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Oceanography Majors’ Salary Over the Career
This figure shows median earnings by age for those who majored in Oceanography but have a bachelor’s degree only: “This Major (BA only)”, and those who majored in Oceanography but obtained a masters degree or higher: “This Major (Grad Degree)”. For reference, “All Majors (BA only)” contains the median income for all college graduates who have a bachelor’s degree only, and “All Majors (Grad Degree)” contains the median income for all college graduates who have a Master’s degree or higher.
This table highlights key outcomes for Oceanography majors, compared to averages for all college graduates.
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Top 10 Early-Career Occupations (Bachelor’s only)
These are the top occupations for Oceanography majors aged 25-35 who have a BA only (no graduate degree) and the median income they received in the occupation. The share indicates the percentage of Oceanography majors aged 25-35 with a BA only who worked in that occupation.
| Share | Occupation | Income |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | Managers, nec (including Postmasters) | 65,900 |
| 5 | Aircraft Pilots and Flight Engineers | 84,300 |
| 5 | Biological Scientists | 46,400 |
| 4 | Elementary and Middle School Teachers | 54,000 |
| 4 | Ship and Boat Captains and Operators | 107,000 |
| 4 | Computer Scientists and Systems Analysts/Network systems Analysts/Web Developers | 42,000 |
| 3 | Secretaries and Administrative Assistants | 17,100 |
| 2 | Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers | 9,770 |
| 2 | Nonfarm Animal Caretakers | 33,700 |
| 2 | Physical Scientists, nec | 77,400 |
Top 10 Mid-Career Occupations (Bachelor’s only)
These are the top occupations for Oceanography majors aged 45-55 who have a BA only (no graduate degree) and the median income they received in the occupation. The share indicates the percentage of Oceanography majors aged 45-55 with a BA only who worked in that occupation.
| Share | Occupation | Income |
|---|---|---|
| 12 | Managers, nec (including Postmasters) | 124,000 |
| 4 | Elementary and Middle School Teachers | 58,300 |
| 4 | Unemployed | 0 |
| 3 | Secondary School Teachers | 66,800 |
| 3 | Environmental Scientists and Geoscientists | 130,000 |
| 3 | General and Operations Managers | 132,000 |
| 2 | First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | 95,500 |
| 2 | Computer Scientists and Systems Analysts/Network systems Analysts/Web Developers | 145,000 |
| 2 | Compliance Officers, Except Agriculture | 113,000 |
| 2 | Managers in Marketing, Advertising, and Public Relations | 111,000 |
Top 10 Mid-Career Occupations (Master’s Degree or higher)
These are the top occupations for Oceanography majors aged 45-55 who have completed graduate work (Masters, PhD, Professional Degree) and the median income they received in the occupation. The share indicates the percentage of Oceanography majors aged 45-55 with graduate degrees who worked in that occupation.
| Share | Occupation | Income |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | Managers, nec (including Postmasters) | 166,000 |
| 6 | Environmental Scientists and Geoscientists | 128,000 |
| 6 | Postsecondary Teachers | 125,000 |
| 4 | Elementary and Middle School Teachers | 97,700 |
| 4 | Secondary School Teachers | 101,000 |
| 3 | Physical Scientists, nec | 113,000 |
| 3 | Unemployed | 0 |
| 2 | Software Developers, Applications and Systems Software | 181,000 |
| 2 | Chief executives and legislators/public administration | 220,000 |
| 2 | Computer Scientists and Systems Analysts/Network systems Analysts/Web Developers | 44,100 |
Top 10 Early-Career Industries
These are the top industries for Oceanography majors aged 25-35 and the median income they received in the industry. The share indicates the percentage of Oceanography majors aged 25-35 who worked in that industry.
| Share | Industry | Income |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | Elementary and secondary schools | 59,000 |
| 8 | Colleges and universities | 59,200 |
| 7 | Navy | 88,100 |
| 5 | Administration of environmental quality and housing programs | 39,500 |
| 5 | Museums, art galleries, and zoos | 32,700 |
| 5 | Research, development, and testing services | 70,300 |
| 3 | Coast Guard | 86,600 |
| 3 | Engineering, architectural, and surveying services | 68,900 |
| 3 | Miscellaneous entertainment and recreation services | 18,500 |
| 2 | Water transportation | 95,800 |
Top 10 Mid-Career Industries
These are the top industries for Oceanography majors aged 45-55 and the median income they received in the industry. The share indicates the percentage of Oceanography majors aged 45-55 who worked in that industry.
| Share | Industry | Income |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | Elementary and secondary schools | 92,300 |
| 7 | Colleges and universities | 105,000 |
| 5 | Management and public relations services | 121,000 |
| 4 | Engineering, architectural, and surveying services | 100,000 |
| 4 | Research, development, and testing services | 147,000 |
| 4 | Administration of environmental quality and housing programs | 129,000 |
| 4 | Justice, public order, and safety | 126,000 |
| 3 | N/A (not applicable) | 0 |
| 3 | Administration of economic programs | 136,000 |
| 3 | Computer and data processing services | 147,000 |
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