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Phd biology salary in the united states.

How much does a Phd Biology make in the United States? The salary range for a Phd Biology job is from $25,318 to $39,170 per year in the United States. Click on the filter to check out Phd Biology job salaries by hourly, weekly, biweekly, semimonthly, monthly, and yearly.

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Many PhD programs in Biology are innovative and interactive with students working closely with other students as well as faculty.

PhD in Biology programs usually include gaining a solid foundation in biology knowledge base, as well as such concentrations as ecology, evolutionary biology, molecular, cellular, and developmental biology, and neuroscience.

There are many PhD Biology programs located around the world, each offering unique programs and perspectives, with high quality education and professional faculty.

(as demonstrated by passing the PhD qualifying exam), and has completed 32 credits of graduate-level coursework (not including research), may apply to the Graduate School for a Master of Science in Biology.

All candidates must fulfill the following requirements for successful completion of the Biology PhD program.

View Job Skills and Competency Data for more than 15,000 Job Titles, 18 Industries, and 26 Job Families.

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Related companies for phd biology in the united states, frequently asked questions, do i receive fair pay as a phd biology currently, what are the responsibilities of a phd biology, how much do similar jobs to phd biology make.

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What is the phd biology's salary range in the united states, career insights.

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PhD Salaries and Lifetime Earnings

PhDs employed across job sectors show impressive earning potential:

“…[T]here is strong evidence that advanced education levels continue to be associated with higher salaries. A study by the Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce showed that across the fields examined, individuals with a graduate degree earned an average of 38.3% more than those with a bachelor’s degree in the same field. The expected lifetime earnings for someone without a high school degree is $973,000; with a high school diploma, $1.3 million; with a bachelor’s degree, $2.3 million; with a master’s degree, $2.7 million; and with a doctoral degree (excluding professional degrees), $3.3 million. Other data indicate that the overall unemployment rate for individuals who hold graduate degrees is far lower than for those who hold just an undergraduate degree.” - Pathways Through Graduate School and Into Careers , Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) and Educational Testing Service (ETS), pg. 3.

Average salaries by educational level and degree (data from the US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2009-2011, courtesy of the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce):

The Bureau of Labor and Statistics reports higher earnings and lower unemployment rates for doctoral degree holders in comparison to those with master’s and bachelor’s degrees:

According to national studies, more education translates not only to higher earnings, but also higher levels of job success and job satisfaction:

“Educational attainment – the number of years a person spends in school – strongly predicts adult earnings, and also predicts health and civic engagement. Moreover, individuals with higher levels of education appear to gain more knowledge and skills on the job than do those with lower levels of education and they are able, to some extent, to transfer what they learn across occupations.” - Education for Life and Work (2012), National Research Council of the National Academies, pg. 66.

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• 25 April 2024

NIH pay rise for postdocs and PhD students could have US ripple effect

• Amanda Heidt 0

Amanda Heidt is a freelance journalist in southeastern Utah.

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Academic workers on a picket line at the University of California, Los Angeles. Credit: Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times via Getty

Amid a reckoning over poor job prospects and stagnating wages for early-career scientists, the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) said this week that it will raise the salaries of thousands of postdoctoral researchers and graduate students who receive a prestigious NIH research fellowship. The move could boost pay for other scientists as well, because academic institutions often follow guidelines set by the NIH.

Beginning immediately, postdocs who hold one of the agency’s Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards (NRSAs) will earn at least US$61,008 per year — an 8% increase and the largest year-over-year increase the NIH has implemented since 2017. Postdocs’ salaries, which are adjusted for years of experience, are capped at $74,088 per year. Graduate students’ yearly salaries will rise by $1,000, amounting to an annual salary of $28,224. The agency will also provide an extra $500 in subsidies for childcare and $200 for training-related expenses.

“This is a major step in the right direction and something that the majority will agree is widely needed to retain talent in the biomedical and academic research sectors,” says Francisca Acosta, a biomedical engineer and postdoc at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, who is herself funded through an NRSA.

Postdoc shortage

In 2022, the agency assembled a working group to advise it on how best to retain and cultivate postdoctoral talent , after reports that principal investigators were struggling to fill vacant postdoc positions . In December last year, the panel recommended a minimum salary of $70,000 for postdocs.

The NIH agreed that a salary increase is indeed needed for the more than 17,000 trainees covered by the NRSAs. But in its announcement, the agency acknowledged that the pay rise it has implemented falls short of the council’s recommendation. It cited its tight budget in recent years as a reason.

Canadian science gets biggest boost to PhD and postdoc pay in 20 years

It added that “pending the availability of funds through future appropriations”, the agency would increase salaries to meet the recommended $70,000 target in the next three to five years.

The agency also suggested that NIH-funded institutions could supplement salaries in other ways. That presents a challenge, according to Sharona Gordon, a biophysicist at the University of Washington in Seattle, given that the NIH’s modular R01 grants — one of the main NIH research awards with which principal investigators fund their labs — have remained at $250,000 per year since they were introduced in 1998. Such grants cannot be used to supplement salaries, meaning that lab heads have to pull money from other sources to increase trainees’ pay.

Even scientists who approve of the NIH’s move say it could have unintended consequences. “For institutions such as ours, which mandate that the postdoc minimum salary be set to the NIH minimum, there are some concerns that this increase in personnel costs could be a barrier for labs based on funding levels,” Acosta says.

For some, the five-year timeline for the increase feels insufficient. Haroon Popal, a cognitive-science postdoc at the University of Maryland in College Park whose work is funded by the NIH, says that although he understands the pressures on the agency, the new salary will not be enough to support him as he assumes multiple caring responsibilities. Even with the boost, postdoc salaries in academia fall far short of what researchers could make in government, industry or non-profit positions.

“This is an issue of diversity and equity for me,” he says. “The new postdoc salary is not allowing people like me to be in academia, which is counter to the NIH’s, institutions’ and our scientific community’s goals of increased diversity.”

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-01242-x

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Phd in biology: requirements, salary, jobs, & career growth, what is phd in biology.

A PhD in Biology is a doctoral degree that focuses on the study of living creatures and how they interact with their surroundings. It is a four to six-year advanced academic degree that entails hard study and coursework in numerous fields of biology such as genetics, ecology, biochemistry, molecular biology, and physiology.

Students engage closely with faculty members throughout the program to undertake original research in their subject of interest, culminating in a dissertation that explains their results and adds to the field of biology.

PhD biology graduates are equipped for positions in academia, research, business, government, and other professions requiring biological scientific competence.

How much money do people make with a PhD in Biology?

The median annual wage for biochemists and biophysicists (which normally require a PhD in Biology or a related subject) is $98,940, according to data from the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. Microbiologists made $79,590 per year on average, whereas zoologists and animal biologists made $67,760. Here’s a table summarizing the salary ranges for various career paths for individuals with a PhD in Biology:

What is expected job growth with PhD in Biology?

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of biochemists and biophysicists is expected to expand 6% between 2020 and 2030, faster than the average for all occupations. Microbiologists, zoologists, and wildlife biologists are expected to gain 3% and 4%, respectively, throughout the same time period.

Looking For Fully Funded PhD in Biology? Click Here

What can you do with a PhD in Biology?

A PhD in Biology can lead to a variety of employment options in academia, research, industry, government, and other disciplines. Here are some common career paths for people with a PhD in Biology:

1. Academic research: Many PhD holders go on to work as academic researchers at universities, research institutions, or government agencies. They may perform research in genetics, ecology, biochemistry, molecular biology, and physiology, among other fields.

2. Biotechnology: Biotechnology firms frequently engage PhDs in Biology to perform research and development of new products and technologies such as medications, vaccines, and genetically modified organisms.

