BiologistBioinformatics Scientist
Graduates / yr
4,532
in Michigan
Median pay · Michigan
$81,540
BLS OEWS May 2025
Jobs in state
860
people employed
Schools
41
with a feeder program
Avg graduation rate
55%
across those schools
Median net price
$19,806
per year, IPEDS

Fields of study in Michigan that lead to this job

Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.

Biological And Biomedical Sciences
CIP 26.01
Biology
2,348graduates / yr
39 schools · 1 specialization · 51.8% of pipeline
Grad earnings $32,152
Biological And Biomedical Sciences
CIP 26.15
Neurobiology and Neurosciences
657graduates / yr
11 schools · 4 specializations · 14.5% of pipeline
Grad earnings $31,687
Biological And Biomedical Sciences
CIP 26.02
Biochemistry
382graduates / yr
6 schools · 3 specializations · 8.4% of pipeline
Grad earnings $38,243
Psychology
CIP 42.27
Research and Experimental Psychology
327graduates / yr
1 schools · 1 specialization · 7.2% of pipeline
Grad earnings $34,454
Biological And Biomedical Sciences
CIP 26.13
Ecology
217graduates / yr
5 schools · 7 specializations · 4.8% of pipeline
Grad earnings $29,460
Biological And Biomedical Sciences
CIP 26.04
Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences
135graduates / yr
4 schools · 3 specializations · 3.0% of pipeline
Grad earnings $35,393
Biological And Biomedical Sciences
CIP 26.11
Biomathematics
134graduates / yr
4 schools · 2 specializations · 3.0% of pipeline
Grad earnings $72,338
Biological And Biomedical Sciences
CIP 26.08
Genetics
81graduates / yr
2 schools · 4 specializations · 1.8% of pipeline
Grad earnings $31,800
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
CIP 30.19
Nutrition Sciences
78graduates / yr
4 schools · 1 specialization · 1.7% of pipeline
Grad earnings $30,508
Biological And Biomedical Sciences
CIP 26.99
Biological and Biomedical Sciences
44graduates / yr
4 schools · 1 specialization · 1.0% of pipeline
Grad earnings $31,278
Biological And Biomedical Sciences
CIP 26.05
Microbiological Sciences and Immunology
40graduates / yr
2 schools · 3 specializations · 0.9% of pipeline
Grad earnings $38,383
Biological And Biomedical Sciences
CIP 26.03
Botany/Plant Biology
27graduates / yr
2 schools · 2 specializations · 0.6% of pipeline
Grad earnings $33,009
Biological And Biomedical Sciences
CIP 26.10
Pharmacology and Toxicology
26graduates / yr
1 schools · 2 specializations · 0.6% of pipeline
Grad earnings $39,202
Biological And Biomedical Sciences
CIP 26.07
Zoology/Animal Biology
13graduates / yr
1 schools · 1 specialization · 0.3% of pipeline
Grad earnings $28,266
Biological And Biomedical Sciences
CIP 26.12
Biotechnology
10graduates / yr
2 schools · 1 specialization · 0.2% of pipeline
Grad earnings $49,023
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
CIP 30.27
Human Biology
10graduates / yr
1 schools · 1 specialization · 0.2% of pipeline
Grad earnings $31,690
Biological And Biomedical Sciences
CIP 26.09
Physiology
3graduates / yr
1 schools · 1 specialization · 0.1% of pipeline
Grad earnings $31,146

38 programs in Michigan that lead to this job

Ranked by graduates per year in Michigan (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own Michigan page.

