Scientific Communication

Types of Degrees Scientific Communication Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many technical and scientific communication graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Bachelor’s Degree	89
Master’s Degree	88
Graduate Certificate	31
Basic Certificate	7
Associate Degree	2

What Scientific Communication Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, technical and scientific communication majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.

Knowledge Areas for Technical and Scientific Communication Majors

This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:

• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Communications and Media - Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Clerical - Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.

Skills for Technical and Scientific Communication Majors

The following list of skills has been highlighted as some of the most essential for careers related to technical and scientific communication:

• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Abilities for Technical and Scientific Communication Majors

As you progress with your technical and scientific communication degree, there are several abilities you should pick up that will help you in whatever related career you choose. These abilities include:

• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Scientific Communication?

This major is dominated by women with about 56% of recent graduates being female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of technical and scientific communication majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	3
Black or African American	12
Hispanic or Latino	16
White	47
International Students	1
Other Races/Ethnicities	10

Geographic Diversity

Technical and Scientific Communication appeals to people across the globe. About 1.1% of those with this major are international students.

How Much Do Scientific Communication Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

Technical and Scientific Communication majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $69,480 to $78,090 (25th to 75th percentile). This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Scientific Communication

Some careers associated with technical and scientific communication require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

Find out what the typical degree level is for technical and scientific communication careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	2.5%
Some College Courses	5.8%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	12.9%
Bachelor’s Degree	37.7%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	1.3%
Master’s Degree	30.1%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.	0.7%
Doctoral Degree	5.9%
Post-Doctoral Training	3.4%

Online Scientific Communication Programs

In the 2020-2021 academic year, 34 schools offered some type of technical and scientific communication program. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	0	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	0	0
Associate’s Degree	2	0
Bachelor’s Degree	10	3
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	10	3
Post-Master’s	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Scientific Communication Worth It?

The median salary for a technical and scientific communication grad is $75,500 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 89% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $712,000 after 20 years!

Majors Related to Scientific Communication

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to technical and scientific communication.

Major	Number of Grads
Public Relations	5,216
Advertising	4,918
Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication	4,203
General Organizational Communication	2,013
Other Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication	1,553
Communication Management and Strategic Communications	1,397
Sports Communication	729
Health Communication	410
International & Intercultural Communication	256
Political Communication	187

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By Bill Koplitz under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.