3. Medical research: Pharmaceutical and biotech businesses, as well as government agencies, engage people with a PhD in Biology to undertake medical research, such as discovering new treatments for ailments and analyzing drug effects on the body.

4. Environmental science: Individuals with a PhD in Biology can work in environmental science, studying the interactions of living organisms and their environments, as well as the impact of human activities on ecosystems.

5. Science writing and communication: Many people with a PhD in Biology go into science writing and communication, putting complicated scientific concepts into language that the general public can understand.

6. Science policy: Individuals with a PhD in Biology are frequently hired by government agencies and non-profit organizations to establish and implement science policy, such as legislation and funding priorities for scientific research.

What are the requirements for a PhD in Biology?

The specific requirements for obtaining a PhD in Biology can vary depending on the institution and program, but generally, the following are common requirements:

1. Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree: Applicants to most PhD programs in Biology must have a Bachelor’s degree from a recognized university. Although it is not usually required, certain schools may accept applicants with a Master’s degree in a related discipline.

2. Academic Transcripts: Applicants are usually expected to present certified transcripts of their undergraduate and graduate education, which demonstrate their academic performance and achievement.

3. Statement of Purpose: Applicants are typically expected to provide a personal statement or statement of purpose detailing their research interests, academic ambitions, and reason for pursuing a PhD in Biology.

4. Standardized Test Scores: Applicants to many PhD programs may be required to submit scores from standardized tests such as the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or other related assessments.

5. Letters of Recommendation: Applicants to PhD programs in Biology are frequently required to provide letters of recommendation from academic or professional sources who may speak to the applicant’s academic talents, research potential, and eligibility for a PhD program.

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How long does it take to get a phd in biology.

The length of time it takes to obtain a PhD in Biology depends on a variety of factors, including the program, the individual’s level of preparedness, and the nature of the research. A typical PhD program in Biology, on the other hand, takes roughly 4-6 years to finish.

Looking For Fully Funded PhD Programs? Click Here

Do you need a masters in biology to get a phd in biology.

A Master’s degree in Biology is not usually required to pursue a PhD in Biology. Many doctoral programs in Biology accept students immediately after they complete their Bachelor’s degree.

Coursework is usually included in the first few years of these programs to give students with the essential basic knowledge and research abilities before they begin their independent research projects.

Some PhD programs, however, may prefer or require applicants to have a Master’s degree in Biology or a related field prior to applying.

A Master’s degree can give a student more experience and expertise in their field of study, which can be useful while applying for PhD programs or performing research during their doctoral program.

What are the Best PhD in Biology Degree programs?

1. massachusetts institute of technology (mit) 2. stanford university 3. california institute of technology (caltech) 4. harvard university 5. university of california–berkeley 6. johns hopkins university 7. university of california–san francisco 8. princeton university 9. university of chicago 10. yale university, leave a comment cancel reply.

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Top 10 Highest Paying Jobs With A Biology Degree 2024 (Inc Salaries)

Discover the highest-paying jobs with a biology degree in 2024. This article discusses all, from medical doctors to microbiologists. Read more to know everything about having a career in biology!

Biology is the study of life and everything in between—from living organisms, how they interact, and how they affect humans.

It may be overwhelming for most, but it's an excellent opportunity for the chosen few to get firsthand experience of seeing how the world works and take part in protecting humans and preserving the environment.

But more than that, getting a biology degree also means joining the fast-growing science industry.

According to BLS, there are currently 3,328,000 employed biologists in the US, and the available jobs will continue to grow faster than the average in the next few years.

If you wish to pursue a career in biology and be a part of this thriving industry, check out the high paying biology jobs below.

Top 10 Highest Paying Jobs With A Biology Degree (Inc Salaries)

1. medical doctor.

Medical Doctors provide medical support and assistance to patients. They formulate care plans for patients and diagnose and treat them using their in-depth medical knowledge. 

Educational Requirements

On top of obtaining a pre-medical degree or an undergraduate program in health sciences, Medical Doctors also need to pursue a 4-year medical degree, undergo 3 to 9-year internship and residency programs, and take 1 to 30-year sub-specialization fellowship programs.

Job Outlook

The overall employment for medical doctors is expected to increase by 3% or an additional 24,200 job positions annually until 2032.

Potential Earnings

Here are the top-earning medical doctor professions, along with their potential earnings:

Anesthesiologists: USD 270,000

Physician/ Surgeon: USD 246,000

Pediatrician: USD 223,000

Obstetrician- Gynecologist: USD 223,000

Internal Medicine Doctor: USD 212,000

2. Other Healthcare Professionals

Healthcare professionals is the umbrella term for the experts who provide different types of health services and play a significant role in maintaining public health and managing medical conditions.

The highest-paying healthcare jobs you can get with a biology degree include being a Pharmacist, APRN, Therapist, Dentist, Podiatrist, and many more.

To enter the healthcare sector, you must need a bachelor’s in healthcare, biology, or related fields and licensure or certification, depending on the profession you want to pursue.

However, there are certain exceptions.

For example, being an APRN requires more than a bachelor's degree in nursing; you would also need a master's degree and additional training.

The same goes for being a pharmacist, which calls for a doctor of pharmacy degree. 

8 of the 20 occupations in the BLS’ list of the fastest-growing jobs between 2022 and 2032 come from the Medical and Science Industry.

These include Nurse practitioners (45%), Physician Assistants (27%), Medical and Health Service Managers (28%), and many more.

Below are the average annual salaries of the highest-paying medical and healthcare jobs in 2024 :

Podiatrist:

USD 232,000

USD 210,000

Optometrist:

USD 135,000

Pharmacist:

USD 123,000

Advanced Practice Registered Nurse:

USD 106,000

(CNS and Nurse Midwives) to

(Nurse Practitioners)

Cardiovascular Technologist:

USD 106,500

Medical Health and Services Manager:

USD 101,000

Physician Assistant:

USD 100,000

Dental Hygienist:

3.Medical Scientist

A Medical Scientist is a medical doctor who focuses on researching and developing medical breakthroughs instead of working directly on patients.

They are a valuable part of the healthcare industry because they oversee research projects and clinical trials to discover new methods for treating and preventing diseases.

Their main goal is to improve human health by providing the public with better and newer medications, treatment methods, and vaccines. 

Aside from an undergraduate degree in medical science or biology, becoming a medical scientist typically requires a Ph.D. or a medical degree.

You may also need a physician's license to conduct clinical trials.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics states that the employment of Medical Scientists will increase by 10% between 2022 and 2032. This growth is considered much faster than the average growth of most occupations.

According to Glassdoor, the average salary for a Medical Scientist is around USD 107,000   per year.

4. Biostatistician

Biostatisticians use their comprehensive knowledge of mathematics and statistics to provide the necessary data the medical and health industry needs to make the right public health decisions.

They play an essential role in ensuring that clinical trials are conducted in compliance with regulatory standards by formulating data analysis and collection methodologies. 

By interpreting the data they collect in clinical trials, they can conclude to help the medical industry improve public health strategies and solutions. 

In addition to a bachelor's in biology and statistics, a master's degree in public health or biostatistics is also required to land most biostatistician positions.

Lastly, a PhD is necessary to start research or teach at a university. Since these roles require excellent communication and leadership skills, an MBA would also be valuable to your resume.

The BLS's projected growth for biostatisticians is around 30% between 2022 and 2032.

This is the highest projected growth in this list, equivalent to an average of 3,500 job openings every year in the next decade.

Biostatisticians earn an average wage of USD 98,300 per year.