Degree programs that lead to this occupation, ranked by graduates per year
#ProgramGraduates / yrShare of pipelineSchoolsGrad earnings (1 yr)Median debt
1
CIP 26.0101In Michigan
2,348
51.8%
39$32,152$25,000
2
CIP 26.1501In Michigan
568
12.5%
11$31,687$22,936
3
CIP 42.2706In Michigan
327
7.2%
1$34,454$21,878
4
CIP 26.0204In Michigan
233
5.1%
4$38,243$23,014
5
CIP 26.0210In Michigan
148
3.3%
6$38,243$23,014
6
CIP 26.1102In Michigan
131
2.9%
4$72,338$18,500
7
CIP 26.0406In Michigan
123
2.7%
4$35,393$19,961
8
CIP 26.1310In Michigan
118
2.6%
5$29,460$23,480
9
CIP 30.1901In Michigan
78
1.7%
4$30,508$24,586
10
CIP 26.1504In Michigan
71
1.6%
2$31,687$22,936
11
CIP 26.0802In Michigan
59
1.3%
2$31,800$21,424
12
CIP 26.1305In Michigan
54
1.2%
4$29,460$23,480
13
CIP 26.9999In Michigan
44
1.0%
4$31,278$23,000
14
CIP 26.1001In Michigan
19
0.4%
1$39,202$18,000
15
CIP 26.0301In Michigan
18
0.4%
2$33,009$21,975
16
CIP 26.0508In Michigan
17
0.4%
1$38,383$22,065
17
CIP 26.1503In Michigan
16
0.4%
1$31,687$22,936
18
CIP 26.1307In Michigan
15
0.3%
3$29,460$23,480
19
CIP 26.1301In Michigan
14
0.3%
2$29,460$23,480
20
CIP 26.0702In Michigan
13
0.3%
1$28,266$24,393
21
CIP 26.0507In Michigan
12
0.3%
2$38,383$22,065
22
CIP 26.0509In Michigan
11
0.2%
1$38,383$22,065
23
CIP 26.1201In Michigan
10
0.2%
2$49,023$21,309
24
CIP 30.2701In Michigan
10
0.2%
1$31,690$17,312
25
CIP 26.0305In Michigan
9
0.2%
1$33,009$21,975
26
CIP 26.0807In Michigan
9
0.2%
2$31,800$21,424
27
CIP 26.0805In Michigan
8
0.2%
1$31,800$21,424
28
CIP 26.0499In Michigan
7
0.2%
1$35,393$19,961
29
CIP 26.1004In Michigan
7
0.2%
1$39,202$18,000
30
CIP 26.1304In Michigan
7
0.2%
1$29,460$23,480
31
CIP 26.1399In Michigan
6
0.1%
1$29,460$23,480
32
CIP 26.0403In Michigan
5
0.1%
2$35,393$19,961
33
CIP 26.0801In Michigan
5
0.1%
1$31,800$21,424
34
CIP 26.0910In Michigan
3
0.1%
1$31,146$23,384
35
CIP 26.1104In Michigan
3
0.1%
1$72,338$18,500
36
CIP 26.1311In Michigan
3
0.1%
1$29,460$23,480
37
CIP 26.1599In Michigan
2
0.0%
1$31,687$22,936
38
CIP 26.0299In Michigan
1
0.0%
1$38,243$23,014

Top 25 schools in Michigan

Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 22 of the 41 schools in this state.

Schools ranked by graduates per year into this occupation
#SchoolGraduates / yrTop feeder programGrad earnings (1 yr)Grad rateNet priceAcceptance
1University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI Public · 18 feeder programs
1,414Biology/Biological Sciences, General$26,88893%16%
2Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI Public · 15 feeder programs
1,120Biology/Biological Sciences, General$26,43581%85%
3Wayne State University
Detroit, MI Public · 7 feeder programs
229Biology/Biological Sciences, General$21,71658%81%
4University of Detroit Mercy
Detroit, MI Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
191Biology/Biological Sciences, General$19,88267%$16,10975%
5Grand Valley State University
Allendale, MI Public · 5 feeder programs
159Biology/Biological Sciences, General$40,95967%83%
6Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, MI Public · 8 feeder programs
153Cell/Cellular and Molecular Biology59%90%
7Northern Michigan University
Marquette, MI Public · 2 feeder programs
137Biology/Biological Sciences, General$26,81852%84%
8Oakland University
Rochester Hills, MI Public · 3 feeder programs
119Biology/Biological Sciences, General$27,49758%88%
9Eastern Michigan University
Ypsilanti, MI Public · 4 feeder programs
110Biology/Biological Sciences, General$32,58646%80%
10University of Michigan - Dearborn
Dearborn, MI Public · 3 feeder programs
109Biology/Biological Sciences, General$20,67158%56%
11Mott Community College
Flint, MI Public · 1 feeder programs
82Biology/Biological Sciences, General$28,48032%
12Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, MI Public · 4 feeder programs
73Biology/Biological Sciences, General$35,95558%85%
13Ferris State University
Big Rapids, MI Public · 3 feeder programs
67Biology/Biological Sciences, General$27,33447%91%
14Hope College
Holland, MI Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs
66Biology/Biological Sciences, General$35,43080%$21,74679%
15Michigan Technological University
Houghton, MI Public · 7 feeder programs
65Biology/Biological Sciences, General$17,54168%92%
16Kalamazoo College
Kalamazoo, MI Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
58Biology/Biological Sciences, General$24,21176%$19,27975%
17Saginaw Valley State University
University Center, MI Public · 4 feeder programs
46Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other48%72%
18University of Michigan - Flint
Flint, MI Public · 2 feeder programs
42Biology/Biological Sciences, General$26,70740%70%
19Albion College
Albion, MI Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
34Biology/Biological Sciences, General$20,71362%$16,53781%
20Lake Superior State University
Sault Ste Marie, MI Public · 3 feeder programs
33Biology/Biological Sciences, General51%
21Hillsdale College
Hillsdale, MI Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
31Biology/Biological Sciences, General90%21%
22Calvin University
Grand Rapids, MI Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs
26Biology/Biological Sciences, General$29,99674%$22,39171%
23Adrian College
Adrian, MI Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs
25Biology/Biological Sciences, General48%$20,35773%
24Henry Ford College
Dearborn, MI Public · 1 feeder programs
25Biology/Biological Sciences, General17%
25Alma College
Alma, MI Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs
16Biology/Biological Sciences, General63%$22,79057%

All 41 schools in Michigan

Every school in Michigan with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.