Are you ready to take your career to the next level?

Nexford's Career Path Planner takes into account your experience and interests to provide you with a customized roadmap to success.

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5. Food Scientist

Food Scientists study the food's nutritional value and its microbiological, chemical, and physical properties. They then use this data to improve the food's nutritional value and taste, lengthen its shelf life, and revolutionize its transportation and cultivation.

Their other duties include discovering natural substances they can convert into food and developing new products. 

The easiest and fastest way to becoming a food scientist is to earn a Food Science or Agricultural Science degree from an accredited university and program.

An undergraduate biology degree is also a viable option. Still, you need to take master's degree programs in food science and technology to get into the food industry.

The demand for agricultural and food scientists is expected to  grow 6% from 2022 to 2032. This equates to about 3000 new job opportunities for this position every year for almost a decade.

Food scientists make an average pay of USD 85,700 every year.

6. Marine Biologist

A marine biologist is a type of biologist who specializes in understanding and observing the aquatic wildlife's behavior, biology, and ecosystem. They also study how human behavior can impact the plants and animals living in the ocean.

They use this data to explore the best cultivation and conservation practices to protect saltwater organisms.

This position required in-depth knowledge of different health sciences, so you'd need a doctoral degree to get a marine biology position. Most employers for the highest-paying marine biology jobs also require on-the-job training.

Since communication is vital to this job, an MBA or BBA degree will help enhance your marketability.

BLS categorizes Marine Biology positions as part of the wildlife biology sector. This means the projected growth for this type of occupation is around 3% until 2032.

On average, Marine Biologists can earn around USD 80 100 per year.

7. Wildlife Ecologist

A Wildlife ecologist uses their knowledge of wildlife biology to conserve our ecosystem. They often spend the majority of their time in the wild, observing animals in their natural habitat and how they interact with other animals and their surroundings to determine the best possible ways we can protect them.

They also educate the public about different wildlife conservation issues and share the best conservation practices to adhere to.

To be a wildlife ecologist, you need a bachelor's degree in biology and other related fields (environmental science, zoology, and wildlife conservation).

Getting relevant work experience, which you can get by volunteering at a wildlife conservation center, is also a must.

The demand for this occupation is projected to increase by 3% until 2032.

This figure may seem small, but it's already equivalent to about 1,500 job openings for wildlife biologists and zoologists yearly for the next 10 years.

According to Glassdoor, Wildlife Ecologists make an average salary of USD 73, 800 per year.

8. Genetic Counselor

Genetic counselors use their in-depth knowledge of genetics to help individuals or families assess for potential risks of specific illnesses or disorders and educate them about these genetic conditions' medical, societal, and psychological effects.

One of their essential duties is to assist the patients in collaborating with their insurance providers to ensure that the genetic testing will be covered.

The first step to becoming a genetic counselor is to obtain an undergraduate degree in Biology or Biochemistry. After that, you must take a 2-year master's degree in genetic counseling.

The last step is to get certified by passing the American Board of Genetic Counselling (ABGC) National Exam.

As per BLS, the job outlook for Genetic Counselors is a 16% growth in employment until 2032. This expected massive growth is due to the need to replace workers who will retire.

Genetic counselors earn a yearly average pay of USD 72,000 .

9. Pharmaceutical Sales Representative

Also known as drug manufacturing companies employ medical representatives and pharmaceutical sales reps to educate doctors and other medical professionals regarding the benefits of their products, proper use, and potential side effects

Their primary role is to persuade doctors and medical facilities to prescribe and carry their products instead of the competitor's.

The focus of these sales reps is not just limited to medications, and you can choose from four different specialties, including pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, medical devices, and equipment. 

Educational Requirements 

To answer all drug-related questions, these representatives must have a strong understanding of pharmacology or the drug's mechanism of action and how it acts or interacts inside the body, and that's why getting a degree in biology or other health sciences is an excellent first step.

On the other hand, a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) can equip you with the marketing and interpersonal skills you need to thrive in this industry.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects an employment growth of 6.2% between 2022 and 2032, faster than most occupations' average growth.

Medical Sales Reps earn an annual average salary of USD 70 900 . On top of that, they are also given bonuses and commissions once they hit their target quotas.

Thanks to their unique pay structure, being a medical rep with a biology degree is also one of Nigeria's highest-paying jobs .

10. Microbiologist

Microbiologists study the identification, growth, and characteristics of disease-causing microorganisms, including fungi, bacteria, algae, and viruses, and use the data to prevent, treat, and diagnose different illnesses.

Entry-level jobs require a four-year degree in Microbiology or Biology

Obtaining certifications and taking post programs is the way to get higher roles.

According to BLS, the demand for microbiologists will increase by 5% , which will be equal to about 1,700 job openings every year until 2032.

The average annual salary for microbiologists is around USD 64,600 .

Pursuing a biology degree comes with many perks—plenty of jobs, competitive pay, career flexibility, a good working environment, and a chance to promote public health and environmental preservation.

However, it comes with one disadvantage—it's highly competitive. The primary research jobs will have the most competition. Still, even the managerial and leadership jobs won't be easy to land.

Because of this, you must show potential employers that you have a diversified skill set that will make you a valuable employee.

One way to do this is by getting an MBA or BBA degree to help you make relevant connections in the industry, demonstrate exemplary leadership and interpersonal skills, and have a well-rounded business education valuable for managing organizations or putting up your practice.

Nexford offers online-based programs that will allow you to get a business degree that will significantly improve your marketability in the comforts of your own home.

What is the highest-paying biology job in 2024?

Medical doctors and other allied health professionals are the highest-paying biology jobs 2024. These professions receive an annual pay as high as USD 270,000  for Anesthesiologists and as low as USD 100,00 for Dental Hygienists.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, what's the job outlook for biology jobs in 2024 and beyond?

The job outlook for the Biology industry in 2024 varies depending on the type of occupation you’re looking for.

The projected growth is as high as 30% for Biostatisticians and as low as 3% for Ecologists.

Is biology a good career path?

Yes, Biology is a good career path if you're interested in sciences, have good research, investigative, and analytical skills, and have a passion for exploration.

Here are some of the reasons why you should consider a biology career:

Flexible career options

Biology encompasses many scientific disciplines, all with plenty of practical applications.

Because of this, you can choose from a wide range of specializations, including evolutionary biology, developmental biology, cellular biology, molecular biology, and many more.

You can also work in different industries, including manufacturing, law, healthcare, etc.

Exciting work setting

One of the best things about being in the field of biology is the interesting work settings. While they often work in offices, biology graduates can also do laboratory and field work, which makes the job incredibly satisfying.

Above-average Salary

The careers for biology majors are pretty lucrative, with average annual salaries ranging from USD 60,000 to USD 270,000.

What skills or expertise is required for high-paying biology jobs?

Becoming a highly-paid biologist requires a blend of soft and hard skills.

The hard skills employers look for in a biologist are comprehensive lab safety knowledge, strong data analysis skills, cell culture, and assay techniques, excellent research skills, and proper documentation and reporting practices.

On the other hand, the soft skills you need to develop include adaptability, attention to detail, and communication and interpersonal skills.

Above all, unparalleled leadership and management skills are essential in landing a high-paying job.

Explore our free report to discover if you have the hard and soft skills needed to start and maintain a thriving career in biology. Download our Free Report here.

What qualifications are required for high-paying biologist jobs?

The qualifications for high-paying biology degree jobs will vary depending on the industry or sector you're targeting.

All the above jobs require at least a bachelor's degree in biology.

On the other hand, higher positions call for postgraduate programs. Management or leadership positions require a master's degree, while a doctorate is required for a job in the academe.