All schools in Michigan that feed this occupation
SchoolCityControlGraduates / yrFeeder programs
University of Michigan - Ann ArborAnn ArborPublic1,41418
Michigan State UniversityEast LansingPublic1,12015
Wayne State UniversityDetroitPublic2297
University of Detroit MercyDetroitPrivate not-for-profit1911
Grand Valley State UniversityAllendalePublic1595
Central Michigan UniversityMount PleasantPublic1538
Northern Michigan UniversityMarquettePublic1372
Oakland UniversityRochester HillsPublic1193
Eastern Michigan UniversityYpsilantiPublic1104
University of Michigan - DearbornDearbornPublic1093
Mott Community CollegeFlintPublic821
Western Michigan UniversityKalamazooPublic734
Ferris State UniversityBig RapidsPublic673
Hope CollegeHollandPrivate not-for-profit663
Michigan Technological UniversityHoughtonPublic657

What biological scientists, all other earn in Michigan

What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.

Median annual in Michigan
$81,540
Mean annual
$88,660
Jobs in state
860
What the range looks like
10th pct$50,200Median$81,54090th pct$127,830
Versus the national median
-17.6%

U.S. median $98,920. Michigan pays below the national figure.

Job concentration
0.54×

1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.

Metro areas in Michigan

Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI
$111,150median
70 jobs
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI
$84,260median
280 jobs
Ann Arbor, MI
$71,880median
90 jobs
Lansing-East Lansing, MI
$67,860median
200 jobs

Job outlook

Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.

Projected growth 2024–34
+1.2%
Little or no change
Openings per year
4,800
new jobs plus replacements
Employment change
800
63,700 → 64,500
Typical entry education
Bachelor's degree

Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.

How to get in

The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Biological Scientists, All Other page.

How to become a Biological Scientist, All Other

Job zone 5 of 5 · SVP 8.0 and above
Typical entry education
Bachelor's degree

Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).

Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.

Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.

Top skills

ScienceReading ComprehensionWritingCritical ThinkingActive ListeningSpeaking

The same job in other states

Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.

Related careers in Michigan

Every major mapped to this job

The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.

All 25 majors mapped to Biological Scientists, All Other24 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
  • 26.0101Biology/Biological Sciences, General
  • 26.0204Molecular Biology
  • 26.0207Structural Biology
  • 26.0208Photobiology(no graduates reported)
  • 26.0209Radiation Biology/Radiobiology
  • 26.0210Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
  • 26.0299Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology, Other
  • 26.0301Botany/Plant Biology
  • 26.0305Plant Pathology/Phytopathology
  • 26.0307Plant Physiology
  • 26.0308Plant Molecular Biology
  • 26.0399Botany/Plant Biology, Other
  • 26.0401Cell/Cellular Biology and Histology
  • 26.0403Anatomy
  • 26.0404Developmental Biology and Embryology
  • 26.0406Cell/Cellular and Molecular Biology
  • 26.0407Cell Biology and Anatomy
  • 26.0499Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences, Other
  • 26.0503Medical Microbiology and Bacteriology
  • 26.0504Virology
  • 26.0505Parasitology
  • 26.0506Mycology
  • 26.0507Immunology
  • 26.0508Microbiology and Immunology
  • 26.0509Infectious Disease and Global Health

Common questions

Answers for people weighing biological scientists, all other programs in Michigan.

What degree do you need to become a Biological Scientist, All Other?+

Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Biology/Biological Sciences, General, which awarded 2,348 degrees in Michigan in 2024-25, 51.8% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.

Which college majors lead to becoming a Biological Scientist, All Other?+

The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 38 programs to this occupation. The largest are Biology, Neurobiology and Neurosciences, Biochemistry, Research and Experimental Psychology, plus 13 more. Together they graduate about 4,532 people a year in Michigan.

How much do biological scientists, all other earn in Michigan?+

The median is $81,540 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 17.6% below the U.S. median of $98,920. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.

Is demand for biological scientists, all other growing?+

BLS projects a +1.2% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, little or no change, with roughly 4,800 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.

How many schools offer programs for this career in Michigan?+

41 institutions in Michigan reported graduates from at least one of the 38 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.

What other job titles do biological scientists, all other work under?+

Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Botanist, Biologist, Scientist, Bioinformaticist, Medical Geneticist, Research Scientist among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 19-1029.

About the data on this page

Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).

  • BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics

    May 2025

    Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.

  • BLS Employment Projections

    2024–34

    Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.

  • IPEDS Completions

    2024-25 (provisional)

    Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.

  • College Scorecard, Field of Study

    2020-21 cohorts

    Median graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.

  • Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes

    latest available

    Graduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.

  • NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk

    CIP 2020 / SOC 2018

    Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.

  • O*NET Database 30.3

    30.3

    Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.

    Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA

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