Lastly, the highest-paying biology jobs, like medical doctors and healthcare professionals, call for a degree in healthcare or a medical degree. 

Why is it beneficial for biologists to gain a BBA/MBA degree?

A BBA degree or MBA degree is a valuable addition to anyone pursuing a degree or career in biology for many good reasons. Here are the top three:

Opportunity to develop excellent management skills to enhance the growth of the organizations they will join.

Provides you with the communication and interpersonal skills you need to work with other health and science industry members and present your research and findings clearly and adequately.

Gives you comprehensive economy and business knowledge that makes you eligible for promotion, especially for leadership and supervisory roles.

Learn how to develop the most in-demand skills for your future career!

Discover how you can acquire the most in-demand skills with our free report, and open the doors to a successful career. 

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Top 10 Highest Paying PhD Degrees in 2024

The highest possible degree you can get in any field is a doctorate or a PhD. Obtaining a doctoral degree can help to greatly further your career, but unfortunately, PhDs aren’t always that easy to earn. The average time a doctoral candidate spends to receive their PhD is anywhere from seven to ten years, and during this time, it also becomes a balancing act.

However, if you manage to earn your PhD, you stand to increase your salary by a significant amount. Chances are, you might also find more opportunities in the future.

The best doctorate degrees are always the ones that you’re passionate about. But, if you find yourself asking, “what should I get my PhD in?,” this list of the highest paying PhDs might just help you out if you’re looking to have a lucrative career.

Looking to get a master’s instead? Check out: Highest Paying Master’s Degrees You Can Get in 2024

Table of Contents

What’s the Best PhD to Get?

If you’re trying to figure out the best-paid PhD, we’ve compiled a list of the top 10 fields with the highest earning potential.

Here are some quick facts:

• The PhD with the highest mid-career salary is in Chemical Engineering , with an average salary of $146,000 . This field also has a pretty good early career, with the average salary sitting at $96,100 .
• When it comes to the highest early career earnings, a PhD in Computer Science  is  your best bet since the average salary is $118,000 . This field also has one of the highest $145,000 .

It’s worth noting that your earning potential in any given field can also depend on your location. For example, a doctorate in computer science might earn you more money in San Francisco or other similar tech hubs. The best PhD degrees, at least for earning potential, can depend on where you intend to work.

Here are the best PhD degrees by salary, ranked from lowest to highest.

Of course, the best doctorate degree for you depends on your particular situation. When answering the question “what should I get my PhD in?,” consider your preferences and interests as well as what you want to do in the future.

Top 10 Highest Paying PhD Degrees

The salary figures of the highest-paid PhD degrees depicted in this article were taken from PayScale , based on data of those with PhDs.

10) Statistics

Salary in Early Career: $105,000

Salary in Mid Career: $131,000

BLS 2020-2030 Job Growth Outlook: 33%, much faster than average

Statisticians collect and analyze data via various statistical methods. They help various businesses, organizations, and even the healthcare industry collect and interpret data so they can solve problems, strategize, and plan ahead.

If you want a career as a statistician, you’ll need to have an undergraduate degree and a master’s degree at a minimum. Having a PhD in Statistics can help increase your earning potential by giving you an advantage over your peers.

The Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS) has the job outlook for mathematicians and statisticians growing by a projected 33% rate throughout 2020-2030. According to their website , this is a much faster growth rate than the average growth other fields are experiencing. It appears that statistics  qualifies for the most in-demand PhD degree — on this list, at least. Therefore we can suggest it as the best PhD for jobs, since it’ll be pretty easy to find one once you graduate.

9) Biomedical Engineering

Salary in Early Career: $88,100

Salary in Mid Career: $133,000

BLS 2020-2030 Job Growth Outlook: 6%, on the low end of average

In simple terms, biomedical engineering is the fusion of engineering, medicine, and biology. In particular, in this field, problem-solving techniques and principles used by engineering are applied to the fields of biology and medicine for healthcare. It’s an interdisciplinary field that is growing in popularity over time.

Biomedical engineering is continually evolving thanks to the constant pursuit of knowledge. Because of this, the field continues to grow and can always use people who know theory and are well versed in the life sciences.

Getting a PhD in this field can open up opportunities for you in a variety of areas. You can work in research, at universities, in manufacturing, and even in hospitals. A doctorate is required if you want to work in research or at universities.

The BLS  states that jobs in the biomedical engineering field are projected to grow at a 6% rate over the following seven years.

Salary in Early Career: $93,700

BLS 2020-2030 Job Growth Outlook: 7%, about average

If you’re interested in becoming a physicist, you’ll definitely need a PhD . Most careers for physicists, particularly in research and academia, require you to have a doctoral degree in the field. You can become a research advisor, a physics professor, a (lead) physicist, or a researcher.

According to the BLS , the job outlook for physicists is looking good. The projections are positive, sitting at a 7% increase until 2024, and this rate is on par with the average national growth rate for most occupations.

7) Engineering

Salary in Early Career: $93,600

Salary in Mid Career: $137,000

The world always needs engineers. However, a doctoral degree is not always necessary if you want to work as an engineer — unless, of course, you want to work in research. Research opportunities in the engineering field are only given to PhD candidates or graduates.

You can choose to go for a general track or a specialty such as materials science, mechanical engineering, computer engineering, and chemical engineering. If you have a PhD in engineering , you can take positions like project manager, engineering director, and specialty positions like aerospace engineer or chemical engineer.

6) Physical Chemistry

Salary in Early Career: $73,600

Salary in Mid Career: $138,000

Although the early career salary for PhD graduates of physical chemistry is one of the lowest on this list, it ramps up and is one of the highest-earning on this list in the mid-career.

But what exactly is physical chemistry?

Physical chemistry is a branch of chemistry that applies the theories and techniques of physics to chemical systems (or the study thereof). It’s the study of the behavior of matter on the atomic and molecular levels. Alongside this, physical chemistry is also the study of chemical reactions.

As a physical chemist, you’ll most likely work in labs and research facilities. These research opportunities are awarded only to those with PhDs, and a PhD can also open the door for even more lucrative careers in high-tech or materials science.

The job growth and outlook for physical chemists are below average. However, the average annual wage makes it one of the most profitable ones.

5) Pharmacology

Salary in Early Career: $75,400

Salary in Mid Career: $141,000

BLS 2020-2030 Job Growth Outlook: -2% decline

Pharmacology is the study of drugs and drug actions, or how drugs work within the body. It’s a branch of biology, medicine, and the pharmaceutical sciences. Having a PhD in pharmacology can help you find careers in research.

PhD programs  in this field often build upon other areas, such as biochemistry, molecular bio, cell bio, physiology, and neuroscience. Depending on the track you choose, you can become a researcher in a particular field.

Pharmacology can also lead you to a career as a pharmacist.

The average early career wages for pharmacists are low because it can depend on location or position. For example, pharmacists who work at grocery stores or drug stores often earn less than their entry-level researcher counterparts.

Unfortunately, the current rate of growth for this field is -2%  from 2020-2030. So while there will still be opportunities, it may be harder to find a job.

4) Electrical Engineering

Salary in Early Career: $103,000

Salary in Mid Career: $144,000

If you have a PhD in electrical engineering, you stand to earn quite a good amount of money. Electrical engineering has one of the highest average early-career salaries and one of the highest mid-career to boot.

Electrical Engineering is the application and study of mathematics  and physics combined with electromagnetism, electronics, and electricity. This discipline deals with the research and design of systems, equipment, and devices that use electricity. The results of electrical engineering are seen in day-to-day life. The advances humanity has made in the field have resulted in modern-day staples like the radio and the television.

A doctorate in engineering can help you go into research. If you are more of an idea generator, you can pursue a career in invention and product development. This discipline had plenty of opportunities in various fields such as transportation, computing, manufacturing, and aviation.

3) Computer Science

Salary in Early Career: $118,000

Salary in Mid Career: $145,000

BLS 2020-2030 Job Growth Outlook: 22%, much faster than average

Computer Science is one of the highest-paying fields, both in early and mid-career salary averages. A doctorate in this field allows graduates to become experts in certain computer science subfields. If you want to get a PhD in this field, you’ll need a bachelor’s degree or a master’s in computer science .

If you choose to research in this field, you’ll need a doctorate to qualify for research opportunities. You can also find non-academic careers as an information research scientist, a hardware engineer, programming, and even robotics. It truly comes as no surprise that Computer Science is one of the best-paid PhD programs considering technology continues to progress over the years.

The job outlook for this field is expected to grow by 22%  until 2030, making it one of the best and most in-demand PhDs on this list

2) Organic Chemistry

Salary in Early Career: $83,400

Salary in Mid Career: $146,000

Organic chemistry shares a spot with #1 for the highest-paying PhD, at least for mid-career salaries. However, early wages are lower, which earns this field its #2 spot on this list.

If you want to pursue a career in organic chemistry, earning a PhD in this field can get you a research position, and you may even find yourself leading a research team. However, to qualify for advanced research positions, you’ll need a PhD in the field from an accredited institution whose programs are approved by the ACS or the American Chemical Society.

You may also find jobs in academia as a professor.

1) Chemical Engineering

Salary in Early Career: $96,100

BLS 2020-2030 Job Growth Outlook: 9%, on the high end of average

Sitting at number one on this list is chemical engineering. This branch of engineering combines various fields into one, and you’ll see physics, chemistry, microbiology, biochemistry, and math . This interdisciplinary field helps solve problems related to fuel, food, chemicals, or drugs.

If you earn a PhD in chemical engineering, you may find yourself prepared with expert-level knowledge of the current research findings, practices, and the core fundamentals of the field. After you graduate, you may find opportunities in research and academia and find jobs in areas like biotechnology.

Paying for Your PhD

One obstacle that many doctoral candidates run into is the cost of earning a PhD. If you find yourself wondering how you can afford to pay for your PhD, there are a few common ways you can ease the financial load.

• Student loans  – Many PhD candidates take out student loans to help them afford the tuition and living expenses while working on their doctorate full (or even part) time. You can choose to take out a loan for the full tuition plus living costs, or you can take a smaller loan to cover only a part of the expenses.
• Scholarships, grants, and fellowships  – Savvy PhD candidates seek out scholarships, grants, and fellowship opportunities to help them pay off their tuition and living expenses more easily.

Related: Graduate School Scholarships Guide

• Seek financial support from your employer – Some employers help support their employees’ education by offering partial or full scholarships as they seek higher education. This option may not always be possible, of course, as it depends on the field you are pursuing and whether it has any relation to your current place of employment.
• Teach where you are studying  – One of the most common ways doctoral students earn extra financial support for their studies is through teaching — particularly at the school in which they are studying. Teaching can help students cut down on tuition costs as many educational institutions may offer lower rates for their studies. Some colleges and universities will even offer teaching assistant positions that offer flexibility and enough compensation to cover part of the tuition costs.

Already decided on going to grad school? Here’s everything you need to apply .

Frequently Asked Questions

Which phd has the highest salary.

According to this list of the highest paying PhD degrees, the current most lucrative PhD is Organic Chemistry.

Can PhDs make a lot of money?

Yes, but the road there can be long and winding. There are also many factors that can affect how much you earn, such as your location, industry, position, and even your employer. Additionally, “a lot of money” is relative — what do you consider a lot of money? It may benefit you to check out salary information on the Bureau of Labor Statistics website or on websites like PayScale or Salary.com. Check if the average earnings meet your expectations before making your decision on your PhD.

Is a PhD worth it for salary increases?

The BLS says that in 2020, those with a PhD earned median weekly salaries more than 20%  more than those with just a bachelor’s degree. It can depend on the field and the position, but this does appear to be the case generally. Data also shows that doctorate holders can earn significantly more over their lifetimes. For example, male PhDs earn as much as $1.5 million more  compared to high school graduates. Female PhDs earn $1.1 million more on average.

Do PhDs get paid more than master’s degree holders?

Yes. According to the World Education Services ( WES ), doctorate holders do earn more than those with master’s degrees. However, how much more they earn depends on their field. For example, engineering PhDs only earn 7% more than master’s degree holders in the field. However, in the field of psychology, you can earn up to 33% more if you have a PhD rather than a master’s.

Does job location matter when considering the highest paying doctorate degrees?

In any form of employment, your location matters. In fact, aside from your field or line of work, your location may be the next biggest determinant of your salary. The same is true even if you don’t have a PhD. For example, if you work in the field of information technology or computer science, you’ll most likely have a higher salary in places like San Francisco or Seattle.

You’ll likely find plenty of PhDs in some of the most lucrative industries in a certain city or state. IT and Computer Science PhD holders will often find the highest-paying opportunities in tech hubs  around the country. Geologists will find the highest-paying work in areas rich in natural resources. Researchers, on the other hand, will likely find the best-paying work in areas with research universities and institutions.

Many of the highest-earning jobs for PhDs are located in cities or states where their specific industry is highly supported.

Are there any degrees higher than a PhD?

Nope! The PhD, also known as the doctorate or doctoral degree, is the highest possible academic degree you can earn. PhDs are specialized degrees often earned through research. They demonstrate an extremely high level of understanding of the subject and expertise in your field. A lot of people who earn their PhD usually go on to stay in academia to teach or continue their research.

Choosing the Best Doctoral Degrees

It’s not always about answering the question, “What’s the highest paying PhD?” In the end, choosing the best doctoral degree for you comes down to a matter of preference and interest.

Earning a PhD is seldom easy — but with hard work, you can set yourself up for a bright future ahead with a lucrative yet fulfilling career.

Chriselle Sy

Chriselle has been a passionate professional content writer for over 10 years. She writes educational content for The Grad Cafe, Productivity Spot, The College Monk, and other digital publications.  When she isn't busy writing, she spends her time streaming video games and learning new skills.

• Chriselle Sy https://blog.thegradcafe.com/author/chriselle-sy/ Graduate Certificate vs Degree: What’s the Difference? [2024 Guide]
• Chriselle Sy https://blog.thegradcafe.com/author/chriselle-sy/ The 18 Best Scholarships for Black Students in 2024-2025
• Chriselle Sy https://blog.thegradcafe.com/author/chriselle-sy/ The 25 Best Gifts for Nursing Students in 2024
• Chriselle Sy https://blog.thegradcafe.com/author/chriselle-sy/ Dissertation vs Thesis: Your 2024 Guide

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Ph.D. Program

The training for a Ph.D. in Biology is focused on helping students achieve their goals of being a successful research scientist and teacher, at the highest level. Students work closely with an established advisor and meet regularly with a committee of faculty members to facilitate their progress. The Biology Ph.D. program is part of the larger Biosciences community at Stanford, which includes doctorate programs in the basic science departments at Stanford Medical School. 

There are two tracks within the Biology Ph.D. program:

• Cell, Molecular and Organismal Biology
• Ecology and Evolution

(Previously a part of the Department of Biology Hopkins Marine Station is now a part of the Oceans Department within  Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability )

All  tracks are focused on excellence in research and teaching in their respective areas; where there are differences between the tracks, they are indicated in the links below. 

Requirements & Forms

Dissertation defense, cellular and molecular biology training program, stanford biology ph.d. preview program, career development resources.

College of Biological Sciences

Cultivating inclusive environments: uc davis deij leader fellowship projects in action.

Diverse projects drive equity and inclusion in academic pursuits

• by Evan White
• April 30, 2024

The UC Davis College of Biological Sciences champions Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ) through the Graduate Student DEIJ Leader Fellowship program. Now in its second year, the program empowers enterprising graduate students committed to enhancing DEIJ within the CBS community by supporting projects aimed at fostering a more inclusive academic environment. 

“The second consecutive cohort of DEIJ Fellows has maintained the outstanding caliber of commitment, innovation and collaboration that gives this program its impact,” said Ted Powers, executive associate dean of academic affairs, and the leadership liaison to the college’s committee for diversity, equity, inclusion and justice. “As always, I am very proud of the accomplishments of CBS graduate students in the DEIJ space. Each of this year’s fellows has done great work on projects that will help the college foster and support a culture of inclusivity and belonging.”

Among this year’s distinguished recipients of the DEIJ Leader Fellowship are Tess Leathers, Maribel Anguiano, Elijah Kofke, Hee Jin Chung, Devin Romines, Darien Satterfield, Selin Gümüşderelioğlu, and Tracie Hayes. Their projects cover a diverse range of initiatives, from making academia more accessible for early scientists to planning ethical and inclusive fieldwork.

Leathers, a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate, aims to alleviate financial burdens for early-stage graduate students and inspire elementary students from underrepresented backgrounds to pursue STEM. Anguiano, a neuroscience Ph.D. candidate, focuses on making STEM graduate programs more accessible through shareable information.

Kofke, Romines, and Gümüşderelioğlu are committed to raising awareness about non-academic career paths, supporting LGBTQ+ undergraduate STEM students, and ensuring lasting progress in DEI efforts through various innovative projects. Satterfield's project centers on planning inclusive and ethical fieldwork, while Hayes and Chung seek to improve the culture and support systems within their graduate groups through a comprehensive climate survey.

These dynamic projects exemplify the dedication of CBS graduate students to advancing DEIJ principles and fostering a more inclusive scientific community. This year’s fellows program will culminate in an open-house event highlighting their achievements on Monday, May 13 in Walker Hall Gibeling Conference Room from 2:00-5:00pm. The event is open to the public and free to attend. RSVP here .

Meet the 2023-24 Graduate DEIJ Leader Fellows

Maribel Anguiano

Neuroscience Project Title: Making STEM graduate programs more accessible through shareable information

I am a Ph.D. candidate studying the molecular makeup of circuits involved in reward-seeking and social behaviors. Being a first-generation Mexican American and the first in my family to attend college, I have experienced the value of programs that increase diversity, equity, inclusion and justice in science fields. I am committed to helping the next generation of diverse scientists thrive as they enhance the progression of scientific discovery. As a graduate student I am involved in the Neuroscience Initiative to Enhance Diversity (NIED), Graduate Student and Postdoctoral SACNAS Chapter (GSPD SACNAS) and have organized and run programs that aim to introduce undergraduate students from historically marginalized communities to different careers in STEM. These full day workshops consist of graduate student panels, lab tours, and research presentations. My project aims to create a template that graduate students and programs can use when starting their own workshops. I hope that the creation of this guide will lead to more graduate programs sharing their research and experience with undergraduate students from underrepresented backgrounds. 

Selin Gümüşderelioğlu

Biochemistry, Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology  Project Title: Recording keeping for lasting progress in DEI: (BMCDB) Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Committee (DEIC) Handbook

I am a fifth year Ph.D. candidate who is passionate about basic cell biology research, and about teaching, mentoring and community building. I have been involved in the BMCDB DEIC for the past four years and I am currently serving as one of the co-chairs of the committee. As a CBS DEIJ fellow, I am putting together a BMCDB DEIC handbook that will contain: 1) information on the DEI resources available on campus, 2) a list of committee guidelines indicating how long each member and lead is expected to serve, and what their roles and responsibilities are, and 3) a guide on how each event associated with the committee was organized, including information on funding and advertising, and a feedback section on the elements that worked and those with room for improvement. This handbook will ensure continuation of the BMCDB DEIC and be a resource for the general CBS community. By setting expectations, providing guidelines, and keeping well documented records, we can add to the value of the work accomplished and aim for long-lasting progress in DEI.

Tracie Hayes

Population Biology Project Title: Climate Survey for the Population Biology Graduate Group

I am a fifth-year graduate student studying the ecology of organisms that rely on ephemeral resources, and I do most of my work with burying beetles along the California coast. I am interested in DEI efforts because I believe increasing and retaining historically marginalized groups in the life sciences is crucial to the success and growth of evolution and ecology as disciplines. For my project, I am developing and circulating an anonymous climate survey to my graduate group to identify issues we want to address in our community, and identify what is working within the community. I love my graduate group and I want to continue to improve the culture concerning mentor-mentee relationships, student belonging, DEIJ initiatives and graduate funding. With the results of this climate survey and in collaboration with our Student Diversity Committee, I hope to prioritize student needs in conversations and make plans to address those that are not being met. 

Hee Jin Chung

Animal Behavior Project Title: Diagnostic Climate Survey within the Animal Behavior Graduate Group

I am a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate, and the co-chair of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee of the Animal Behavior Graduate Group. I study topics surrounding urban behavioral ecology, human-animal interactions, and animal welfare through the study system of domestic cats ( Felis catus ). I believe that scientists should contribute personally and intentionally to creating a more equitable and accessible scientific community. Our DEI committee holds monthly journal clubs, and plans to collaborate with The Ethogram , the official science communication blog of our graduate group, for outreach events. My 2023-24 project for the DEIJ Leader Fellowship focused on creating and distributing a climate survey for our graduate group, to get a better idea of the experiences of the current students. The climate survey will help us explore which circumstances within the graduate group may be most vulnerable to microaggressions and antagonistic interactions, and make attainable changes in recruitment and retention of students in the program.

Elijah Kofke

Biochemistry, Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology Project Title: Alumni Panel to Raise Visibility of Non-Academic Career Paths

I am a third-year graduate student, and I study how cells make decisions under stress. My exposure to DEI work came initially from my work as an academic researcher in my hometown of Boston, as well as from my passion for the performing arts, which often express deep rooted cultural inequalities. I am very involved in the graduate student community on campus, and serve as a DEI committee chair, help organize events for prospective students, and help run BMCDB’s monthly happy hour. With this DEIJ fellowship, I will plan BMCDB’s annual Spring Showcase, where I am responsible for putting together a panel of alumni from non-academic career paths. In addition to addressing a prior lack of visibility for these career paths with the event itself, I hope to organize a toolkit to help others create similar panels with minimal barriers, creating more opportunities for other students to start dialogues centered on their own passions.

Tess Leathers

Biochemistry, Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology Project Title: Making academia more accessible for early scientists

I’m a fourth year Ph.D. candidate studying embryonic development in the Rogers lab, and I’m passionate about making academia a place where all feel welcome. My project takes two approaches to make academia more accessible for scientists from historically underserved backgrounds. My first approach is to support early-stage graduate students in securing funding, as the financial burden of graduate school can be a huge obstacle. To do this, I organized a workshop in which former awardees gave feedback to over a dozen graduate students applying to the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program. The second approach is working with Prairie Elementary, a majority Hispanic student-serving school, to provide science activities for eight fourth- and fifth-grade classrooms. We started each session by sharing about our journey to become a scientist before leading a fun hands-on lesson and answering students’ questions. This event helped demystify academia for elementary students and showed them that they belong in STEM. Overall, I hope this project will help foster community and create opportunities for young scientists to grow their support network.

Devin Romines

Integrative Genetics and Genomics  Project Title: oSTEM Graduate Panel Series

I am a third-year Ph.D. student working in the Sundaresan Lab studying plant development. Seeing professors and people just like me making it in academia gave me the confidence that being a professor was something I could pursue. As a result, I want to make sure that I help those who come after me feel like they belong. Many undergraduate students in STEM are not fully aware of how applying for graduate school works. Showcasing this to underrepresented students, like LGBTQ+ students, can help them see that it is an attainable goal. As a DEIJ Leader Fellow, I plan to work with the graduate committee of Out in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (oSTEM) at UC Davis to create a monthly panel/speaker series about preparing for, applying to, and selecting between graduate school programs. This series would allow graduate students to engage with undergraduates and share their journeys through graduate school. The goal of this project is not only to provide LGBTQ+ undergraduate STEM students with valuable information and connections, but also to provide CBS graduate students with outreach and speaking opportunities to share their knowledge and experience.

Darien Satterfield

Population Biology Project Title: Planning Ethical, Inclusive, and Culturally Aware Field Work

I am a fifth-year Ph.D. candidate studying the functional morphology of coral reef fish. As a fellow, my goal is to broaden the available training on how to lead field work that is inclusive and ethical by outlining necessary steps from the project design stages, all the way through visiting a remote area and then completing the project. Too often research happens exclusively within the bubble of academia, which can disadvantage underrepresented groups resulting in a lack of diverse perspectives, backgrounds, and skill sets. When designing field work, researchers have a chance to contribute to the dismantling of the barriers to science many from underserved groups face. By creating safe and welcoming field work policies, extending research opportunities to a broader network of scientists and community members, and listening to the traditional knowledge and values that surround our study system, our science becomes more informed, efficient, and impactful. The workshop I am creating will include lessons learned from those who have led successful field work collaborations and a blueprint for planning field work that is inclusive. 

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Graduate who pursued PhD for conservation found passion in community building, mental health advocacy

Photo courtesy Olivia Davis

Editor’s note:  This story is part of a series of profiles of  notable spring 2024 graduates .

During their college careers, some students either choose to participate in research opportunities or serve their community — but Olivia Davis, who is graduating with a PhD from ASU's biology and society program, made both a priority.

Davis spent her PhD conducting conservation research with a real-world impact. Among other subjects, she studied how to improve the process of evaluating a species’ endangered status and created a metric that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife, which is responsible for protecting endangered species in the U.S., has already agreed to adopt to more effectively protect the environment. 

She’s extending the impact of that work through writing about it in creative nonfiction, which helps her show why conservation — and her research along with it — is meaningful, both personally and socially. Now that she’s completed her dissertation, one of her next goals is to turn the story of her PhD into a nonfiction book. 

Amid all that work, Davis has also tirelessly served her community. In addition to constantly organizing and facilitating events to get her peers together, from book clubs to sustainability committees to Brown Bag seminars, she also served as the mental health chair on the e-board, or the student government for the School of Life Sciences.

In that role, Davis implemented training that enabled faculty to recognize signs of distress in students and get them help. She also held reoccurring events to connect students with mental health counselors. Even though Davis is no longer the mental health chair, she’s set a precedent of caring about mental health within her department, both in and out of her e-board role. 

It’s difficult to understate the impact Davis has had on her peers; other graduate students in the biology and society program recognize her as central to their community. 

“Olivia is the person who gets everyone feeling comfortable in a non-judgmental space and inspires others to invest in their community, because she always does it so selflessly,” says Alejandro Bellón, a fellow PhD candidate. 

Cassi Lyon, another recent biology and society graduate says, “Olivia has become a resource for both students and faculty in SOLS (School of Life Sciences). I have been in meetings where a faculty member goes ‘Ah, I have to ask Olivia about that.’ It’s impressive that Olivia has become so integrated in our community that both her peers and mentors go to her for advice.” 

“Olivia is one of the most caring, thoughtful and selfless people in SOLS," says PhD candidate Baylee Edwards. "She is always the first to volunteer to help with a project, and she consistently attends events to support the department. And on a human level, she's just incredible. She remembers small details like what you were going to be doing over the weekend and makes a point to ask you how it went, and even when she's stressed about her own work, she always finds time to make sure everyone else is doing okay.” 

Luckily, the community won’t be losing Davis just yet: she plans to stay at ASU, but instead of focusing on conservation, she’ll be working in an NSF-funded postdoctoral position with the Cooper lab to research graduate student experiences with mental health, in hopes of finding ways to make people like her feel less alone. 

Question: What are you most proud of from your time at ASU?  

Answer: A lot of the dialogue I’ve gotten going in SOLS about mental health. The grad office was really receptive when I was mental health chair for the e-board, which was a new position ... We connected with ASU Counseling Services, got to know them and created initiatives within our control. We did events like surveying students about mental health, a rock-climbing event, a sound healing event, a bi-weekly coffee where people from Counseling Services came and talked to students and we also implemented training for faculty. We’re hoping to use that as a model for ASU broadly.  

Q: What was your favorite spot on campus for studying, meeting friends, or thinking about life?  

A: I liked the Gerber lab space. Especially during my time here, we really made it a community space, which is nice because grad school can be lonely and isolating. But also, outside the writer’s house. And being able to have the writing world so close to the science building, it feels very poetic. 

Q: What are your plans after graduation?  

A: I’ll be doing a post-doc with Katey Cooper where I will be making a video repository of scientists talking about their failures, and having grad students watch these videos and see how it impacts them based on identity and mental health conditions. We’re hoping that will start a broader dialogue about failure in science because there’s a lot of imposter syndrome that comes from people thinking science always needs to look a certain way. So we’re hoping that will help graduate students feel less alone. 

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For undergraduate commencement student speaker Rebecca Bamidele, politics and medicine are a potent mix

Northeastern shaped the 2024 biology and political science graduate from a shy freshman into a future doctor laser-focused on improving public health policy — with the confidence to wear bedazzled boots on a weekday.

This isn’t Rebecca Bamidele’s first speech. But it’s certainly the biggest.

As senior class president, Bamidele spoke at her high school’s graduation in 2019. But the crowd on hand for Concord High School’s ceremony in New Hampshire numbered a few thousand. On Sunday, she may have an audience of more than 30,000 for Northeastern’s undergraduate commencement at Fenway Park.

Nerves would be understandable. But a week before she takes the big stage in center field, Bamidele is still riding high from getting the email — in the middle of one of her last classes, a fashion design elective — tapping her as the university’s 2024 undergraduate student speaker. 

She feels more ready than anxious.

“Obviously it’s a big responsibility and a lot of pressure to speak for a whole class,” says Bamidele, a combined major in biology and political science. “But I feel so secure in my experiences, and I’m trusting that I have something valuable to say. I think that overcomes the nerves for me.”

Christine McEvoy, an adviser at Intervarsity — the campus Christian fellowship that served as Bamidele’s social and spiritual home during her undergrad years — says Bamidele should have no trouble commanding a space as big as Fenway. She expects “Reebs,” as her close friends know her, to fill the ballpark with trademark warmth and energy.

“She’s joy personified,” McEvoy says. “When Reebs gets in the room, we’re all like, ‘Oh, it’s going to be a good time now.’”

After getting a taste of it in high school, Bamidele dreamed of speaking at her college graduation — though not necessarily at Northeastern. Her older brother is a graduate of the university, and she was eager to chart a new path. “I applied all over: West Coast, the South, everywhere imaginable,” she says. “I wanted to do my own thing.”

It quickly became clear, however, that Northeastern was the best place to do just that. When she got to campus, Bamidele wasn’t totally sure how her wide-ranging intellectual interests would come together.  A standout science student with plans for medical school, Bamidele also has a passion for writing, deep experience in student government and a knack for trivia. She was on her high school’s Quiz Bowl team and cites pop culture questions — not science or history — as a particular strength.

The more I learned, the more I felt compelled to do something about it. – Rebecca Bamidele on using her Northeastern education to improve public health policy

But “Northeastern helps you figure out who you are,” she says. In her case, it’s someone with an ambition to bring training in both practical medicine and policy toward improving public health — particularly in areas with thorny systemic inequities, like maternal mortality rates in communities of color. During undergrad, she was a founding member of the Health Humanities Club , an organization dedicated to helping students think about health care through an interdisciplinary lens. At Intervarsity, she took the lead in coordinating the group’s volunteer events, like partnering with area churches on food drives.

“It really highlights that dedication that she has to serve people,” McEvoy says of Bamidele’s long-term goals. “It makes sense for the things she’s passionate about, and the way that she’s wired.”

That multifaceted trajectory only became clear to Bamidele through the combination of coursework, co-ops and community engagement that is a hallmark of a Northeastern education.

“There are a lot of doctors who don’t necessarily have political knowledge, but also a lot of political people who don’t understand health care,” she says. “I think having more people who can understand the needs between those two spaces will help make a better system overall.”

In a sense, that intersection of interests is in Bamidele’s blood. Her mother is a pharmacist; her father is an attorney who works with advocacy groups including the Refugee Human Rights Center. Her parents emigrated from Nigeria and settled in Concord a few years before her eldest brother was born. Bamidele says that straddling of two cultures helped shape an open mindset, in terms of both backgrounds and intellectual modes of looking at problems.

“Understanding how two very different things fit together has always interested me,” she says. “I never felt the need to confine myself to being just one thing.”

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As a kid, she certainly didn’t. A musical theater lover, she sang and acted in school productions; her favorite role was Nala in “The Lion King.” She played saxophone in the high school band and was active in student government, all while winning academic honors for outstanding work in her chemistry and Latin classes. Coming from a relatively small city in New Hampshire, she was drawn to the urban bustle of Northeastern’s Boston campus.

“Northeastern is not just in Boston, It’s really in Boston, if that makes sense,” she says. “You’re out in the world, not confined to your college campus. I could see myself growing into the person I always hoped college would make me into.”

She was interested in medicine but initially unsure she wanted to be a health care worker. “My first year, I was in more bioengineering courses,” she says. But the broader possibilities of the medical field came into focus when she took a seminar in U.S. health and welfare policy; the issues the class addressed “sparked her soul.”

“The more I learned, the more I felt compelled to do something about it,” she says. “That’s what got me leaning toward political science.”

She dove into more classes at the intersection of health and policy, including Social Problems in Health Care. The class was “sitting with some of those really hard topics, like doctor-assisted suicide, and how we allocate organs or vaccines,” she says. “This was also during COVID-19. So there were a lot of new moral and social problems. It was interesting, as a 19-year-old college student trying to work out the answers to questions that even people in power didn’t necessarily know.”

On co-op, it became clear that she could tackle those broad, systemic issues while helping patients on an individual level. Her first position was at Voyager Therapeutics, a biotech company developing gene therapies for neurological diseases. Her second, as a clinical assistant at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear hospital, had her interacting with patients and doctors every day.

“It solidified that I was interested in that,” Bamidele says. “I definitely had hard days, and it could be a lot. But those moments of sitting with people who were overwhelmed or answering their questions helped me see that this was something I liked, and that I had a gift for.”

Ruth Stuart, a close friend and 2024 graduate in criminal justice, says she and Bamidele bonded, in part, over their ambitions to ignite sweeping changes from the ground in their chosen fields.

“What drew me to criminal justice is the inequities within the system, so my desire is to go directly into law enforcement to try to make a difference,” Stuart says. “Similarly to Rebecca in the medical field.”

On Sunday, Bamidele will call on her fellow graduates to reflect on the ways Northeastern helped shape them — in a personal sense as well as an academic and career-oriented one. For her, that meant blossoming from an 18-year-old who had trouble making friends to a 23-year-old who wants to talk to everyone and has formed lifelong bonds; from a wallflower trying desperately to escape notice to the first one on the dance floor, and “someone who walks around Boston in bedazzled knee-high boots on a Tuesday just for the sake of turning heads,” per her speech.

And she’ll shout out the things she and the rest of the class of 2024 will miss about the Boston campus: bacon-egg-and-cheese sandwiches from Wollaston’s; cozying up for study sessions at Snell; catching the Green Line to the Beanpot after class.

“I’ll miss the familiarity, and those moments of running into my people and feeling known,” she says. “Even on a campus this big, it makes it feel a little smaller.”

Schuyler Velasco is a Northeastern Global News Magazine senior writer. Email her at [email protected] . Follow her on X/Twitter @Schuyler_V .

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Class of 2024 Top Graduates

April 30, 2024

By Tom Nurre

Christian Bell, a biology major from Midland, has been selected to receive Angelo State University’s 2024 Presidential Award as the top graduate in his class, while five other ASU graduating seniors have been selected for 2024 Distinguished Student Awards from their respective academic colleges.

Bell will be recognized at ASU’s May 10-11 commencement ceremonies , along with the five Distinguished Student Award honorees. The Distinguished Student Award recipients are:

• Damian Macias of Vancourt – Archer College of Health and Human Services
• Katherine Spitzer of El Paso – College of Arts and Humanities
• Delaney Grimes of San Angelo – College of Education
• Tressa Reading of Uvalde – College of Science and Engineering
• Clayton Edmiston of Christoval – Norris-Vincent College of Business.

ASU’s Academic Excellence Committee hosted an awards ceremony April 29 in the Houston Harte University Center to honor all the award recipients and nominees. Each was presented a recognition plaque by ASU President Ronnie Hawkins Jr.

Additionally, Bell excelled in undergraduate research, earning multiple research grants from ASU, the American Chemical Society and Tri-Beta to support his work. He presented elements of his research at regional and national scientific conferences and co-authored a publication in the Journal of Pharmacy Technology. He also secured a competitive external placement in the summer 2021 Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) School of Medicine Pre-Medical Enrichment Program. He will enter medical school at TTUHSC in Lubbock, with plans to remain in West Texas to begin his medical practice.

Additional Award Nominees:

Seok Woo Jang, nominated by the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, is from Seoul, South Korea. He is a double-major in chemistry and mathematics, and he will pursue a master’s degree in chemical engineering at Texas A&M University this fall.

Emily Lee, nominated by the Department of Management and Marketing, is a double-major in management and marketing and member of the Honors Program from Frisco. She plans to remain in San Angelo and work in advertising and marketing.

Cie Rangel, nominated by the Department of Political Science and Philosophy, is a political science major with a Spanish minor from San Angelo. She plans to work at a local law firm for a year and then apply for fall 2025 law school entry.

Garath Vetters, nominated by the Department of Physics and Geosciences, is a physics and mathematics double-major from Kingsland. He will pursue a Ph.D. in physics at Texas Tech University this fall.

Alexandra Vishnevskaya, nominated by the David L. Hirschfeld Department of Engineering, is a mechanical engineering major from Moscow, Russia. She will begin studies toward a Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering at the University of Maryland this fall.

Dr. Shirley Eoff Chair, Academic Excellence Committee 325-942-2722 [email protected]